How to look up Ohio business entity information

How to search for Ohio business entities

Access the Ohio business entity search portal to look up any registered business by name, charter number, or registered agent.

Enter your business name in the search field. Searching "Acme" returns "Acme Industries, LLC" and similar entities. Ohio's system supports partial name matching, but it’s generally advisable to use exact spellings for accurate results.

You can filter results by status: "All," "Active," "Cancelled," or "Dead." This helps if you're researching dissolved businesses or want to focus only on operating companies. The portal also supports searches by registered agent name or charter number.

For best results, try searching with and without business designators like "LLC" or "Inc." Ohio's algorithm catches variations, but including the full legal name typically yields the most precise match.

Click any entity name in the results to view complete details, including charter number, formation date, registered agent, and filing history.

What you'll see in search results

• Legal entity name (exact spelling and punctuation)
• Entity type (LLC, Corporation, PLLC, Professional Association, Limited Partnership, etc.)
• Charter Number (Ohio's unique identifier format)
• Formation/file date
• Current status (Active, Dissolved, Cancelled, Hold)
• Registered agent information
• Principal office address

How to find your entity number in Ohio

Your Ohio entity number, officially called your "Charter Number," follows a numeric format and was assigned by the Ohio Secretary of State when your entity was formed.

Where to locate your Ohio entity number

1. Ohio business search

• Located: Prominently displayed in search results and at the top of the entity details page
• Labeled as: "Charter Number"
• Format: Typically 8 digits (e.g., 12345678); some older entities have 7 or 9 digits

2. Certificate of Formation/Incorporation

• Usually at the top of the document
• May be labeled as "Charter Number" or "File Number"
• Stamped by the Ohio Secretary of State with the official seal

3. Annual reports and state correspondence

• Appears on all official Ohio Secretary of State documents
• Used as your account identifier for ongoing filings
• Referenced in compliance notifications

Ohio entity number format

Format: Typically a sequence of 7 to 9 digits

• Example: 12345678
• Pattern note: Ohio uses a straightforward numeric system without prefixes or special formatting, making it easy to identify and reference

How to find your entity type in Ohio

Ohio recognizes multiple business entity types, listed exactly as shown in your business search results and formation documents.

Where to find your Ohio entity type

1. Ohio business search (most accessible)

• Displayed: Prominently in search results under "Entity Type"
• Listed as: "Limited Liability Company," "Corporation," "Professional Limited Liability Company," etc.
• Shows the full legal designation

2. Certificate of Formation/Incorporation

• At the top of your formation document
• States the specific entity type being formed
• Uses Ohio's official terminology

3. Annual reports and amendments

• Listed in entity information section
• Cannot be changed without formal amendment filing
• Consistent across all state documents

How to find your formation date in Ohio

Your formation date, which is when the Ohio Secretary of State officially filed and approved your business entity, appears in Ohio business search results and on your Certificate of Formation/Incorporation.

Where your Ohio formation date appears

1. Ohio business search (easiest access)

• Listed as: "Filing Date" or "Formation Date"
• Location: Displayed in search results and the detailed entity information page
• Shows the exact date Ohio processed your formation documents

2. Certificate of Formation/Incorporation

• At the top of the document
• May say "Filed on [date]" with the Ohio Secretary of State stamp
• Sometimes includes both filing and effective dates

3. Annual report confirmations

• Used to track compliance history and determine future filing requirements, but confirmation documents do not typically reference the original filing date.

Formation date vs. effective date

Ohio allows businesses to specify a future effective date when filing, creating two different dates:

• Formation date (file date): When the Ohio Secretary of State processed your paperwork
• Effective date: When your entity officially began operations (if you specified a later date)

Most Ohio entities have the same formation and effective dates, as delayed effective dates are less common.

Onboard your entity to Discern in minutes

With your Ohio entity details, onboarding to Discern takes minutes. Our platform coordinates Ohio's annual report requirements alongside your other state obligations, tracking deadlines and managing registered agent services so nothing falls through the cracks.

Discern eliminates the complexity of tracking different filing schedules, fee structures, and compliance requirements across jurisdictions. Ready to automate your multi-state compliance? Book a demo today.