Starting a business in Ohio involves several steps, but one of the first is choosing a business name. This step is a little more complicated when setting up an LLC or corporation in Ohio because these business structures must have a unique name.
To help you verify that your corporation or LLC is available to use, our step-by-step guide will show you how to quickly do an Ohio business name search using the Ohio Secretary of State business name database.
Related: Guide to starting a business in Ohio
Steps To Do An Ohio Business Name Search
Step 1: Visit the Ohio Entity Name Database
Go to the Ohio Secretary of State website.
Step 2: Search your Business Name
Enter the name you would like to use in the “Business Name” field. In this example, we will do an Ohio LLC name search by looking up “A1 Yard & Lawn.” After entering a company name, click “Search.” It is recommended to keep the search for all results as inactive listings may not yet be able to re-register.
Step 3: Review Results
When we search the registered names, we get a list of all the businesses with the words “A1 Yard & Lawn.” To register a corporation or LLC name in Ohio, the name must be distinguishable from the other registered names. If you were looking to form an LLC with this name, you wouldn’t be able to since there is already one registered.
To find more information about any of the registered business names, click on the “Show Details” button.
While the name “A1 Yard & Lawn” by itself may not be available, other variants such as “A1 Yard & Lawn of Ohio” are. Searching for those business names brings a result that says, “There were no records found.” While final approval is still with the Secretary of State, it is likely available to register.
These are the basics of searching for a business name in Ohio. Even when the name of the business you want looks like it is available, the Secretary of State will make a final determination at the time of filing to ensure the name you picked isn’t too similar to other registered names.
Also, keep in mind that even though each Corporation and LLC name must be unique, it may not stop someone else from using that name since business names for a sole proprietorship or partnership are not registered by the Secretary of State and are not required to be unique. To protect your business name, consider getting a trademark.
Related: Should I trademark my business name?
What information can be found on the Ohio business entity database?
An Ohio business entity search can find several pieces of information about the business. Some of the highlights include:
- Business Name
- Filing Type: Corporation, Limited Liability Company, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.
- Original Filing Date: The date the entity was filed with the Secretary of State.
- Status: Active means the entity is in good standing, and all reports and filing fees are up to date. Other results include “Cancelled” or “Dead,” among others. The names of these inactive results may be available to register.
- Statutory Agent Information – An Ohio statutory agent (called a registered agent in many states) is the singular point of contact for the entity should a legal or tax notice need to be sent to the business. This is often one of the owners, and if their home address is used, that address becomes public information. Many people find this concerning and use a Registered Agent service like Northwest Registered Agent, so their home address isn’t publicly listed.
- Images of the Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation (Corp), Amendments, and more are available to view as well.
Ohio Business Name Search FAQs
How do I find the name of an Ohio sole proprietorship?
An Ohio sole proprietorship or partnership can use the small business owner(s) full first and last name as the business name, but many will want to operate under a specific business name. In order to register the business name, they will register for an Ohio Trade Name, which is also known as “Doing Business As,” DBA, Assumed Name, or Fictitious Name.
Similar to the corporation or LLC, Trade Name registrations need to be unique as well.
How do I form an LLC in Ohio?
Before starting your business and forming an LLC, be sure to do the business entity search first to make sure the name is available to use. Once you know the LLC name is available, learn how to form an Ohio LLC by reading our step-by-step guide.
While not required in Ohio, an LLC operating agreement, which contains the rules for how the LLC operates, is a document worth considering, especially for multi-member LLCs.
After forming a Limited Liability Company, be sure to register for any Ohio business licenses and possibly obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) so the business is legal to operate.
What are the naming guidelines for an Ohio LLC?
In addition to being unique, the LLC’s name must include a special designator such as Limited Liability Company, LLC, L.L.C., etc., and it may not use restricted words such as bank or insurance unless the entity is licensed to operate as such.
Can an LLC name be reserved in Ohio?
If you want a name but are not ready to register the LLC, you can file the Name Reservation form (Form 534B). The name reservation will hold a name for up to 180 days.
