Foreign LLC Guide

Foreign LLC Guide › Ohio

How to register a foreign LLC in Ohio

Registering a foreign LLC in Ohio takes five steps and a $99 state fee, filed with the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services.

The five steps

  1. Confirm the LLC is active at home. Ohio does not ask an LLC for a certificate. Keep the LLC’s home-state filings current anyway.
  2. Line up a statutory agent. It needs a street address in Ohio. The services below include one for the first year.
  3. Complete Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company. Download it from the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services.
  4. Pay $99. That is the official fee.
  5. Set up the yearly filing. None for foreign LLCs, no fee.

Documents checklist

  • Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company
  • The Ohio agent’s name and street address
  • The LLC’s exact legal name and formation date
  • Payment of $99

Best 2 Foreign Registration Services in Ohio (2026)

Prefer not to do the steps yourself? These are the services for Ohio.

  1. 1. Mainstay Filing $199 + the $99 state fee = $298; registered agent free for the first year, then $149 a year.
  2. 2. OH Registered Agent.org $199 + the $99 state fee = $298; registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.

Service prices read from each provider’s Ohio page on October 28, 2026. The state fee is the official figure below and is paid to the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services. Only one registered-agent brand on our list serves Ohio, so this list has two entries.

Ohio guide questions

How do I register a foreign LLC in Ohio?

Five steps: confirm the LLC is active, name an agent, complete Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company, pay $99 and set up the yearly filing.

Where do I send the Ohio application?

To the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services. The link above goes to its filing page.

Can a service do the Ohio steps?

Yes: Mainstay Filing charges $199 plus the state fee and includes the agent for year one.

Sources