DBA · Ohio

How to File a Fictitious Name for an LLC in Ohio

By Edmond Hui · Last updated October 6, 2026

Short answer

Ohio requires an LLC that does business under a name other than its own to register a fictitious name. A business may register the name as a trade name instead of reporting it as a fictitious name. An LLC files the Name Registration with the Secretary of State. The filing fee is $39.00.

Ohio Fictitious Name at a Glance

Requirement: Required
Where to file: Secretary of State
Fee: $39.00
How long it lasts: 5 years
Newspaper notice: None found
File online: Yes

How an LLC Files

Report the name within 30 days after first using it.

An LLC files the Name Registration with the Secretary of State.

You can file online.

Ohio offers two versions of the same filing on one form: a fictitious name report, which any business may file, and a trade name registration for a name the business already uses and claims exclusively. The Secretary of State sends a renewal notice in the six months before the five-year term ends.

Open the filing office's site · Open the filing page

Cost and Renewal

The filing fee is $39.00.

The registration has a 5-year term.

Renewal costs $25.00.

Publication

We found no publication step for an LLC's fictitious name filing in Ohio.

Does it protect the name?

Ohio's Secretary of State says a registered trade name gives the owner exclusive use of it in Ohio, while reporting a fictitious name gives no exclusive right. A trade name must already be in use and must be distinguishable from names already on the state's records.

If you skip it

A business using an unfiled name cannot bring a lawsuit in that name, or on contracts made under it, until it files. If it still does not file after notice from the Secretary of State, the Attorney General must sue for an injunction at the Secretary of State's request.

Sole proprietors

Ohio requires a sole proprietor who does business under a name other than their legal name to register a fictitious name. A business may register the name as a trade name instead of reporting it as a fictitious name.

Report the name within 30 days after first using it.

A sole proprietor files the Name Registration with the Secretary of State.

The filing fee is $39.00.

The registration has a 5-year term.

A general partnership must also renew its registration or report whenever a partner named on it stops being a partner.

Renewal costs $25.00.

We found no publication step for a sole proprietor's fictitious name filing in Ohio.

Requirement	Required
Where to file	Secretary of State
Fee	$39.00
How long it lasts	5 years
Newspaper notice	None found
File online	Yes

Next steps

Frequently Asked Questions

: Ohio requires an LLC that does business under a name other than its own to register a fictitious name. A business may register the name as a trade name instead of reporting it as a fictitious name. Report the name within 30 days after first using it.
: An LLC files the Name Registration with the Secretary of State.
: The filing fee is $39.00.
: The registration has a 5-year term. Renewal costs $25.00.
: We found no publication step for an LLC's fictitious name filing in Ohio.
: Ohio's Secretary of State says a registered trade name gives the owner exclusive use of it in Ohio, while reporting a fictitious name gives no exclusive right. A trade name must already be in use and must be distinguishable from names already on the state's records.
: A business using an unfiled name cannot bring a lawsuit in that name, or on contracts made under it, until it files. If it still does not file after notice from the Secretary of State, the Attorney General must sue for an injunction at the Secretary of State's request.
: Ohio requires a sole proprietor who does business under a name other than their legal name to register a fictitious name. A business may register the name as a trade name instead of reporting it as a fictitious name. A sole proprietor files the Name Registration with the Secretary of State.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's filing office publishes about registering a business name, with the sources this page cites. A filing here does not register a federal trademark, and fees and forms change between our reviews. Confirm with the office named on this page before you file.

Sources

Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Ohio sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.

codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1329.01Ohio Revised Code 1329.01, Trade name and fictitious name definitions; registration; report
codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1329.04Ohio Revised Code 1329.04, Term and renewal
codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-111.16Ohio Revised Code 111.16, Secretary of State filing fees
codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1329.10Ohio Revised Code 1329.10, Injunction; actions by or against user of name
ohiosos.gov/business/business-filing-formsOhio Secretary of State, Business Filing Forms & Fee Schedule
ohiosos.gov/assets/534a.pdfOhio Secretary of State, Form 534A, Name Registration
ohiosos.gov/business/ohio-business-roadmap/frequently-asked-questionsOhio Secretary of State, Business FAQ

Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.