How to form an LLC in Ohio (2026)

This page is for a person who lives in Ohio, will do the work from Ohio, and is choosing between remaining a sole proprietor and filing a domestic Ohio LLC. It is a filing walkthrough, not a recommendation that every 1099 earner needs an LLC. Compare the structures on LLC vs sole proprietorship.

Formation Lane is not forming an Ohio LLC. A Georgia operator who lives and works in Georgia should not treat this page as a reason to file in Ohio.

Short version for 2026: file Articles of Organization (Form 610) on Ohio Business Central, expect $99, appoint a continuously maintained Ohio statutory agent (Ohio’s name for a registered agent) with a street address, not a P.O. box, skip any newspaper “publication” add-on, and note that a typical Ohio LLC files no Secretary of State annual report. Keep the agent current instead; changing it later is $25.

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

The Ohio Secretary of State charges $99 to file Articles of Organization (Form 610) under R.C. § 111.16(F). There is no newspaper publication and no Secretary of State annual report for a typical Ohio LLC, so the main ongoing state filing cost is $25 when you change your statutory agent. The EIN from the IRS is free.

Fees re-checked on R.C. § 111.16 (effective 3 April 2025) on 13 October 2026. Optional expedited processing, if you want it, is priced on the current SOS fee schedule; this page does not quote it. If the portal shows another line item at checkout, pay what the state shows and keep the receipt.

What do I need before filing Form 610?

Have four things ready: a distinguishable LLC name checked against the Secretary of State’s business search, an Ohio statutory agent who has agreed to serve at an Ohio street address, the agent’s signed written acceptance, and the organizer’s name and signature. Ohio will not accept original articles without the agent appointment and acceptance attached.

• Name: search the SOS business records before ordering letterhead. Holding a name ahead of filing is a separate $39 reservation, which most single-member filers skip by filing the articles right away.
• Statutory agent: details in the statutory-agent section below. Get the agent’s signed acceptance before you file; R.C. § 1706.09 requires it to accompany the articles.
• Organizer and member or manager information: the current Form 610 or portal lists exactly which lines it needs.

Ohio does not require an operating agreement to be filed with Form 610. A written agreement still matters between members, and banks often ask for one. See LLC operating agreement basics. Professional associations, benefit companies, and conversions use different paths and are out of scope here.

How do I file Articles of Organization (Form 610) online?

File through Ohio Business Central, the Secretary of State’s online filing portal at bsportal.ohiosos.gov. Enter the LLC name, the statutory agent and the agent’s signed acceptance, and the organizer details, then pay the $99 fee. Paper Form 610 can also be mailed. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.

1. Confirm you live and work in Ohio. Use this path only if you live in Ohio and will do the work from Ohio. A Georgia operator should not treat Ohio filing as a default upgrade.
2. Gather Form 610 information. Have a distinguishable LLC name, a statutory agent who is an Ohio resident individual or a qualifying entity with an Ohio business address, the agent’s signed written acceptance on the form the Secretary of State prescribes, and the organizer information Form 610 asks for.
3. File on Ohio Business Central. File Articles of Organization through the Ohio Secretary of State’s Ohio Business Central portal (bsportal.ohiosos.gov), or mail paper Form 610 if you are not filing online.
4. Pay the $99 filing fee. Pay the $99 Articles of Organization fee set by R.C. § 111.16(F). Pay what the portal shows at checkout and keep the receipt.
5. Get an EIN after the articles are accepted. After the Articles of Organization are accepted, obtain an Employer Identification Number free on IRS.gov. Form the state entity first.

A company already formed somewhere else that wants to transact business in Ohio files a foreign LLC registration ($99 under R.C. § 111.16(F)), not Form 610. Filing in Wyoming, Delaware, or Georgia does not move Ohio work out of Ohio; home-state filing is the cheaper default for a one-state operator. Overview: Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.

Do I need an Ohio statutory agent with a street address?

Yes. Every Ohio LLC must keep a statutory agent in Ohio at all times under R.C. § 1706.09. The agent can be an Ohio resident, including you if you live here, or a qualifying business entity with an Ohio business address. The agent’s address must be a street address; a P.O. box alone is not enough, even one with an associated street address.

To change the agent or the agent’s address later, file Form 521 (Statutory Agent Update), $25 under R.C. § 111.16(R). Under § 1706.09, a missing or outdated agent can lead to cancellation after Secretary of State notice. DIY versus commercial tradeoffs: Registered agent basics for a new LLC.

Does an Ohio LLC file an annual report?

No. A typical domestic Ohio LLC files no annual or biennial report with the Secretary of State. The SOS business FAQ lists recurring reports for professional associations, LLPs, nonprofit continued existence, and certain name renewals, not ordinary LLCs. What Ohio does require continuously is a statutory agent on the record.

That is different from Georgia’s annual registration, Florida’s Sunbiz annual report, or North Carolina’s April 15 report. If the company is cancelled, reinstatement is $25 under R.C. § 111.16(Q); for an agent-related cancellation the SOS form is Form 525A, which also appoints a new agent — see Reinstate an administratively dissolved or revoked LLC. Cross-state renewals: LLC annual report and annual registration. This page does not compute anyone’s tax.

Do I get an EIN before or after filing the Ohio LLC?

After the Articles of Organization are accepted. The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first, and the EIN application on IRS.gov is free. Use the EIN to open a separate business account so LLC money stays out of your personal checking from day one.

Walk through it on Get an EIN after the state entity exists, then First business checking account. Formation with the Secretary of State is not an Ohio Department of Taxation account, a sales-tax license, a city license, or a professional license. Those have their own filings.

How do I keep track of Ohio LLC deadlines after filing?

Ohio’s Secretary of State does not charge a typical LLC an annual report, so the dates that matter are tax ones (for example Ohio Commercial Activity Tax or municipal income tax if they apply) and keeping your statutory agent current. Put each date in a calendar the day the state accepts your filing. The free LLC deadline tracker lists recurring state dates for every state in one place, so you can check yours without signing up for anything.

What do the Ohio filing terms mean?

• Articles of Organization (Form 610): the state form that creates the LLC ($99).
• Statutory agent: Ohio’s name for a registered agent — a person or company with an Ohio street address who accepts legal papers for the LLC.
• Ohio Business Central: the Secretary of State’s online filing website.
• Organizer: whoever signs and submits the Articles; it does not have to be an owner.
• EIN: Employer Identification Number — the free federal tax ID from the IRS.

Ohio LLC FAQ

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

The Ohio Secretary of State charges $99 to file Articles of Organization (Form 610) under R.C. § 111.16(F). There is no newspaper publication and no Secretary of State annual report for a typical Ohio LLC, so the main ongoing state filing cost is $25 when you change your statutory agent. The EIN from the IRS is free.

How do I file Articles of Organization (Form 610) online?

File through Ohio Business Central, the Secretary of State’s online filing portal at bsportal.ohiosos.gov. Enter the LLC name, the statutory agent and the agent’s signed acceptance, and the organizer details, then pay the $99 fee. Paper Form 610 can also be mailed. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.

Can I use a P.O. box as my Ohio statutory agent address?

No. Ohio Revised Code § 1706.09 requires a continuously maintained Ohio agent whose address is a street address (or, for an entity agent, a usual place of business that is not a post office box). DIY versus commercial tradeoffs: Registered agent basics for a new LLC.

Does an Ohio LLC file an annual report with the Secretary of State?

No. A typical domestic Ohio LLC files no annual or biennial report with the Secretary of State. The SOS business FAQ lists recurring reports for professional associations, LLPs, nonprofit continued existence, and certain name renewals, not ordinary LLCs. You still must keep a statutory agent on the record continuously. Cross-state renewals: LLC annual report and annual registration.

Does a domestic Ohio LLC need newspaper publication?

No. Form 610 and the SOS domestic LLC forms path do not list a newspaper publication step for a standard Ohio LLC. Skip any “Ohio LLC publication” add-on that is not on the Articles of Organization path. New York LLCs do publish under a different statute — see How to form an LLC in New York.

Do I get an EIN before or after filing the Ohio LLC?

After the Articles of Organization are accepted. The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first, and the EIN application on IRS.gov is free. Walkthrough: Get an EIN after the state entity exists. After the EIN, park operating cash in a dedicated account — see First business checking account.

Should I form in Wyoming or Delaware if I live and work in Ohio?

For a one-state operator who lives and works in Ohio, home-state (domestic Ohio) filing is the honest default. A Wyoming or Delaware LLC that transacts business in Ohio still needs an Ohio foreign LLC registration ($99 under R.C. § 111.16(F)) and an Ohio statutory agent, plus the formation state’s agent and any report there. Multi-state overview: Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.

How do I keep track of Ohio LLC deadlines?

Ohio’s Secretary of State does not charge a typical LLC an annual report, so the dates that matter are tax ones (for example Ohio Commercial Activity Tax or municipal income tax if they apply) and keeping your statutory agent current. Put each date in a calendar the day the state accepts your filing. The free LLC deadline tracker lists the recurring state dates in one place.

What do the Ohio filing terms mean in plain English?

Articles of Organization (Form 610): the state form that creates the LLC ($99). Statutory agent: Ohio’s name for a registered agent — a person or company with an Ohio street address who accepts legal papers for the LLC. Ohio Business Central: the Secretary of State’s online filing website. Organizer: whoever signs and submits the Articles; it does not have to be an owner. EIN: Employer Identification Number — the free federal tax ID from the IRS.

What this page does not cover

• Professional associations, benefit companies, conversions, series structures, or foreign registration of an out-of-state company.
• Sales-tax, employer withholding, unemployment, Workers’ Compensation, municipal income tax, or local business licenses.
• Whether an S corporation election is worth the payroll. That is a CPA conversation after there is real net income.
• Any promise that an LLC prevents a personal guarantee on a bank account or a business card. It usually does not.
• Telling a Georgia operator to file Ohio as a sophistication upgrade.
• Voluntary dissolution (certificate of dissolution or cancellation, $50 under R.C. § 111.16(N)) — see Dissolve or cancel an LLC.
• Processor fees or portal line items that are not printed on the sources above.