Ohio Business Search

How to read the official business-entity file, and a way to have the search run for you.

Ohio Business Search

Ohio certificate of good standing

Quick answer. Ohio certificates of good standing are issued by the Secretary of State. The order screen at cogs.ohiosos.gov asks for the business entity number. Find that number in Business Search first. A printout of the search is not the certificate.

Official office

Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services

Open the official search

Phone: (614) 466-3910

180 Civic Center Drive, Columbus, OH 43215

Business filings: (614) 466-3910 or (877) 767-3453. General office: (614) 466-2655.

Steps

  1. Confirm the entity is the one you think it is

    Search the name, open Show Details, and match the agent and the formation date. Copy the entity number. Cancelled entities remain searchable, and a certificate request against a dead record will not produce the letter a lender wants.

  2. Order on the certificate site

    Go to cogs.ohiosos.gov and enter the business entity number. The page links Business Search if you still need to locate the number. Business Services also lists “Certificates of Good Standing / Business Reports” on its menu.

  3. Pay the fee shown there

    The fee is whatever the Secretary of State’s current order screen or forms-and-fees list states. Do not rely on a blog’s price. The contact line for business filings is (614) 466-3910 if the screen will not take the number.

  4. Compare the PDF to the number you typed

    When the certificate arrives, check the entity number and the exact name. Ohio has many companies with overlapping names. The number is the proof you ordered the right one.

Good standing and the business search

The search shows the status the database holds today. The certificate is the Secretary of State’s signed statement of that status, suitable for another agency or a closing. If the record shows a hold, a cancellation, or a dissolution, fix the underlying filing before you pay for a certificate you cannot use.

Common mistakes

  • Emailing a screenshot of Business Search to a title company that asked for a certificate.
  • Ordering under a trade name’s registration number instead of the entity number.
  • Assuming a certificate from last year still describes today’s status.

Questions

Where do I order an Ohio certificate of good standing?

From the Ohio Secretary of State at cogs.ohiosos.gov, using the business entity number. Business Services links the same service.

Can I see status without buying the certificate?

Yes. Business Search shows the record. Buy the certificate when someone requires the Secretary of State’s certificate rather than a lookup.

What if I do not know the entity number?

The certificate page links to Business Search. Look up the name, copy the number, and return to the order form.

Sources reviewed