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Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Experiment 1 · Ohio

Forming an LLC in Ohio (2026): 7 Procedures and the 2 Best LLC Services

The readings for forming an LLC in Ohio in 2026 rank Mainstay Filing ($199) and OH Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. The sheet records 7 procedures and a $99 state fee, ending with the first year of upkeep.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

Key facts

Fee set by the state
$99Reference codes.ohio.gov, October 2026
Report each year
NoneNothing to file
State fees collected in three years
$99State charges only
Sheet procedures
7Each one described

Sheet aims

  • What Ohio charges to form an LLC and who takes delivery of the filing
  • What the agent rule says
  • The recurring upkeep
  • The readings and their reasoning

Best reading

Who we would engage in Ohio

Cost over three years comes first, then procedures performed, renewal, Ohio fit and price legibility (method page).
Begin here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a plain bundle

$199 yearly, renewing at $199

Mainstay Filing gives the best reading in Ohio: filing plus a year of statutory agent service measures $199, unchanged at renewal.

The three-year total is $200 above OH Registered Agent.org's, offset by the larger number of procedures it performs.

What the price performs

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • Statutory agent for the full year
  • EIN application included
  • State fee at cost

Measured strengths

  • Renews at $199
  • The EIN application is included
  • A flat $199 yearly

Measured limits

  • A yearly premium of $100 over OH Registered Agent.org
  • Ohio leaves it no report to file
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Single-state plan

2. OH Registered Agent.org: best for owners who remain in Ohio

$199 to open, $99 a year from year two

OH Registered Agent.org follows in second place: the Ohio formation measures $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renewal reads $99.

What the price performs

  • The filing is performed for you
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Then $99 a year
  • A free first agent year

Measured limits

  • It charges $99 for the EIN procedure
Visit OH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2OH Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit OH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Posted prices, observed November 13, 2026. Every row needs the $99 state fee added.

The procedures

  1. Procedure 1: Confirm no other company holds the name

    the Ohio Secretary of State keeps the register. Search it first, since a taken name in Ohio can send the filing back.

    TipA spare name saves a second round.

  2. Procedure 2: Identify the statutory agent

    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.

    TipAll of the ranked services provide a statutory agent.

    Specimen: Reference codes.ohio.gov, October 2026

  3. Procedure 3: File directly or engage help

    Without a service the whole bill is the state's $99. Each of the ranked services adds $199 and handles the paperwork.

  4. Procedure 4: Assemble and file the Articles of Organization

    The Articles of Organization (Form 610) is the formation instrument. It goes to the Ohio Secretary of State, and the fee measures $99 (Ohio Rev. Code § 1706.16).

    Specimen: Reference codes.ohio.gov, October 2026

  5. Procedure 5: Complete the EIN application

    With Ohio's approval recorded, request an EIN so the LLC can open accounts in its own name. With Mainstay Filing, this procedure is performed for the owner.

  6. Procedure 6: Prepare an operating agreement

    An operating agreement is the owners' rulebook. The company retains it; the state does not collect it.

  7. Procedure 7: Keep the LLC active

    Ohio omits the yearly report. Maintaining the statutory agent is sufficient.

The cost of this sheet

ItemGoes toTotal
Formation filingState office$99
Service fees (optional)The engaged service$199 up front
State fees, years one to threeState office$99
Method for the three-year state row: take the filing fee, add the reports due in years two and three, then add any yearly minimum tax. Service fees stay in their own rows.

The reasoning behind the ranking

prevailed on procedures the price performs (28% of the reading), with close behind.

Procedures performed decided it, though narrowly.

Questions readers ask

How large is the Ohio state fee for a new LLC?

The official fee is $99. Service fees among the ranked services run $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Ohio Secretary of State receives the Articles of Organization (Form 610), the document that forms the company.

Is a statutory agent required?

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

What does Ohio require each year?

Ohio requires no recurring LLC report.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. The state takes $99 at filing, and the LLC must still name a statutory agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

The order of the readings is Mainstay Filing and OH Registered Agent.org. Mainstay Filing is first because $199 yearly performs the filing and maintains the statutory agent; the renewal reading is flat.

More sheets

Specimens and records

  1. Ohio Rev: primary record at codes.ohio.gov, last observed August 2026.
  2. Ohio formation fee: Filing fee, official source: primary record at codes.ohio.gov, last observed October 2026.
  3. Ohio registered agent statute: primary record at codes.ohio.gov, last observed October 2026.
  4. Ohio service page (Mainstay Filing), observed November 13, 2026
  5. pricing page (OH Registered Agent.org), observed November 13, 2026