How to start an LLC in Ohio.
The whole thing, in order, with the real costs and the parts the filing websites skip. Do it yourself with this page, or hand it to us for $500 with the state fee included.
If you're organized and patient, you can form an Ohio LLC yourself for the $99 state fee in an evening. The places people get burned are the statutory agent, skipping the operating agreement, and mixing personal and business money afterward. All three are covered below.
Pick a name the state will accept
It has to be different from every other Ohio entity and it has to end with LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company or a legal variation. Search the Ohio Secretary of State business database before you print anything. If the name is close to another one, the filing gets rejected and you start over.
Name a statutory agent
Ohio requires a statutory agent with an Ohio street address who can accept legal mail during business hours. You can be your own, but your home address becomes public record and somebody has to physically be there. This is the single most common thing discount filing sites get wrong.
File the Articles of Organization
This is the actual filing — Form 610 through the Ohio Business Filings portal. The state fee is $99. Online filings usually process in a few business days; expedited options cost more. This filing is what creates the company.
Get your EIN from the IRS
Free, directly from the IRS, and you need it to open a business bank account, run payroll or take on a subcontractor. Never pay a service a separate fee for this without knowing it's free at the source.
Write an operating agreement
Ohio does not require one. Get one anyway. It's what decides who owns what, who can sign, and what happens when a partner leaves. Without it, a disagreement between two owners gets settled by default state rules instead of by what you agreed to.
Open the business bank account
Take your filed Articles and your EIN. From that day, the business money stays in the business account. Mixing personal and business money is the fastest way to lose the liability protection you just paid for — that's what 'piercing the veil' means in practice.
Handle taxes and local registration
Register with the Ohio Department of Taxation if you'll collect sales tax (a vendor's license), check your city for a local income tax filing, and carry workers' comp through the Ohio BWC once you have employees. Trades may also need state or municipal licensing — the LLC doesn't replace that.
Keep it alive
Ohio does not charge an annual LLC report fee, which surprises people coming from other states. What you do have to keep current is your statutory agent, your address on file, and your taxes. Change your agent or address and the state needs to be told.
How much does it cost to start an LLC in Ohio?
The state filing fee is $99 for the Articles of Organization. The EIN is free from the IRS. If you do it all yourself, $99 plus your time is the whole cost. We file it for you for $500 with the state fee, the EIN, the statutory agent setup and an operating agreement draft included.
How long does it take to form an Ohio LLC?
Online filings are typically processed within a few business days. Expedited service is available from the state for an extra fee. The EIN is immediate if you apply online during IRS hours.
Does Ohio require an annual report for an LLC?
No. Ohio does not require an annual report or charge an annual LLC fee, unlike many other states. You still have tax filings and you still have to keep your statutory agent and address current.
Can I be my own statutory agent in Ohio?
Yes, if you have an Ohio street address and somebody is there during business hours. The trade-off is that the address becomes public record. Most one-truck owners use a commercial agent to keep their home address off the internet.
Do I need an LLC to run a small business in Ohio?
Legally, no — you can operate as a sole proprietor. Practically, an LLC separates your personal assets from the business, makes you look legitimate on bids and commercial work, and is what most insurers and general contractors expect to see. It also gives you a clean line for write-offs.
Will an LLC get me customers?
No, and anybody who tells you different is selling. An LLC means you're legal. It doesn't answer the phone, send an estimate or follow up on a quote. That's a separate problem, and it's the one that actually costs you money.
What's the difference between an LLC and an S-corp in Ohio?
An LLC is a legal entity; an S-corp is a tax election. Once profit gets high enough, many Ohio LLCs elect S-corp treatment to cut self-employment tax. Talk to an accountant about the timing — it's a real savings, but it adds payroll paperwork.
We'll file it for $500, state fee included.
Name search, Articles filed, the $99 covered, EIN, statutory agent set up correctly and an operating agreement draft — registered in your name, not ours, with every login handed to you. And when the company's legal, the honest next question is how the work is actually going to come in.
Filing in a specific town? See our service area.