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Founder Mentor Guide

Walkthrough 1 · Ohio

Ohio LLC Formation Walkthrough (2026): 7 Stages and the 2 Best LLC Services

My advice for 2026: when forming an LLC in Ohio, start with OH Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), best first. Ohio charges $99 to form an LLC; you can finish in 7 stages.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

What to know before you start

What the state charges to file
$99
Official page: codes.ohio.gov (viewed October 2026)
Yearly report
None
Nothing to file
Three-year state cost
$99
State charges only
Stage count
7
One at a time

Walkthrough goals

  • Where and how a Ohio LLC is filed
  • What the agent rule says
  • The state filing that repeats
  • How the picks compare

If you would rather hand it off

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we score), and three-year cost and work taken off your desk count most.

Our call

1. OH Registered Agent.org: best for Ohio LLCs working to a budget

Our first call$199 in year one, $99 after

Start with OH Registered Agent.org; expect $199 for the formation on top of state fees, and $99 when the agent renews.

Cost settles it: three years here come to less than at Mainstay Filing.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 to form
  • A free first agent year

What to watch

  • An EIN add-on costs $99
Visit OH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Mainstay Filing: best for filing and agent on one bill

Any stateYear one $199; renewal $199; state fee separate

Mainstay Filing is a solid second: $199 a year gets you the filing and a statutory agent, with the EIN application thrown in.

Three years here run $200 above OH Registered Agent.org, and cost is 32% of our ranking.

What you get

  • Formation filing prepared and sent
  • Statutory agent all year long
  • The EIN application comes with it
  • State fee passed through at cost

What works

  • No jump at renewal ($199)
  • Nothing extra for the EIN application
  • One yearly fee of $199

What to watch

  • OH Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less
  • There is little upkeep to fold into the price in this state
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Ohio picks side by side

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1OH Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit OH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. These figures leave out Ohio's $99 fee.

Formation in order

  1. Stage 1

    Confirm nobody else owns the name

    Open the business name search run by the Ohio Secretary of State. If someone in Ohio already holds the name, your filing could bounce.

    Decide on a plan B name in case the first is gone.

  2. Stage 2

    Get a statutory agent in place

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An Ohio resident, or a business entity with a business address in Ohio.

    The address has to be the agent's home or usual place of business in Ohio. P.O. boxes and commercial mail receiving agencies are not accepted.

    Any of the services we phone can be your statutory agent.

    Check it yourself: Official page: codes.ohio.gov (viewed October 2026)

  3. Stage 3

    Do it yourself or pay someone

    Doing it yourself costs just the $99 state fee. A service adds $199 and takes over the forms; our ranking shows who we would phone.

  4. Stage 4

    Time to send in the Articles of Organization

    Once the Ohio Secretary of State accepts the Articles of Organization (Form 610) and $99, the LLC exists. The law behind it is Ohio Rev. Code § 1706.16.

    Check it yourself: Official page: codes.ohio.gov (viewed October 2026)

  5. Stage 5

    Order a federal tax ID for the LLC

    With approval in your hands, request an EIN so the LLC can open accounts under its own name. The Mainstay Filing yearly price already covers this stage.

  6. Stage 6

    Draft the operating agreement

    It spells out shares, voting and what happens if someone leaves. It stays private.

  7. Stage 7

    Prepare for next year

    Nothing is due yearly in Ohio; just keep a statutory agent on record.

The bill

Line itemPayeeCost
Formation feePaid to the state$99
Service, if you hire oneYour service$199 to start
State fees, years one to threePaid to the state$99
The state rows come from Ohio's published fee schedules (the pages we opened are listed under the table), and each service row comes from that company's own price. Across three years the state row counts the filing, the report in year two, the report in year three and any minimum tax.

How the scores came out

edged out on three-year bill, which counts for 32%.

OH Registered Agent.org totals $397 for years one to three, while Mainstay Filing runs $200 higher.

Ohio questions answered

Which fees does Ohio charge when an LLC is formed?

Ohio bills $99. The services we recommend bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

The paper you want is the Articles of Organization (Form 610); the Ohio Secretary of State receives it.

Is a statutory agent required?

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

What does Ohio require each year?

No annual LLC report is required.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state takes filings straight from owners, so no service is needed. Expect $99 plus a statutory agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Go with OH Registered Agent.org: $199 on top of the state fee, and the first year of agent service is already in there, then $99 a year. Then Mainstay Filing.

Where we got the facts

  1. Backing for Ohio Rev: codes.ohio.gov, August 2026.
  2. Backing for Ohio formation fee: Filing fee, official source: codes.ohio.gov, October 2026.
  3. Backing for Ohio registered agent statute: codes.ohio.gov, October 2026.
  4. The pricing page at OH Registered Agent.org, viewed November 13, 2026
  5. The Ohio service page at Mainstay Filing, viewed November 13, 2026