Section 1703.04. Application for license

(A) To procure a license to transact business in this state, a foreign corporation for profit shall file with the secretary of state a certificate of good standing or subsistence, dated not earlier than ninety days prior to the filing of the application, under the seal of the secretary of state, or other proper official, of the state under the laws of which said corporation was incorporated, setting forth

the exact corporate title

and the fact that the corporation is in good standing or is a subsisting corporation.

(B) To procure such a license, such corporation also shall file with the secretary of state an application in such form as the secretary of state prescribes, verified by the oath of any authorized officer of such corporation, setting forth, but not limited to:

(1) The name of the corporation and, if its corporate name is not available, the trade name under which it will do business in this state;

(2) The name of the state under the laws of which it was incorporated;

(3) The location and complete address of its principal office;

(4) The name of the county and the municipal corporation or township in which its principal office within this state, if any, is to be located;

(5) The appointment of a designated agent and the complete address of such agent;

(6) The irrevocable consent of such corporation to service of process on such agent so long as the authority of such agent continues and to service of process upon the secretary of state in the events provided for in section 1703.19 of the Revised Code;

(7) A brief summary of the corporate purposes to be exercised within this state.

(C)

(1) No such application for a license shall be accepted for filing if it appears that the name of the foreign corporation is prohibited by law or is not distinguishable upon the records in the office of the secretary of state from the name of any other corporation, whether nonprofit or for profit and whether that of a domestic corporation or of a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state, the name of a limited liability company registered in the office of the secretary of state pursuant to Chapter 1705. of the Revised Code, whether domestic or foreign, the name of any limited liability partnership registered in the office of the secretary of state pursuant to Chapter 1775. or 1776. of the Revised Code, whether domestic or foreign, the name of any limited partnership registered in the office of the secretary of state pursuant to Chapter 1782. of the Revised Code, whether domestic or foreign, or a trade name to which the exclusive right at the time in question is registered in the manner provided in Chapter 1329. of the Revised Code, unless there also is filed with the secretary of state, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, the consent of the other entity or person to the use of the name, evidenced in a writing signed by any authorized officer of the other entity or authorized representative of the other person owning the exclusive right to the registered trade name.

(2) Notwithstanding division (C)(1) of this section, if an application for a license is not acceptable for filing solely because the name of the foreign corporation is not distinguishable from the name of another entity or registered trade name, the foreign corporation may be authorized to transact business in this state by filing with the secretary of state, in addition to those items otherwise prescribed by this section, a statement signed by an authorized officer directing the foreign corporation to make application for a license to transact business in this state under an assumed business name or names that comply with the requirements of this division and stating that the foreign corporation will transact business in this state only under the assumed name or names. The application for a license shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 3, §1, eff. 9/24/2015.

Effective Date: 06-06-2001; 2008 HB332 08-06-2008