[0:00] The short answer Dan: To start an LLC in Ohio, you file Articles of Organization, Form 610, with the Ohio Secretary of State and pay the $99 filing fee. Maya: That's a pretty low number. Is there a catch hiding somewhere? Dan: A nice one, actually. Ohio has no annual report for LLCs, and no yearly Secretary of State fee either. Once you're formed, the state doesn't bill you again. Maya: This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Ohio for 2026, in six steps, with what it costs and the two best ways to have it filed for you. Where do we begin? [0:37] Step 1: Choose a name Dan: Your LLC's name has to include limited liability company, LLC, L.L.C., limited, or ltd. It also has to be distinguishable from the names already on the Secretary of State's records. Maya: How do I find out whether mine is taken? Dan: Use the Secretary of State's free business search before you do anything else. Maya: And if I want to hold the name while I get ready? Dan: You can reserve it for 180 days for $39. [1:10] Step 2: Appoint a statutory agent Maya: Ohio calls its registered agent something different, right? Dan: A statutory agent. It's the person or business that accepts legal papers for your company. You name an Ohio resident, or a business with an Ohio address, right on your Articles. Maya: Can I use a P.O. box? Dan: No. Neither a P.O. box nor a commercial mailbox address is allowed. The agent also signs an acceptance of the appointment on the form. Maya: Is that information private? Dan: No. The agent's name and address go on the public record, which is why a lot of owners hire a commercial agent. If you change agents later, that filing is $25. [1:51] Step 3: File Articles of Organization Maya: Okay, so how do I actually file? Dan: Send Form 610 to the Secretary of State, either online through Ohio Business Central or by mail. The fee is $99. Maya: What goes on the form? Dan: The name, your statutory agent, the agent's signed acceptance, and the organizer's signature. A purpose clause is optional. Maya: How long until it's approved? Dan: Regular processing runs 3 to 7 business days. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: Good to be here, Maya. And if three to seven days is too slow, there are three paid speeds. Two business days is $100, one business day is $200, and four hours, in person, is $300. Maya: Four hours for $300. Wow. Dan: It's there if a bank or a deal is waiting on you. Most people don't need it. [2:47] Step 4: Write an operating agreement Maya: Do I file an operating agreement with the state? Dan: No. You write one and keep it with your records. There's no state fee. Maya: Does Ohio even require it in writing? Dan: Under Ohio law, an agreement can be written or even oral. But please put yours on paper: who owns what, how profits are split, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves. Maya: Even if I'm the only member? Dan: Yes. Even with one owner, it's worth having the rules for your company written down. [3:19] Step 5: Get a free EIN Maya: Next is the federal tax number. Dan: Right. Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, once the Secretary of State has filed your Articles. Maya: Is it a long wait? Dan: If the online application is approved, the number is issued right away. Keep the Social Security number or ITIN of the person in charge handy. Maya: And the beneficial ownership report I keep hearing about? Dan: You can skip it. FinCEN no longer requires it from U.S. companies. [3:49] Step 6: Keep your agent current Maya: What's the upkeep, then, if there's no annual report? Dan: Mostly one thing. Keep a statutory agent in place at all times. Maya: What if I let that slide? Dan: If your LLC is left without an agent, the Secretary of State sends a notice. Unless you fix it within 30 days, your Articles are canceled. Maya: That sounds like a mistake that's easy to make. Dan: It is, if your agent moves or quits and nobody tells you. Reinstating takes a filing and a fee, so it's cheaper to stay on top of it. [4:21] Where Ohio owners slip up Maya: What do first-timers get wrong most? Dan: Three things come up. The first is the name. Leave out the LLC wording, or pick something too close to a name on file, and the Secretary of State won't accept it. Maya: And the second? Dan: The agent address. People list a P.O. box or a mailbox store, and Ohio doesn't allow either one. Maya: The third? Dan: Expecting an annual report to remind them. Ohio doesn't send you through one, so nothing on a calendar tells you that your agent has gone stale. That's the one to check yourself. Maya: How often should I look? Dan: Whenever your agent's details change, and at least once a year. It takes a minute. Maya: Thanks, that's a useful habit. Dan: It's a small one, and it protects the $99 you already spent. [5:10] What it costs Maya: Give me the do-it-yourself total. Dan: $99, once. After that, no annual report fee. The EIN is free. Maya: So the one thing I might pay for is an agent. Dan: Right, and there are no other recurring state bills. Add a name reservation at $39 or an expedite if you want them. Maya: What's the most I'd pay at the state level if I reserve a name and go for the four-hour service? Dan: $99 plus $39 plus $300, so $438. Most people pay $99. [5:47] Two questions from Ohio owners Maya: Can I be my own statutory agent? Dan: If you live in Ohio and have a street address there, yes. You just can't use a P.O. box or a commercial mailbox address. And your name and address become public. Maya: What if I move out of Ohio? Dan: Then you'd need a new agent with an Ohio address, and you'd file the $25 change. Maya: Is there a good order to do all this in? Dan: Pick the name, line up your agent, file Form 610, and then do the EIN. Write the operating agreement as soon as you're filed. [6:22] The 2 best ways to file in Ohio Maya: What if I'd rather hand this all off? Dan: Here are the two best ways to file in Ohio. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With Ohio's $99 fee, checkout comes to $298. Maya: What does that cover? Dan: Your Articles filed, your EIN application, and your statutory agent every year. It renews at the same $199, so there's no separate agent renewal to plan around. Maya: And number two? Dan: OH Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee, which is also $298 at checkout, and your first year of agent service is free. Maya: Then what? Dan: After the first year, its agent service is $99 a year. Maya: So which one wins? Dan: Ohio has no annual report, so from year two, number two costs less, at $99 a year for the agent alone against $199 for Mainstay. If you want one steady price with the filing and the agent together, that's Mainstay. [7:34] Three years of service fees Maya: Put a number on three years for me. Dan: Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two is $199 in year one, then $99 in each of the next two years, so $397. Maya: That's $200 apart. Dan: It is. And the state fee is the same $99 either way. [7:59] Recap Maya: Once more, start to finish? Dan: Choose a name with LLC in it, appoint a statutory agent at an Ohio street address, file Form 610 for $99, write your operating agreement, get your free EIN, and keep your agent current. No annual report to file. Maya: The links to both services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Ohio LLC.