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Ohio puts every DBA in one place. The Secretary of State takes both kinds of filing under Chapter 1329 of the Revised Code. There is no county step to learn. You choose the filing by what you want from the name.
Trade name or fictitious name?
A trade name is a name you use in business and claim the right to use exclusively. You register it. A fictitious name is a name you use that you have not registered, or cannot register as a trade name, for example because it is not available. You report it. The definitions are in R.C. 1329.01.
Filing steps are similar. Each application covers one name, signed by you or an authorized representative. The fee for either is $39, paid to the Secretary of State. A trade name application states your name and business address, the name to register, the general nature of the business and how long you have used the name in Ohio. A fictitious name report gives the name, your details and the nature of the business.
When is the deadline?
A fictitious name report must be made within thirty days after you first use the name. The sections we read set no matching clock for a trade name.
Does an LLC need one?
Only for a second name. The fictitious name definition excludes the name of record of an LLC formed under or registered under the Ohio LLC chapters. So an LLC trading under the exact name in its Articles needs nothing. The same LLC trading under a different name does. See our Ohio LLC guide for the Articles, and the DBA vs LLC comparison for the bigger picture.
What name can you get?
The Secretary of State will not file a trade name that implies a link to a government agency when there is none, or that implies you are incorporated when you are not. It also refuses a name that is not distinguishable on its records from other trade names, corporate names, LLC names, partnership names, or filed trademarks and service marks, unless the owner consents in writing. Test the name first with our LLC name search guide.
How long does it last, and how do you renew?
Five years. You file the renewal on the state's form within the six months before the term ends, and the state mails or emails a notice in that window. A general partnership must renew whenever a named partner leaves. Registrations that are not renewed are cancelled. You can also cancel one yourself in writing.
Changes to your business address are recorded by a written statement filed with the state. A name can be assigned to someone else by a written instrument.
How do you look up an Ohio DBA?
The statute requires the Secretary of State to keep a public record of all trade names registered and fictitious names reported or renewed. We did not confirm how those records appear in the online search, so we do not describe a lookup. Our DBA search guide and the Ohio hub explain what we can say about the business search.
What this page does not cover
The renewal fee, the form numbers and the online filing steps were not on pages we could read. For tax setup and licenses, see Ohio business license. This is general information, not legal advice. See how to file a DBA for the general steps.