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Foreign LLC guide · Ohio

Registering an Out-of-State LLC in Ohio (2026): Fees and the 2 Best Services

For registering a foreign LLC in Ohio in 2026, we recommend Mainstay Filing ($199) and OH Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. A foreign LLC pays $99 to register in Ohio. Three-year state fees rank 4th of 50.

Compiled by the LLC Factbook editors

Ohio: the figures

4th of fifty for the state side of registering
The smaller the number, the less the state charges. The whole table

Foreign registration charge

$99
From ohiosos.gov, October 2026

Report, per cycle

None
The state does not ask

State charges, years one to three

$99
Opening filing followed by years two and three

Our Ohio shortlist

How the order came about: three-year service charges first, then coverage, renewal, Ohio fit and fee labeling (methodology).
Number one

1. Mainstay Filing: best for an identical price in every state

Service $199; renewal $149 a year

First on the list is Mainstay Filing, since $199 above the state fee, the statutory agent free for year one, then $149 a year.

You pay $100 more than at OH Registered Agent.org across three years and, in return, more filings are done for you.

Once the first year is over, the agent costs $149 per year.

What the price buys

  • Your registration is prepared and filed
  • Same service fee in every state

In its favor

  • Works for your next state too
  • $199 above the state fee

Against it

  • The agent renews at $149, $50 above OH Registered Agent.org
Single-state service

2. OH Registered Agent.org: best for a modest Ohio registration

Service $199; renewal $99 a year

Number 2 is OH Registered Agent.org: $199 over the state fee to register, then $99 yearly.

What the price buys

  • The Ohio registration prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

In its favor

  • $99 yearly for the agent after that
  • $199 above the state fee
  • Nothing extra for the agent in the first year

Against it

  • Single-state service

The picks in numbers

No.ServiceFirst-year feeFrom year twoService charges, three years
1 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497 Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 OH Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit OH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company price pages, copied November 12, 2026. The $99 state fee is not part of any row.

Foreign LLC calculator

The registration fee is $99; the service's prices are added to it.
$596 is what 3 years with Mainstay Filing adds up to; $99 goes to the state and $497 to the service.

Ohio next to the states ranked around it

PlaceStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
2ndHawaii$76
3rdUtah$95
4thOhio$99
5thIdaho$100
5thMichigan$100
Foreign LLC fees by state lists every state, least expensive first.

Registering a foreign LLC with Ohio

Send the Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 617) to the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services with a payment of $99.

Ohio requires no recurring report from foreign LLCs.

Have these ready

  • The home-state legal name and the date of formation.
  • A statutory agent based in the state; each of our picks offers the service.
  • Funds to cover the $99 state charge.

Consequences of staying unregistered

An LLC that wants to sue in the state has to register first (R.C. 1706.515(A)). Whatever it signed remains in force (R.C. 1706.515(E)).

The reasoning behind the order

In Ohio the deciding criterion was paperwork the price takes on, at 26% of the total.

A foreign LLC lives in two states at once, so coverage settled the order.

Questions and answers

What fee does a foreign LLC pay to register with Ohio?

$99 as the official fee. Hiring one adds $199.

Which form does Ohio use to register a foreign LLC?

Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 617), submitted to the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services.

Does a foreign LLC owe anything every year?

No. Ohio requires no yearly report from foreign LLCs.

What are the consequences of operating there without registering?

An LLC that wants to sue in the state has to register first (R.C. 1706.515(A)). Whatever it signed remains in force (R.C. 1706.515(E)).

Does Ohio require a statutory agent of a foreign LLC?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Who should register my foreign LLC?

We would pick Mainstay Filing (the Ohio registration is filed for $199 beyond the state's charge, with the first agent year included), followed by OH Registered Agent.org.

More on this state

Sources for this chapter

  1. Ohio Rev: codes.ohio.gov, with the page last opened August 2026.
  2. Ohio formation fee: Filing fee, official source: codes.ohio.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  3. Ohio registered agent statute: codes.ohio.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  4. Ohio Secretary of State, filing forms and fee: ohiosos.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  5. Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability: ohiosos.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  6. R.C. 1706.511, registration of foreign LLCs: codes.ohio.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  7. R.C. 1706.515, effect of failing to register: codes.ohio.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  8. Hawaii DCCA, foreign LLC registration: cca.hawaii.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  9. Form FLLC-1: files.hawaii.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  10. Foreign LLC filing fees: cca.hawaii.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  11. Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-1003, activities that are not: capitol.hawaii.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  12. New Hawaii business registration portal FAQs: cca.hawaii.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  13. Utah Division of Corporations, foreign LLC registration: commerce.utah.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  14. Division fee schedule: commerce.utah.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  15. Utah Code Title 16, Chapter 1a, Part 5: le.utah.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  16. Utah Code Title 16, Chapter 1a, Part 4: le.utah.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  17. Utah Business Registration System: businessregistration.utah.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  18. Idaho Secretary of State, Foreign Registration Statement: archive.sos.idaho.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  19. Idaho Secretary of State, business FAQ: sos.idaho.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  20. Idaho Code 30-21-505, activities that are not doing: legislature.idaho.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  21. Idaho Code 30-21-214, fees: legislature.idaho.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  22. Idaho Code 30-21-213, annual report: legislature.idaho.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  23. Withdrawal of Foreign Registration Statement: archive.sos.idaho.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  24. LARA Corporations Division: michigan.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  25. LARA limited liability company forms: michigan.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  26. MCL 450.5002, certificate of authority: legislature.mi.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  27. MCL 450.5008, activities that are not transacting business: legislature.mi.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  28. MCL 450.5007, consequences of transacting business without a: legislature.mi.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  29. LARA annual reports and annual statements: michigan.gov, with the page last opened October 2026.
  30. Mainstay Filing, Ohio service page: copied from the company site November 12, 2026
  31. OH Registered Agent.org, pricing page: copied from the company site November 12, 2026