To change an LLC name in Ohio, file a Certificate of Amendment with the Ohio Secretary of State on Form 611 and pay a $50 filing fee. Form 611 is the LLC form; Form 540 applies to for-profit corporations, and using it for an LLC will get your filing rejected. Once the amendment is approved, you’ll need to notify the IRS, your bank, and anyone else who deals with your business under its old name.
Confirm the New Name Is Available
Ohio law requires every LLC name to be distinguishable on the Secretary of State’s records from other LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and registered trade names.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1706 – Section 1706.07 Distinguishable doesn’t mean unrelated; it means the office can tell the two names apart on its records. If your desired name sits too close to an existing one, the filing gets rejected and the $50 goes with it.
Run the name through the Ohio Secretary of State’s business search before you file.2State of Ohio. Business Search Try the exact name and a few close variations. If something similar is already registered, pick a different name.
Your new name also has to include one of these designators: “limited liability company,” “L.L.C.,” “LLC,” “limited,” “ltd.,” or “ltd.”3Ohio Secretary of State. Form 611 Certificate of Amendment or Restatement – Domestic Limited Liability Company Any of them satisfies the requirement.
Check Federal Trademarks Too
A name can be available on Ohio’s registry and still create a problem. If someone holds a federal trademark for the same or a confusingly similar name in your industry, adopting it can expose you to an infringement claim. A federal registration gives the owner a presumption of exclusive nationwide rights to that name for their goods or services.4United States Patent and Trademark Office. About Trademark Infringement Remedies can include court orders to stop using the name, destruction of branded materials, and monetary damages.
Search the USPTO trademark database for exact matches and phonetic equivalents before committing.5United States Patent and Trademark Office. Search Our Trademark Database It takes about ten minutes.
A Trade Name May Be What You Actually Want
Not everyone searching for a name change needs a legal name change. If you only want to operate publicly under a different name while keeping the LLC’s legal identity intact, Ohio lets you register a trade name (sometimes called a fictitious name) on Form 534A for $39.6Ohio Secretary of State. Business Filing Forms and Fee Schedule A trade name doesn’t touch your articles of organization, your EIN, or your contracts. It just tells the public that “Your Cool Brand” is operated by “Your Boring Legal Name LLC.”
A full legal name change replaces the LLC’s identity on every state record and forces updates with the IRS, banks, vendors, and anyone else you do business with. If your goal is marketing flexibility rather than a complete identity switch, the trade name route is cheaper and less disruptive.
File the Certificate of Amendment (Form 611)
The Ohio LLC amendment statute lets you amend the articles of organization at any time, and a name change is filed the same way as any other amendment.7Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1706 – Section 1706.161 Download Form 611 from ohiosos.gov or file online through Ohio Business Central.3Ohio Secretary of State. Form 611 Certificate of Amendment or Restatement – Domestic Limited Liability Company
On the form, check box (1) for “Domestic Limited Liability Company Amendment.” Enter your LLC’s current registered name exactly as it appears on state records, along with the registration number the Secretary of State assigned. State the new name you’re adopting, including one of the required designators. You can specify a delayed effective date up to 90 days after filing if you need the change to take effect on a particular day.
The form must be signed by at least one person authorized by the LLC. If an individual signs, they sign and print their name. If a business entity is the authorized signer, the entity name goes on the signature line and an authorized representative signs beneath it. Don’t put Social Security numbers or tax identification numbers on the form.
Filing Methods, Fees, and Processing Times
The base filing fee is $50 no matter how you submit. You have three options:
- Online through Ohio Business Central, available 24 hours a day. Online filings have a lower rejection rate and faster processing than paper.6Ohio Secretary of State. Business Filing Forms and Fee Schedule
- By mail, with a check or money order payable to “Ohio Secretary of State,” to P.O. Box 1329, Columbus, OH 43216.
- In person at the Secretary of State’s Client Service Center in Columbus.
Standard filings are processed in roughly three to seven business days. If you need it faster, Ohio offers three expedited tiers, each charged on top of the $50 base fee:8Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code 111:1-2-01 – Corporations Expedited Filing
- Level 1 adds $100 and delivers processing within two business days.
- Level 2 adds $200 for one-business-day processing, walk-in only.
- Level 3 adds $300 for four-business-hour processing on submissions received by 1:00 p.m., walk-in only.
Mailed expedited filings can only use Level 1. Send those to P.O. Box 1390, Columbus, OH 43216 with the extra $100 included.
Update Your Records After Approval
Getting the amendment approved is the halfway point. A name change doesn’t create a new legal entity: your LLC keeps the same registration number, the same EIN, and the same contracts. But every person and agency that deals with the business needs to know about the new name.
IRS and Ohio Department of Taxation
You do not need a new EIN because your LLC changed names.9Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN You do need to tell the IRS. If your LLC is taxed as a partnership (the default for multi-member LLCs), check the name change box on your next Form 1065, Page 1, Line G, Box 3. If you elected S-corp or C-corp taxation, use the corresponding box on Form 1120-S or Form 1120.10Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change If you’ve already filed for the current year, write to the IRS office where you filed and report the change.
Update the Ohio Department of Taxation separately. Its records don’t sync automatically with the Secretary of State.
Bank, Vendors, and Contracts
Contact your bank early. Most will want a certified copy of the approved amendment to update your accounts, and some require new signature cards or an updated operating agreement. Notify creditors, vendors, and insurers in writing so invoices and correspondence come in under the correct name.
Existing contracts generally stay valid because the LLC is the same legal entity it was before. Some counterparties may still ask for a short amendment confirming the new name, especially on ongoing agreements. Read your major contracts for any clause requiring notice of a name change; missing that notification is a self-inflicted problem.
Licenses, Permits, and Public Materials
Update any business licenses or permits the LLC holds at the state, county, or municipal level. Professional licensing boards usually have their own name-change process and may charge a fee, so don’t let a license lapse because the renewal notice went out under the old name. Then work through the visible layer: website, email signatures, social media profiles, signage, invoices, and printed materials. A mismatch between your legal name on file and the name on your paperwork causes confusion with clients and questions during audits or due diligence.