Deal alert! Our favorite company, Northwest, is forming LLCs for $39 (60% off!) See details.
The first step to starting an Ohio LLC is to choose an LLC name. Your LLC name must be unique (that means another business in Ohio isn’t already using it) and must meet the Ohio Secretary of State business name rules.
Note: The Ohio business name database has been redesigned. In the video above, starting at 10 minutes and 8 seconds, you’ll see us searching the database. While the design is outdated in the video, how you’ll search and determine the LLC name results are still the same.
Ohio Business Name Database
Here is the link to search for your desired Ohio LLC name:
Ohio Business Search
Need to save time? Hire a company to form your LLC:
Northwest ($39 + state fee) or LegalZoom ($149 + state fee)
(check out Northwest vs LegalZoom)
Next Step: Registered Agent
After you’ve found an available LLC name, you can then proceed to the next lesson: Ohio LLC Registered Agent.
And check out TRUIC’s business name generator if you need help coming up with an LLC name.
References
Ohio Revised Code: 1706.07 LLC Name
Ohio Secretary of State: Guide to name availability
Ohio Secretary of State: Frequently asked questions
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.
OHIO LLC GUIDE
Follow the lessons below to form your Ohio LLC.
Need an LLC done.
Hi Robert, we don’t offer LLC filing services. If you want to file yourself and form an LLC in Ohio, just follow the “Detailed Lessons” links at the top of that page. If you prefer to hire a company to file for you, we recommend using Northwest Registered Agent. Hope that helps.