Ohio Foreign LLC Registration

Ohio foreign LLCs are out-of-state LLCs registered to do business in Ohio. To file as a foreign LLC, you’ll need to submit a Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company form to the Ohio Secretary of State. Below, we go over what you need to register a foreign LLC in Ohio.

Need an Ohio registered agent for your foreign LLC? Hire us! Looking for someone to register your foreign LLC in Ohio? Once you sign up for our registered agent service, you can add on foreign LLC registration from inside your account for just $100 plus state fees.

How Do I Get Started?

There are two key things you’ll need to do to register your foreign LLC in Ohio: appoint a local statutory agent and file your registration paperwork. We can help with both.

Appoint an Ohio statutory agent

In most states, this is known as a registered agent, but Ohio calls it a statutory agent. A registered or statutory agent is a requirement for every foreign LLC that wants to operate in Ohio. Statutory agents accept legal documents on behalf of your LLC. Your Ohio statutory agent must be either a person or business that’s physically located in Ohio. And if you’re running a foreign LLC, it’s unlikely you live in Ohio.

That’s why it makes sense to hire us as your Ohio statutory agent. We charge just $49 a year, and that price never goes up. We upload the most important documents to your online account as soon as we get them. Using our business address also provides more privacy than using a personal address. That’s because the Registration of a Foreign LLC form is a public document. If you list your address on that form, anyone can find out where you live through a search on the Secretary of State’s website. When you use our Ohio business address instead, you don’t have to worry about putting your personal information at risk.

Register your foreign LLC in Ohio

As your statutory agent, we can register your foreign Ohio LLC for the state filing fee plus $100. After you sign up for Ohio statutory agent service, you will be logged into your client account online. Just click on the add services tab, and easily hire us to submit your Ohio Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company.

Ohio Foreign LLC Requirements

Whether or not you hire us to register your foreign Ohio LLC, it’s good to know what exactly is required.

Your Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company form can be filed online, by mail or in person and requires the following information. If anything is missing, it won’t get processed properly.

• Name of company in its jurisdiction of formation
• Jurisdiction of formation
• Assumed name: This is only required if your name doesn’t comply with Ohio State Law (Title 17, Section 1706.07). In short, that means your name has to be distinguishable from other companies that already exist in Ohio. The name should also include “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC,” or something similar.
• Effective date: You may delay the start of your foreign LLC for up to 90 days or skip this step.
• Statutory agent appointment: In addition to the agent’s name and address, you must also include a written acceptance of the role from the person or business acting as your statutory agent.
• Signature of authorized person or business entity

While other states require a certificate of good standing or certified copies of your company’s original organizational documents, Ohio doesn’t. You don’t have to worry about getting those documents from the state or jurisdiction where your company first formed.

Ohio foreign LLC registration costs $99, at least for normal processing of 3 to 7 business days. If you want expedited processing, it will cost another $100 for a turnaround time of 2 business days.

The only faster options are walking the form in and delivering it to the Client Service Center yourself. The center is located at 22 N. Fourth Street in Columbus. When you hand deliver your documents there, you can pay an extra $200 to have your filing processed within 1 business day. The fastest option of all requires both hand delivery and paying an extra $300 for 4-hour processing time.

If you’d rather fill out the form online, go to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Business Portal. If you’d prefer filing by mail, send documents to one of the below addresses.

For regular processing:

P.O. Box 670
Columbus, OH 43216

For 2-day expedited processing:

P.O. Box 1390
Columbus, OH 43216

Or, skip all of this and hire us to register your foreign Ohio LLC! Registered agent clients can add on this service for just $100 plus state fees.