Resources & Tools

Granting Authority to Do Business in Ohio

The Secretary of State Business Services Division receives and approves articles of incorporation for Ohio business entities and grants licenses to out-of-state corporations seeking to do business in Ohio. Limited partnerships and limited liability companies also file with the Secretary of State’s office.

The Corporations Section of the Business Services Division also approves amendments to filed documents, mergers, consolidations and dissolutions, registers trademarks, trade names, service marks and fictitious names. This section also approves and keeps a registry of business names, names and addresses of statutory agents, incorporators’ names, corporations’ charter numbers, dates of incorporation, and the number of authorized shares per corporation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do your services cost anything?

There is not a direct charge for our time or resources. You will not get a bill from us after each session. SBDC is compensated through a combination of private and public funding tax dollars and investments.

How do I make an appointment to meet with you?

You can reach us through the typical channels: phone, email, snail mail and in-person and through the Contact Us tab on our website.

We typically book appointments at least 48 hours out.


Are our discussions confidential?

Yes absolutely. In fact, we sign an agreement as a promise to you to protect your identity and business ideas and personal information. However, if you want us to make connections on your behalf, there might be a few details that you need to approve for public release.


Can I stop the planning process at any time?

You can accelerate, slow down or stop the business planning process to meet your personal and professional situation.


What if my business idea or model changes during the process?

That is why planning is so important. We will review all angles, options and resources that will make your business successful.

Filing Forms & Fee Schedule

In an effort to provide clear direction when filing to register a domestic business entity in the state of Ohio, some of the following forms have been revised by the Ohio Secretary of State Business Services Division. These forms have been updated to help reduce common filing errors and revisions are based on feedback from Ohio businesses and those who frequently use the forms. All updated forms now include a correspondence cover sheet to assist in communication with our office. As forms are revised, the most recent update will be posted in the “Date Updated” column below. If you would like to provide feedback on any of the forms or to be notified about future updates, please e-mail the Business Services Division. When submitting the forms to our office, please note that we may only accept single-sided, 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper as the documents are all scanned and imaged into our database after being processed. Please make checks and money orders payable to “Ohio Secretary of State.”

Ohio Business Gateway

Use the Ohio Business Gateway to register, file, and pay many types of taxes and other transactions — including sales and use tax, employer withholding, commercial activity tax, unclaimed funds, and unemployment compensation tax. 

Through the Ohio Business Gateway you can: