Forming an LLC in Ohio, Start to Finish

Here is the whole job in one sentence: pick a name, name an agent, send the Ohio Secretary of State a Form 610 with $99, and you own an LLC that never owes the state another report. Ohio Rev. Code § 1706.16 is the law behind the filing, ORC § 111.16(F) is where the $99 comes from, and everything below is just the detail.

One Form, Two Ways to File It

The paperwork is called the Articles of Organization, Form 610. (Older articles mention Form 533A; that number is retired, and 610 is what the state accepts now.) Send it in however suits you:

• Type it into Ohio Business Central, the state's online filing system
• Print the official PDF and mail it

Same $99 fee both ways. In a hurry? The state sells a $100 expedite that jumps the line.

The Steps

1. Check the name first. Ohio wants "LLC," "L.L.C.," or "limited liability company" in there somewhere, and it will not accept a name already claimed by another entity. The free state search tool tells you in seconds whether yours is taken.
2. Line up your statutory agent. That is Ohio's name for a registered agent. Per ORC § 1706.09 it has to be an Ohio-resident individual or a qualifying company with a real Ohio business address, and the statute goes out of its way to say a PO box will not do. Whoever you pick has to sign off on the appointment.
3. Fill in Form 610 and pay the $99. Name, agent details, agent's acceptance, done. Once the Secretary of State stamps it, your LLC legally exists.
4. Grab your EIN. Free at IRS.gov, usually issued on the spot. Skip anyone charging money for this; the IRS never does.
5. Write down how the company runs. An operating agreement stays in your drawer, not on file with Ohio, but your bank will want to see it and it prevents ugly arguments about who owns what.
6. Note what comes next: almost nothing. No annual report ever. Keep the agent info accurate, and look into Commercial Activity Tax with the Ohio Department of Taxation once your gross receipts climb past the statutory threshold.

What It All Runs

The state's side is $99 once, plus $100 only if you choose the expedite. Ohio then charges an LLC $0 per year, since there is no report and no renewal. If you would rather hand off the paperwork, our $199 formation service prepares and files Form 610 for you and throws in year one of registered agent coverage, $99 a year after that.

Form Your Ohio LLC