Abstract The first dedicated search for the η c2(1D) is carried out using the decays B + → η c2(1D)K +, B 0 → η c2(1D) K S 0 $$ {K}_S^0 $$ , B 0 → η c2(1D)π − K +, and B + → η c2(1D)π + K S 0 $$ {K}_S^0 $$ with η c2(1D) → h c γ. No significant signal is found. For the η c2(1D) mass range between 3795 and 3845 MeV/c 2, the branching-fraction upper limits are determined to be ℬ(B + → η c2(1D)K +) × ℬ(η c2(1D) → h c γ) < 3.7 × 10 −5, ℬ(B 0 → η c2(1D)K 0) × ℬ(η c2(1D) → h c γ) < 3.5 × 10 −5, ℬ(B 0 → η c2(1D)π − K +) × ℬ(η c2(1D) → h c γ) < 1.0 × 10 −4, and ℬ(B + → η c2(1D)π + K S 0 $$ {K}_S^0 $$ ) × ℬ(η c2(1D) → h c γ) < 1.1 × 10 −4 at 90% C.L. The analysis is based on the 711 fb −1 data sample collected on the ϒ(4S) resonance by the Belle detector, which operated at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e + e − collider.