An Ohio Certified Copy is a copy of a Business Document which includes an endorsement, with an accompanying Certificate or Seal, of the Ohio Secretary of State which states that the document is a true copy of the Business Document originally filed with the Ohio Secretary of State.  A Certified Copy of a Ohio Business Document also includes the date that the Document was Certified by the Ohio Secretary of State.  An Ohio Certified Copy of a Business Document is normally a photocopy.

An Ohio Certified Copy bears the signature of a representative of the OH Secretary of State. 

When the Ohio Secretary of State issues a Certified Copy of a Corporate Document, this means that the Ohio Certified Copy is a true, accurate and valid copy of the OH Corporate Document that the Secretary of State has on file.

A Plain Copy of an Ohio Business Document is just what the name implies.  It is simply a photocopy of a Business Document.  There are no endorsements, stamps or seals on a Plain Copy of an Ohio Business Document.

Most legal, government and financial institutions require Certified Copies of Business Documents rather than Plain Copies when dealing with official matters.

Some of the reasons why you might need an Ohio Certified Copy of your Business Documents:

• Bank loans
• Tax filings
• Foreign Business qualification
• Replace original OH Business Documents
• Provide legal proof of Ohio Business Registration

If you are responsible for the Business records of an Ohio Corporation or an Ohio LLC it is important to retain on file Certified Copies of your Formation Documents - your Articles of Incorporation for Corporations or your Articles of Organization for LLCs; as well as all Amendments to your original Articles.

The Ohio Secretary of State issues a Good Standing Certificate to Ohio Corporations and LLCs which are up to date with all administrative requirements.

The Ohio Secretary of State will Certify any Business Document which has been filed with that office.  On the other hand, the Ohio Secretary of State generally does not Certify Documents which are issued by that office.

So, no the Ohio Secretary of State will not Certify a Good Standing Certificate or any other document which is issued by that office.

A Corporation or LLC which is registered in one state and wants to do business in another state must first qualify as a "Foreign Corporation" or a "Foreign LLC" in the state in which it wants to do business. 

For example, a Corporation or LLC that is registered in Ohio wants to do business in California.  The Ohio Corporation or LLC must qualify as a California Foreign Corporation or LLC. 

Some states require a Certified Copy of the formation documents, called Articles of Incorporation for a Corporation or Articles of Organization for an LLC, from the Foreign Corporation's home state. 

We can get your Ohio Certified Copies within 5-7 business days for $45.00 plus state Document fees.

If you need your Ohio Certified Copies quicker we can usually get them from the Ohio Secretary of State on the same day that you place your order, if we get your order before noon Ohio time, for $75.00 plus state Document fees.  (Our expedited processing fee also includes any additional state fees for the OH Secretary of State's expedited process.)

Depending on the Document, the Ohio Secretary of State may take longer to Certify Business Documents filed more than around ten years in the past.

We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the Ohio Secretary of State.  We get your Ohio Certified Copies order to the OH Secretary of State as soon as possible after we receive your order.  Once it is at the state we have no control over Ohio Secretary of State processing times.

The processing times specified on this web page are the times it usually takes the Ohio Secretary of State to process orders for Certified Copies of Business Documents. 

The OH Secretary of State charges $5.00 for each Certified Copy of a Business Document.  We charge a processing fee of $45.00 for our standard processing.  We can usually get your Ohio Certified Copies in 5-7 business days with our standard processing.  With our expedited processing option we can usually get your Ohio Certified Copies within Same day*.

No. We cannot get copies of vital records such as Ohio Birth Certificates or Marriage Licenses. For those kinds of documents you will have to contact the County Clerk in the Ohio County in which the Documents were issued.

If you are ready to order Ohio Certified Copies online now just fill in the form below and click Place Order.  As soon as we receive your order for Ohio Certified Copies we will start processing it immediately.