Ohio requires businesses to have a statutory agent, sometimes called a registered or resident agent.

Should the Secretary of State decide to deny your LLC formation request, the office will hold your canceled entity’s name for a year this is to provide you with ample time to make corrections without concern that your desired business name will be taken for use by a separate entity.ĭo your best to research and be informed of LLC naming requirements, as certain stipulations can delay how fast your LLC gets approved, or if you are able to form the new business at all.LLC names should include “limited liability company” or an abbreviation such as “LLC” or “Ltd.”.A business entity that wants to include the word “bank” or “trust” in its name must first get permission from the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Financial Institutions before proceeding.Other naming considerations of which to be aware include the following: By law, any new entity wishing to establish an LLC must select a name that is “distinguishable upon the records in the office of the Secretary of State.” That means it cannot bear any resemblance to trade names or the names of corporations, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships or any other preexisting entities operating within Ohio. Ohio’s Secretary of State maintains a registry of approved business names.

You can complete the name reservation process online, or you can download and submit Form 534B, the Name Reservation form. If the name you want is available but you aren’t ready to set up your LLC yet, you can reserve the name for up to 180 days. The easiest way to test availability is the official Ohio business entity search on the Secretary of State website. In Ohio, new LLC names must be distinguishable from other business or trade names registered with the state. Choose Your LLC Business Nameīefore you can have an LLC business, you should make sure your business name is uniquely your own. Below are a few crucial details to take care of before forming your LLC. Some of the most critical steps to LLC formation happen before you file any paperwork.

Ohio business license registry