Situated in the Midwestern region of the United States, the state of Ohio offers very affordable business costs. The Buckeye State is certainly a good place for startups. Recently it ranked among the top ten states for doing business. So are you looking forward to starting your own business in Ohio? If yes, then proceeding with ohio business entity search is the first step.
In Ohio, businesses can choose from different business entities, which includes cooperative business, partnership, corporation, or Limited Liability Company (LLC). And for small to average-sized businesses, forming an Ohio LLC is the best option. Above all, there are several tax benefits as well. So if you are planning to start a business in Ohio and form an LLC, firstly you should consider carrying out the Ohio Business Entity search.
Ohio Business Entity Search
A Business entity search is basically a process to validate your business name. In order to confirm that no other registered company or business is using the exact name, a business entity search is a must. An existing registered business name in Ohio cannot match with yours. Hence, before registering the entity name in the state, you should conduct a business entity search. Ahead you will find out how to perform an Ohio business entity search and what other methods are there to perform.
Ohio LLC Naming Guidelines
Before naming your Ohio Limited Liability Company, some guidelines need to be followed and they are as follows:
- The selected business name should be unique and must not match any other registered entity name.
- All Ohio LLCs must have the words “LLC”, “L.L.C.”, or “Limited Liability Company”.
- Certain words like Trust, banks, banker, banking are restricted. Therefore, you might require special permission to use them.
- Names like FBI, Police, Treasury, which are similar to the name of any Ohio government agency can’t be used.
- Your Ohio LLC name should not define anything that would be illegal for your company or business.
- Your Ohio LLC name cannot be similar or confused with another LLC name. Hence, you are required to perform an Ohio business entity search and check if your preferable name is available in the same state or not.
Ohio Business Entity Search Methods
Different states in the USA have different procedures to perform the name search. And if you wish to run a business in the state of Ohio, it is advised to conduct an Ohio Business entity search. But what is the procedure to conduct a business name search for the state of Ohio?
Firstly, you are required to open the official webpage of the Ohio Secretary of State business search.
Once you are on the page, you can carry out an inquiry to check the necessary information of a registered business. You can do that by providing the Business Name, Exact Business Name, Prior Business Name, Agent Name, Incorporator, or the Entity Number on the official Ohio SOS business search page.
1. Business Name
Select the “Business Name” tab on the “Business Search” dropdown. After that, provide a valid business name and carry out the inquiry. Likewise, you can even select the “Exact Name” tab and carry out the inquiry by providing the exact business name.
2. Prior Business Name
Similarly, select the “Prior Business Name” tab in the same dropdown and conduct the inquiry by providing the Prior business name.
3. Organizer/Incorporator
In the “Business Search” dropdown, select the “Organizer/Incorporator” tab and conduct the research by providing the same.
4. Number Search
Similarly, you can even conduct the inquiry by selecting the “Number Search” tab and providing the relevant Document ID or Entity Number of the business.
Reserve Your Ohio LLC Name
If you have selected the appropriate LLC name and wish to get it reserved instead of registering it, the state of Ohio provides this facility. The state of Ohio reserves a business name for 180 days. To reserve your desired name, you are required to file a Reservation Application by providing all the necessary details. This could be done by mail or online. In addition, the filing fee to reserve your LLC name in Ohio would be around $25 (for online filing) or $39 (by mail).
Register Your Ohio LLC Name
Once you select your desired and relevant Ohio business name visit the government portal of the Ohio SOS business search. Then, file the Ohio Articles of Organisation with the SOS and get your LLC name registered. The registration cost is $99. Your Ohio LLC name will be approved in 2-3 business days if you are filing it online. Whereas, if you file it by mail, it will take between 3-7 days for approval. Moreover, you can even opt for a walk-in filing and get your Ohio LLC name registered.
Revise Your Ohio LLC Name
On some occasions, you might have to change your Ohio LLC name for a number of reasons. This is quite a simple process. A legal amendment needs to be submitted. In other words, you are required to file the 534(A) form under the new LLC name. Similarly, you can even change your Ohio business name by filing for a Trade or DBA name. File Form 524 and mail it to the Ohio SOS office. However, both methods will require filing fees of about $50. The approval time for revising an Ohio LLC name is 4-6 business days.
Domain & Trademark
One more important aspect that you should know is that your Ohio domain name is as important as your LLC name. It would be perfect if your domain name matches your LLC name. Furthermore, you can typically get your business name protected with a Trademark in Ohio. It is not compulsory to trademark your business in Ohio. However, trademarking your business name in Ohio costs around $225 to $400 with a renewal fee every 10 years. In addition, a trademark helps you to protect your slogan, element, or logo from any unauthorized usage.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can easily conduct an Ohio business entity search on the official portal of the Ohio Secretary of State business search page and check if the name is available or not.
You can either choose to reserve or register your desired name.
The Secretary of state will reject your entity name.
You need $ 99 to form an LLC in Ohio.
The state of Ohio reserves a business name for 180 days. However, it can cost you about $25 to $39. 1. How do I check if my desired business name is available in the state of Ohio?
2. What should be the next step after selecting an appropriate business name in Ohio?
3. What if I select an LLC name that has already been registered by someone else in Ohio?
4. What is the cost to form an LLC in the state of Ohio?
5. How many days can I reserve my Ohio business?