Before incorporating an Ohio LLC, all companies should do an Ohio Business Name Search.
In this Ohio Secretary of State Business Search tutorial, we’ll teach you how to verify LLC name availability.
Do you need assistance starting an LLC? Check out our Best LLC Services review.
Table of Contents
Go Ahead:
Perform an Ohio Business Name Search Look for Available Domain Names Reserve Your Ohio Business Entity Name
Naming Your Ohio Limited Liability Company
1. Adhere to the Ohio Naming Guidelines
Before finishing your business name search, we suggest double-checking that your company name complies with the standards.
The first and most significant step in forming your LLC is deciding on a name. Make certain that the name you pick conforms with Ohio naming rules and is readily searched by prospective customers.
Please adhere to the following naming guidelines:
The word “limited liability corporation” or one of its acronyms must be in your name (LLC or L.L.C.).
Your LLC’s name cannot include terms that may be confused with a government organization (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.).
Restricted terms (e.g., bank, attorney, university) may need extra documentation and the participation of a licensed professional, such as a doctor or lawyer, in your LLC.
2. Conduct a business name search in Ohio.
All LLC name inquiries and requests are handled by Ohio’s Secretary of State Business Services. For 180 days, business names may be reserved.
Before submitting your name reservation request, you may verify the availability of your selected name using Ohio’s Business Entity Search. To conduct the most effective search, enter the desired name, omitting identifiers such as “LLC.” This will return any entities with names that are the same or similar. If your company name consists of many words, you may limit your search to the first two words to guarantee that you find all potential comparable names.
3. Look for Available Domain Names
Another crucial factor to consider when choosing a company name is if the desired web domain name is available. It is critical to have a URL that properly reflects your company name. This apparently little activity may have a significant impact on how potential clients locate your company.
4. Reserve the name of your Ohio business entity.
You must complete an application online or by mail to reserve a company name. You must pay a filing fee while reserving your name. Checks should be made payable to the “Secretary of State.” There are also 2-day, 1-day, and 4-hour accelerated options available.
Other Factors to Consider
While reserving the name for your Ohio LLC is simple, there are a few additional factors to consider while deciding on the right name for your company. You should do a Trademark and Social Media search for your name to see if it is accessible for usage on the internet. This will assist guarantee that you have complete and unlimited usage of your company name.
Search for a Trademark
Before registering your company name and related slogans or emblems, do a trademark search to avoid potential expensive lawsuits. The discovery that another entity has trademarked your company name does not immediately exclude you from utilizing it.
However, it is critical to understand who is using the name, what sector they are in, and where they are situated in order to avoid unwittingly infringing on anyone’s intellectual property rights.
To finish this step:
Search Ohio’s trademark records to determine whether your company’s name or any related slogans, logos, or other identifiers are already in use by another company in your state.
Search the digitized records of the United States Patent and Trademark Office for any federally registered trademarks linked with your company name.
Search on Social Media
Finding a domain name that matches your company is just as vital, if not more important, than ensuring that your business name is accessible for usage across social networking platforms. You may do this by simply Googling your company name on each major website, or by using a service like Namecheckr to scan across all platforms at once.
In conclusion
Choosing a name for your company is a vital first step in forming a successful LLC, and it is a simple process. After you’ve discovered your desired name using Ohio’s Business Entity Search, you’ll want to obtain your domain name so that your clients can locate you online. Using a Name Reservation Form to reserve your name can help you stand out from the crowd. After you’ve obtained your name, you’ll be ready to take the following steps to create your LLC.