CHECKING NAME AVAILABILITY FOR A CORPORATION IN OHIO

CHECKING NAME AVAILABILITY IN OHIO

You should check with the Secretary of State as to the availability of your proposed name before drafting your articles of incorporation. You should have in mind two or three alternative names for your corporation.

You may check the availability of the name by telephone (614)-466-3910 or 1-877-767-3453), letter or e-mail. Ohio does not have an online name checking page.

A preliminary availability check does not operate as a name reservation. Do not undertake a serious commitment to a name until the articles of incorporation have been filed and accepted by this office.

A name that is not otherwise available for registration can be accepted if written consent of the entity with the conflicting name is obtained.

Checking the corporate name in advance is necessary and will save you a lot of time. If you do not check first, your incorporation papers will be returned to you if there is a conflicting name and you will need to start over again from scratch.

NAME RESERVATIONS

A name reservation gives the applicant the exclusive right for 60 days to register the specified name as the name of a corporation. If you desire to reserve a name prior to incorporation you may do so by requesting the reservation by letter and enclosing a $5 filing fee. The reservation is renewable for an additional $5.00 filing fee [O.R.C. 1701.05(C), 1702.05(C), 1703.06].

OHIO'S RULES ON SELECTING A CORPORATE NAME

The name of the corporation, which must end with or include "Company," "Co.," "Corporation," "Corp.," "Incorporated," or "Inc." [O.R.C. 1701.45(A)(1)];

The Secretary of State will not file articles of incorporation unless the corporate name is distinguishable upon the records in the office of the Secretary of State from the name of any other corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, or partnership having a limited liability trade name previously registered in the office of the Secretary of State [O.R.C. 1701.05(A), 1702.05(A), 1703.04(D).

"Bank," "Banking," "Banker" or "Trust" or similar words in another language cannot be a part of the corporate name unless the corporation is to be a bank. Non-profit organizations may include the words "bank," "banking," or "banker" or similar words in another language as part of their name if they obtain the prior written approval of the Division of Financial Institutions.

If you are incorporating for the purpose of engaging in the sale of insurance, the marketing of insurance, the offering of insurance or the issuance of insurance, your articles must be approved by the superintendent of insurance and the Attorney General prior to filing with the Secretary of State unless the corporation is clearly designated as an insurance agency.