Skip to content
Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Ohio

2 Best Foreign Registration Services in Ohio (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Ohio the order reads OH Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199). OH Registered Agent.org posts the top score: the Ohio registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick

1. OH Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Ohio

9.4 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added; agent renewing at $99

OH Registered Agent.org leads the card: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Ohio, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Its three-year total undercuts Mainstay Filing, which earns real points on cost.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • First-year statutory agent service

Strengths

  • $199 to register, state fee extra
  • Second-year agent cost: $99
  • Statutory agent service for year one is in the price

Watch for

  • Limited to Ohio; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit OH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. OH Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #2 Best for expanding companies

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

8.9 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added ($298 today); agent renewing at $149

Mainstay Filing takes second spot: $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your statutory agent and the same price in every state.

Year one of agent service is on the house; later years cost $149 anywhere.

OH Registered Agent.org undercuts Mainstay Filing by $100 over three years, and that gap costs Mainstay points on cost.

What you get

  • Preparation and filing of the registration
  • No-cost scan and upload of served papers within the same business day

Strengths

  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Same price across all fifty states
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than OH Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up

The 2 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 OH Registered Agent.org 9.4 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit OH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing 8.9 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Formation Scorecard assigns each mark out of 10 itself, using the weighted criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings feed in.

Ohio foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
OH Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Not stated

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Ohio's $99 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

How the card was marked

Cost across three years decided the Ohio card. The method puts 25% on cost across three years and 25% on coverage of the price, then shares 50% among renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity.

OH Registered Agent.org tallies $397 across three years, $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both include the first agent year, so the renewal price after year one broke the tie.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Ohio: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 617) to the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services, with a $99 state fee.

Ohio asks nothing yearly from foreign LLCs.

Gather these before filing

  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state statutory agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $99, sent in with the filing.

The price of ignoring Ohio registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Ohio courts until it registers (R.C. 1706.515(A)). Its contracts remain valid (R.C. 1706.515(E)).

Ohio foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Ohio make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Ohio?

Expect $99 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Ohio?

The form goes to the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services; its exact name is in the facts above.

Does a registered company still need a statutory agent?

Yes, a statutory agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration services sit on this card?

OH Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), top to bottom.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Ohio?

OH Registered Agent.org, since $199 plus the state fee and a year of statutory agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

More from us

Where the figures come from

  1. Ohio Rev. Code § 1706.16, as of August 2026
  2. Ohio formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  3. Ohio registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  4. Ohio Secretary of State, filing forms and fee schedule, as of October 2026
  5. Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company, as of October 2026
  6. R.C. 1706.511, registration of foreign LLCs, as of October 2026
  7. R.C. 1706.515, effect of failing to register, as of October 2026
  8. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for OH Registered Agent.org
  9. Read on November 12, 2026: Ohio service page for Mainstay Filing