To register a new business in Ohio, you file formation documents with the Secretary of State and pay a $99 filing fee. LLCs use the Ohio business registration form called Articles of Organization (Form 610), and for-profit corporations use Articles of Incorporation (Form 532A). You can submit either one online through Ohio Business Central or by mail, and standard online processing takes three to seven business days.1Ohio Secretary of State. Business Filing Forms and Fee Schedule
Which Form You Need
LLCs file Form 610, which replaced the older Form 533A in late 2025.1Ohio Secretary of State. Business Filing Forms and Fee Schedule For-profit corporations file Form 532A. Both cost $99 to file, both require a signed statutory agent appointment, and both can be submitted online or on paper. The corporate form asks for more information, especially around share structure, so gather those details before you start typing.
Check Your Business Name First
Settle on a compliant name before you open the form. Corporate names must end with or include “company,” “co.,” “corporation,” “corp.,” “incorporated,” or “inc.”2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 1701.05 – Corporate Name – Transfer – Reservation LLC names must include “limited liability company,” “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “limited,” “ltd.,” or “ltd.”3Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Limited Liability Company Act – Section 1706.07
The name also has to be distinguishable on the Secretary of State’s records from every other registered corporation, LLC, limited partnership, and trade name in Ohio.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 1701.05 – Corporate Name – Transfer – Reservation The Secretary of State decides what counts as distinguishable, and swapping “Inc.” for “LLC” on an otherwise identical name is not enough. Search existing registrations in the Secretary of State’s business search tool before you file.4Ohio.gov. Business Search
Filling Out Form 610 for an LLC
The required fields on Form 610 are short. Under Ohio Revised Code 1706.16, the articles must include the LLC’s name and the name and street address of a statutory agent, along with the agent’s signed acceptance of the appointment.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 1706.16 – Articles of Organization One or more organizers also sign the form.
Two fields are optional but worth considering. You can state the LLC’s purpose; leaving it blank defaults to any lawful activity. You can also specify a delayed effective date up to 90 days after the Secretary of State receives the filing, which helps if you want formation to line up with a lease start date or a partner’s availability.6Ohio Secretary of State. Form 610 – Articles of Organization for a Domestic Limited Liability Company Leave the effective date blank and the LLC exists the moment the filing is accepted.
A few formatting rules cause paper-filing rejections. The form must be typed, not handwritten. It must be printed single-sided on 8½-by-11-inch paper. And it cannot contain any Social Security number or tax identification number.6Ohio Secretary of State. Form 610 – Articles of Organization for a Domestic Limited Liability Company
Filling Out Form 532A for a Corporation
Corporations face a longer list of required disclosures. Under Ohio Revised Code 1701.04, the articles must include:
- The corporate name, complying with the naming rules in ORC 1701.05.
- The location in Ohio where the corporation’s principal office will be.
- The authorized number and par value of shares with par value, and the authorized number of shares without par value. If the corporation has multiple classes of stock, each class must be separately described with its designation, authorized number, par value (if any), and express terms.
- The amount of initial stated capital, if the corporation will have any.
- A written appointment of a statutory agent, filed alongside the articles.
The purpose clause is optional; leave it out and Ohio law defaults the corporation’s purpose to any lawful activity.7Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 1701.04 – Articles of Incorporation Corporations can also pick a delayed effective date up to 90 days after filing, and existence is perpetual unless the articles say otherwise.
Appointing a Statutory Agent
Every Ohio corporation and LLC must name a statutory agent to accept lawsuits, government notices, and other legal documents on the business’s behalf. The agent can be an individual who lives in Ohio or a business entity with a business address in the state. A foreign entity can serve if it is authorized to operate in Ohio.8Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 1701.07 – Statutory Agent – Cancellation and Reinstatement of Articles
The agent must provide a physical street address. A P.O. box alone does not qualify. On LLC forms there is one narrow exception: a P.O. box is accepted if a rural route number is also provided.6Ohio Secretary of State. Form 610 – Articles of Organization for a Domestic Limited Liability Company The agent must sign the appointment, and the Secretary of State will reject any formation filing that lacks that signed acceptance.8Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 1701.07 – Statutory Agent – Cancellation and Reinstatement of Articles
How to Submit and What It Costs
The fastest route is online through Ohio Business Central at bsportal.ohiosos.gov. Create a free OH|ID account, select your entity type, fill in the required fields, pay the $99 filing fee by credit card, and submit.9Ohio Business Filings. Ohio Business Central Standard online processing takes three to seven business days.6Ohio Secretary of State. Form 610 – Articles of Organization for a Domestic Limited Liability Company
Ohio offers three expedite tiers, each added on top of the $99 filing fee:
- $100 expedite: processed within two business days after receipt.
- $200 expedite: processed within one business day after receipt.
- $300 expedite: processed within four hours if delivered in person by 1:00 p.m. Anything arriving after 1:00 p.m. is processed by noon the next business day.
Paper filings are also accepted. Download the PDF from the Secretary of State’s website, type in the required information (handwritten forms are rejected), print it single-sided, and mail it to the Secretary of State’s office in Columbus with a check or money order for $99.6Ohio Secretary of State. Form 610 – Articles of Organization for a Domestic Limited Liability Company Mail adds transit time on top of processing time.
Common Reasons Filings Get Rejected
Once the state approves your filing, you’ll receive a filed copy of the articles. If the submission has errors, a rejection notice comes back through the channel you used to file. The usual causes are a name that isn’t distinguishable from an existing registration, a missing statutory agent signature, a P.O. box listed as the agent address, or a handwritten paper form.
What to Do After the State Approves Your Filing
Approval is the first milestone, not the last. A few follow-up steps turn the approved articles into an operating business.
Get an Employer Identification Number
Apply for a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS before you open a business bank account or hire employees.10Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number The application is free at irs.gov, and issuance is usually immediate. Most banks require an EIN to open an account in the entity’s name even if you have no employees.
Draft Internal Governance Documents
Ohio does not require LLCs to file an operating agreement with the state, but having one is strongly recommended. The operating agreement governs ownership percentages, profit distribution, voting rights, and what happens when a member leaves. Ohio law recognizes both written and oral operating agreements, though relying on an oral one invites disputes when memories diverge.11Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Limited Liability Company Act – Section 1706.01 Corporations should adopt bylaws and hold an organizational meeting of the initial directors to issue shares, elect officers, and adopt any necessary resolutions.
Register for Ohio Taxes
Businesses with taxable Ohio gross receipts above $6 million per year must register for and pay the Ohio Commercial Activity Tax.12Ohio Department of Taxation. Commercial Activity Tax Most new businesses won’t hit that threshold right away, but it’s worth tracking from day one. If you sell tangible goods at retail, you’ll also need a vendor’s license from the Ohio Department of Taxation to collect sales tax. Both registrations run through the Department of Taxation’s online portal.
A Note on Federal BOI Reporting
The federal Corporate Transparency Act originally required most new business entities to file a Beneficial Ownership Information report with FinCEN. An interim final rule published in March 2025 formally exempted all entities formed in the United States from BOI reporting. Only foreign entities registered to do business in a U.S. state are still required to file.13FinCEN.gov. Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting A domestic Ohio LLC or corporation currently has no BOI filing obligation, though future rulemaking could change that.