EntityWire / States / Ohio
Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division
Ohio business entity search
Look up a Ohio corporation, LLC, or nonprofit. Federal filings are searched on this page. The Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division keeps the state registry, and the steps below show how to search it.
Federal filings searched here. The Ohio registry record is on the official site.
Ohio registry at a glance
| Registry agency | Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division |
|---|---|
| Office | Secretary of State: Frank LaRose, since 2019 |
| Phone | 614-466-3910 (toll free 877-767-3453, 877-SOS-FILE) |
| Address | Client Service Center, 180 Civic Center Dr., Columbus, Ohio 43215 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday to Friday |
| Official search | Ohio Secretary of State Business Search |
How to search the Ohio registry
The Ohio Secretary of State Business Search searches by business name, charter or registration number and agent/Registrant.
- Open the Ohio Secretary of State Business Search at businesssearch.ohiosos.gov.
- Pick what to search by in the Search By menu: business name, entity number, or Agent/Registrant.
- Type the name or number and run the search.
- Open the matching record to see its status, filing date and statutory agent.
- Use the filing list on the record to open images of the filed documents.
Three numbers, three agencies
Asking for the wrong number is a common reason a search comes back empty.
| Number | Issued by | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|
| Federal EIN | Internal Revenue Service | Identifies the business for federal tax. It is the same number in every state. |
| Registry number | Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division | Identifies the entity's record in the state registry. |
| Ohio tax account number (Ohio Business Gateway) | Ohio Department of Taxation | CAT registration requires a federal EIN or SSN, but the Department of Taxation account is separate from both the EIN and the Secretary of State charter or registration number. |
What a Ohio status means
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active | The entity is on the Secretary of State's records and has not been cancelled or dissolved. |
| Cancelled | The state cancelled the entity's record, often for failing to keep a statutory agent; it can be reinstated for up to two years, then the cancellation is permanent. |
Fees and annual filings
| LLC formation | $99 (Articles of Organization, Form 610) |
|---|---|
| Corporation formation | $99 minimum (Articles of Incorporation, Form 532A); more if over 990 authorized shares |
| Annual filing | None for LLCs and business corporations |
| Annual fee, LLC | None (Ohio has no LLC annual report) |
| Annual fee, corporation | None for business corporations |
| When it is due | Only professional associations and LLPs (biennial report), nonprofit corporations (continued existence) and trade names and marks (renewals) have periodic filings. |
| Filed with | Secretary of State, through Ohio Business Central |
| Commercial Activity Tax (CAT) | Ohio Department of Taxation. Quarterly returns due May 10, August 10, November 10 and February 10. Registration is required within 30 days of passing $6 million in Ohio taxable gross receipts. The CAT is a gross-receipts tax, not an income or franchise tax. The annual minimum tax ended in 2024, and late filing carries a penalty of the greater of 10% of tax due or $50. |
Professional associations and LLPs file a $25 biennial report; nonprofits file a $25 Statement of Continued Existence. Foreign LLC registration and foreign corporation license are each $99.
As published by the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division, checked 2026-10-06. Fees change, and the official schedule decides.
Forming or running a business in Ohio
Ohio calls it a statutory agent; every business entity must appoint and keep one, and the agent is listed in the public business search.
Ohio businesses on file
The largest organizations with a Ohio address in the federal filings searched here, biggest first.
- EATON CORPORATIONEIN 34-0196300
- STERIS CORPORATIONEIN 34-1482024
- RPM INTERNATIONAL INC.EIN 02-0642224
- AVERY DENNISON CORPORATIONEIN 95-1492269
- THE SCOTTS COMPANY LLCEIN 31-1414921
- THE LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANYEIN 34-0359955
- DIEBOLD NIXDOFT, INCORPORATEDEIN 34-0183970
- COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY LLCEIN 34-4297750
- SITE CENTERSEIN 34-1723097
- SIFCO INDUSTRIES, INC.EIN 34-0553950
- DATATRAK INTERNATIONAL, INC.EIN 34-1685364
- GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OPERATING AS GE AEROSPACEEIN 14-0689340
- THE KROGER CO.EIN 31-0345740
- MACY'S, INC.EIN 13-3324058
- CINTAS CORPORATIONEIN 31-1188630
- THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANYEIN 34-0526850
- PARKER HANNIFIN CORPORATIONEIN 34-0451060
- CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLCEIN 71-0871875
- VS SERVICE COMPANY, LLCEIN 31-1228823
- OAKLEY INCEIN 95-3194947
- THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANYEIN 34-0253240
- FIFTH THIRD BANCORPEIN 31-0854434
- JO-ANN STORES, LLCEIN 34-0720629
- THE WENDY'S COMPANYEIN 38-0471180
Sources
Facts on this page come from the official pages below, checked 2026-10-06. A fact that could not be confirmed on an official page is left out.