LLC Filing Guide

LLC Filing Guide › Ohio

How to file an LLC in Ohio (2026)

File the Articles of Organization (610) with the Ohio Secretary of State to create a Ohio LLC. The filing fee is $99. Ohio has no annual report for LLCs. Every Ohio LLC must keep a statutory agent with an Ohio street address.

  • Official sources, checked October 20, 2026
  • Prices verified October 2026

How to form an LLC in Ohio

  1. Pick a name with “LLC” or “Limited Liability Company” in it, and check that it’s free on the Ohio Secretary of State business records.
  2. Name a statutory agent: an Ohio resident, or a business entity with a business address in Ohio.
  3. File the Articles of Organization (610) with the Ohio Secretary of State and pay $99.
  4. Get an EIN from the IRS. It is free and comes after the LLC is formed.
  5. Sign an operating agreement among the members. It sets ownership and voting rules and stays with your records.
  6. Stay in good standing. Ohio has no annual report for LLCs.

Mainstay Filing takes care of the agent, the filing, the EIN application for $199 a year plus Ohio’s fees.

Ohio LLC fees and rules

State filing fee
$99
Formation document
Articles of Organization (610)
Yearly filing
None
Registered agent
Required. An Ohio resident, or a business entity with a business address in Ohio.
Agent address
The address has to be the agent's home or usual place of business in Ohio. P.O. boxes and commercial mail receiving agencies are not accepted.
Filing fee rank
16th lowest of 50 (15 states charge less, 34 charge more)

Ohio compared with neighboring states

StateFiling feeYearly filing
Ohio$99None
Indiana$95$32 / 2 yrs
Kentucky$40$15 / yr
Michigan$50$25 / yr
Pennsylvania$125$7 / yr
West Virginia$100$25 / yr

All 50 states

Best overall for a Ohio LLC

Mainstay Filing

Our rating: 4.9 out of 5

$199 / year, all-in, plus state fees

$199 a year plus Ohio’s $99 filing fee, which is passed through at cost.

  • LLC formation, prepared and filed
  • Registered agent, all year
  • EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
  • Compliance reminders

The same $199 at renewal. Already have an LLC and only need an agent? Mainstay Filing’s registered agent service alone is $149 a year.

Prices verified October 21, 2026 on Mainstay Filing’s pricing and FAQ pages.

Ohio LLC questions

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Ohio?

$99 to the state to file. Ohio has no annual report for LLCs. With Mainstay Filing, the formation filing, registered agent and EIN application are $199 a year on top of the state fees.

Does Ohio require an annual report for LLCs?

No. Ohio has no annual report for LLCs.

Do I need a registered agent in Ohio?

Yes. An Ohio resident, or a business entity with a business address in Ohio.

Can I form a Ohio LLC myself?

Yes. You can file the Articles of Organization (610) directly with the Ohio Secretary of State and pay the $99 fee. A service such as Mainstay Filing files it for you and adds the registered agent, EIN application and compliance reminders for $199 a year.

Other formation services

  • Northwest Registered Agent: $39 plus the state fee, with its registered agent service included the first year, then $125 a year; annual report filing is an extra $100 plus the state fee.
  • ZenBusiness: Starter package $0 plus the state fee; Pro is $199 a year with the EIN and annual-report filing, and its registered agent is a separate $199 a year that no package includes.
  • Bizee: Basic package $0 plus the state fee (Standard $199, Premium $299), with one free year of its registered agent, which is $149 a year after that.
  • LegalZoom: Basic package $0 plus the state fee (Pro $249, Premium $299); its registered agent is $249 a year for first-time agent customers.

Prices from each company’s own pages, checked October 20, 2026. Plus the state fee in every case.

Sources