To check if a business name is available in Ohio, run it through the Secretary of State’s free Business Search on the Ohio Business Central portal. The tool pulls every active corporation, LLC, partnership, and registered trade name on file, and the state will approve your name only if it is “distinguishable upon the records” from all of them. That standard is stricter than most people expect, so reading the search results correctly matters as much as running the search.
Run the Business Search on Ohio Business Central
The Secretary of State’s Business Search is free and checks the same records the office will check when it reviews your filing. Three moves make the search reliable:
- Search by entity name. Type your proposed name and filter by “Entity Name” to see whether any active registration matches or closely resembles it.
- Run a separate search under trade names. Registered trade names count in the distinguishability review, and they don’t always surface in a standard entity search.
- Read the status column. “Active” means the name is taken. “Canceled” or “Dead” suggests the name may be available, though a recently dissolved entity may still hold limited protections.
The distinguishability check runs across every entity type on file, not just your own. A proposed LLC name is compared against corporations, nonprofits, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and registered trade names.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1706.07 – Naming of Limited Liability Company So if “Buckeye Construction LLC” is active, “Buckeye Construction Inc.” is not available to you either.
What “Distinguishable” Actually Means
Your name doesn’t have to be completely different from every registered name in Ohio. It just has to be distinguishable on the record. Under ORC 1701.05 (for-profit corporations), 1702.05 (nonprofits), and 1706.07 (LLCs), a name fails the test if the only differences from an existing registration are any of these:2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1701.05 – Corporate Name – Transfer – Reservation
- Entity designators. Adding, removing, or swapping “corporation,” “company,” “incorporated,” “limited,” or their abbreviations doesn’t create a new name.
- Articles, conjunctions, and punctuation. “The Ohio Baker” and “Ohio Baker” are the same name. So is a version with a hyphen instead of a space.
- Tense or number. “Ohio Baker” and “Ohio Bakers” are the same. So are “Ohio Baking” and “Ohio Baked.”
Ohio law also requires your name to include a designator that signals your entity type. A for-profit corporation must include “company,” “co.,” “corporation,” “corp.,” “incorporated,” or “inc.”2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1701.05 – Corporate Name – Transfer – Reservation An LLC must include “limited liability company,” “L.L.C.,” “LLC,” “limited,” “ltd.,” or “ltd.”1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1706.07 – Naming of Limited Liability Company Adding the required designator does not, on its own, make your name distinguishable from an existing one.
There is one workaround if the name you want is taken. You can obtain written consent from the entity that holds it and file that consent letter with the Secretary of State on the prescribed form. The office will then allow the overlap.3Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1702.05 – Corporate Name – Transfer – Reservation
Restricted Words That Will Stall Your Filing
Some words trigger extra approval no matter how clean your search results look. You cannot include “bank,” “banker,” “banking,” or “trust” in an Ohio business name without prior written approval from the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. This applies even if your business has nothing to do with banking. A name like “West Bank Condominiums” for a real estate company still needs clearance.4Ohio Secretary of State. Guide to Name Availability Submit formation documents without the approval attached and the filing will be rejected.
Words like “university” and “insurance” may also require approvals from the relevant oversight agencies. The Secretary of State’s Guide to Name Availability lists the full set of restricted terms. Check that page before committing to a name that could hold up your filing for weeks.
Two Things the State Database Won’t Tell You
Clearing Ohio’s records is necessary, but it’s not the whole picture. The Business Search covers Ohio state registrations only. It won’t flag a federally trademarked name, and it won’t flag an unregistered business that has built common-law rights to a name through actual use in the marketplace.
A state registration creates rights in Ohio. A federal trademark registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office creates rights throughout the entire country.5United States Patent and Trademark Office. Why Register Your Trademark? If your name infringes a federal trademark, the holder can sue for their lost profits, your profits, and litigation costs, with courts able to award up to three times the actual damages and required to do so in cases of intentional infringement.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 US Code 1117 – Recovery for Violation of Rights Before you commit, run a wordmark search on the USPTO’s system at tmsearch.uspto.gov to see whether anyone holds a live federal registration on your proposed name or something confusingly similar. If you find a match in your industry, pick a different name regardless of what Ohio’s database shows.
Common-law rights are the second gap. A business that uses a name in commerce can develop legal rights to it within the geographic area where it operates, even without any formal registration. The date of first use determines priority. An unregistered competitor operating under your proposed name in Columbus could force you to stop using it there, even if the Secretary of State approved your filing. A Google search for your proposed name and a look through local business directories will catch most of these users.
Check the Domain and Social Handles
A name that clears Ohio’s records can still be taken as a web domain, and finding that out after you’ve filed formation documents is expensive. Search for matching .com, .net, and .org domains through any domain registrar before you commit. If the exact .com match is available, register it right away; domain names cost a fraction of what rebranding does, and good ones move fast. Search your proposed name on the social platforms your customers actually use, too. Consistent branding across your state registration, domain, and social handles makes your business easier to find and harder to impersonate.
Reserve the Name Once It Clears
If your name is available but you’re not ready to file formation documents, you can lock it down by filing Form 534B (Name Reservation/Transfer/Cancellation) with the Secretary of State. The reservation lasts 180 days and costs $39.7Ohio Secretary of State. Filing Forms and Fee Schedule During that window, no one else can register the name.
Form 534B asks for your proposed name (you can list up to two backups in case your first choice is unavailable), whether the reservation is for a new entity or an existing entity changing its name, the applicant’s full legal name and address, and an authorized signature. A typed name counts as intent to sign.8Ohio Secretary of State. Instructions for Form 534B Name Reservation, Transfer, Cancellation File it online through Ohio Business Central or mail the PDF version to the Secretary of State’s office. Do not include a Social Security number or tax ID on the form.
The reservation is not renewable. If the 180 days run out before you file your formation documents, the name goes back into the pool and anyone can claim it.
A Note on Trade Names and Out-of-State Entities
A Form 534B reservation protects a name you plan to use as your legal entity name. If you want to operate under a name different from your legal entity name, that’s a separate registration on Form 534A. Ohio distinguishes between a trade name (a name you use in business and claim exclusive rights to) and a fictitious name (a business name that is fictitious and hasn’t been registered as a trade name, commonly used by sole proprietors and partnerships).9Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1329.01 Registered trade names are checked during the distinguishability review, so they will show up in your availability search.
If your company is incorporated in another state and you want to operate in Ohio, you’ll file for foreign qualification by submitting a Certificate of Authority. Your legal name from your home state may already be taken here. When that happens, you’ll typically register a fictitious name to operate under in Ohio while keeping your legal name in your home state.