How to Name 


The business name you have chosen cannot be used by any other LLC or corporation in the State of Ohio. This is why it's imperative to perform an Ohio business search before you begin the filing process.

It’s not enough for your LLC name to be unique. It also cannot be similar to the name of a corporation or LLC in Ohio. In addition, you cannot use the following factors to say your name is different from the name of another business:

• Suffixes, such as Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Incorporation, Limited, Corp., Co., Inc., Ltd., LLC, etc.
• Definite articles, such as “A,” “An,” or “The”
• The conjunction "And," or “&"
• The singular, plural or possessive forms of a word
• Abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, fonts, typefaces, etc.

All LLCs must have the words “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.” or “LLC” in their names, normally at the end of the name.

Most states will not allow you to form LLCs with names that:

• Are very similar to the name of a federal or state agency or organization (e.g., FBI, FDA, Ohio Department of Taxation, Ohio Police, Treasury, etc.)
• Suggest affiliation with a federal or state agency or organization
• Use the term “Olympic” or any terms that are trademarks of the International Olympic Committee
• Imply a purpose that would be illegal for your business to carry out

A business name may not include any of the following words without prior approval from the superintendent of financial institutions: bank, banker, banking or trust, or words of similar meaning in any other language. This is true even for businesses that do not engage in banking or trust activities. For example, the name West Bank Condominiums for a condominium development company must be approved by the superintendent of financial institutions before it may be registered with the secretary of state.

All insurance agencies, whether domestic or foreign, must be registered with the Ohio secretary of state’s office. Domestic insurance agencies must register with our office prior to obtaining an insurance license from the Ohio department of insurance. Foreign insurance agencies must register with our office prior to operating in the State of Ohio. A sole proprietor operating an insurance agency under a fictitious (or assumed) name that is not or cannot be registered as a trade name must register the fictitious/assumed name with the Secretary of State.

The name of any cooperative formed under Chapter 1729 of the Ohio Revised Code must include the word or abbreviation: “cooperative,” “coop,” “co-operative,” “co-op,” “association,” “assn.,” “company,” “co.,” “incorporated,” “inc.,” “corporation,” or “corp.” In addition, no business entity shall use the word or abbreviation “cooperative,” “coop,” “co-operative,” or “co-op” as a part of its business name, unless (1) It is organized under chapter 1729; (2) it is organized and operating on a cooperative basis under Chapter 1702; (3) it is organized and operating in accordance with the cooperative laws of another state, the District of Columbia, or the United States; or (4) it is a state or federally chartered credit union.

Legal professional associations or legal clinics, forming a professional corporation under Chapter 1785 of the Ohio Revised Code must follow specific name guidelines set forth in Ohio Supreme Court Rule III. The name of a legal professional association or legal clinic must (1) end with "Co., Lpa" or (2) use the words "A Legal Professional Association" directly below the name.

Just go to the free Business Name Search tool and enter your proposed business name. You can also perform an Ohio Secretary of State business search of the state's registry, which will tell you whether there are any corporations or LLCs with that name in the state.

Yes. Most LLCs will be bound by general rules (applicable to all LLCs) and specific rules (applicable in the State of Ohio). We’ve detailed these rules above.

Yes. You can choose to conduct business under a fictitious name. Details are above.

Yes. The Ohio Secretary of State allows you to reserve a name if you don’t want to start your business immediately. Details are above. If you're ready to start your business now, you don't need to reserve a name.