Ohio Business Name Search

Before you form a limited liability company (LLC), register a trade name, or start a corporation, you’ll need to complete a business name search with the Ohio Business Search tool to see if your name is unique.

In our Ohio Business Name Search guide, we’ll show you exactly how to check LLC name availability in Ohio.

How to Check if Your Ohio LLC Name Is Available

Checking if your desired LLC name is available involves a few key steps, such as ensuring your business name follows state requirements and performing a domain name and state search. These are the steps you need to take to determine if your business name is available in Ohio. 

1. Follow LLC Naming Rules

Before you perform an LLC name search, you need to make sure your business name follows the state’s business name requirements. 

Some key guidelines for Ohio LLC names include:

• Your name must include the phrase “limited liability company” or one of the following: “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “limited,” “ltd.,” or “ltd.” 
• Your name must be distinguishable from any existing business in the state. This includes Ohio reserved names.

Keep an eye out for restricted words. These words, such as “FBI” or “Treasury,” are often restricted to keep your LLC from sounding like an official institution.

Ohio also has the following restrictions for LLC names:

• Your name can’t contain profanity or words or phrases that are generally considered a slur against an ethnic group, religion, gender, or heredity.
• Your name can’t incorrectly or improperly imply the business is affiliated with a government agency.
• Your name can’t include any of the following words without prior approval from the superintendent of the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions: “bank,” “banker,” “banking,” “trust,” or words of similar meaning in any other language.
• Your name can’t include the following words unless the LLC is registered as a cooperative: “cooperative,” “coop,” “co-operative,” or “co-op.”

For more information, check out Ohio’s official state statutes.

Distinguishability

It’s important that your name be distinguishable from all other business names. In Ohio, a distinguishable name is one that’s substantively different from all other existing or reserved business names in the state.

The following differences will make a name distinguishable in Ohio:

• The use of numbers in a name, including using numerals vs. spelled out numbers
• The addition of letters
• A different order of words
• Spelling variations
• Different forms of base words

The following differences do NOT make a name distinguishable in Ohio:

• Use of punctuation, contractions, or abbreviations
• Use of articles
• Business entity type designators
• Different tenses or singular/plural forms of the same word

Failure to use a distinguishable name could result in the rejection of your formation filing.

2. Conduct a State LLC Name Search

The first business name search you’ll need to perform is at the state level. This ensures you meet state requirements by verifying that no existing business is already using your chosen business name. You can check your business name availability by searching the Ohio Business Search online database.

3. Check Available Domain Names

When choosing a business name you’ll need to find out whether or not a good web domain name is available. Having a URL that clearly matches your business name is important. This small step can make a big difference in how prospective customers find your business.

The best way to determine if your desired URL is available is to search for it using your preferred domain registry, such as GoDaddy.

What if my LLC name is already taken? Our free AI-powered LLC name generator will give you thousands of new ideas.

4. Reserve Your LLC Name

You may reserve your LLC name in Ohio for up to 180 days before you officially register it with the state. This prevents other businesses from registering your name until you have the opportunity to register it yourself. 

You can file a name reservation online or by mail with the Ohio Secretary of State. The filing fee is $39.

5. Conduct a Trademark or Service Mark Search

Conducting a trademark search ensures your business name availability on a federal level — a necessary step before registering your business. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website provides a comprehensive tool to check for existing trademarks that might conflict with your chosen name or logo. Don’t rely solely on state-level LLC name approval. For additional support, consult our list of the best trademark services for startups.

6. Form Your Ohio LLC 

Finally, you’ll need to formally register your business with the state in order to secure your chosen business name. To form an LLC in the Buckeye State, you need to submit Articles of Organization to the Ohio Secretary of State. This document establishes your company’s legal existence. 

Your Articles of Organization should include the LLC’s name and registered agent details. Ohio also requires you to provide the name and signature of each person executing the formation document, adding transparency to your business structure.

Ohio LLC Name Search FAQ

Ohio Business Resources