Ohio Foreign Corporation Registration
Registering with the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Division is a crucial step for all companies looking to conduct business in Ohio.
Even if you are incorporated in a different state, you have to register as a foreign corporation in order to do business in Ohio. This means submitting a Foreign Corporation Application for License (Form 530A) or the Foreign Nonprofit Corporation Application for License (Form 530B) depending on your business entity.
Once approved, you’ll be sent the Certificate of Authority and be good to go! Whether you just need a registered agent or you’d like us to register your foreign corporation, we are here to help!
What is an Ohio Certificate of Authority?
This is a document is your gateway to conducting business in the state. This certificate tells the state that you are registered appropriately with the Ohio Secretary of State and in good standing.
What counts as conducting business in Ohio?
Typically, it’s when you have a physical space within the state, such as an office, warehouse, or store, where you do business. Also, if you want to hire employees in the state, maintain a bank account, or have licensing within the state, you would be conducting business.
Internet sales can make it a bit more complicated, but typically for this, if you have a sales representative based out of Ohio, that counts, too.
What happens if you don’t register in Ohio?
You could be sent a service of process–or a lawsuit–and taken to court in Ohio. You could be fined or have your business dissolved. This is definitely a situation you want to deal with ASAP.
How to Register a Foreign Corporation
Registering your Ohio Foreign Corporation is easy with our handy check list–and made even easier by our all-inclusive foreign corporation formation service.
- Search the Ohio Secretary of State for your company name. If it is already taken in Ohio, you will need to choose another name to operate under. This can be as simple as your current business name with an “Ohio” tacked onto the end.
- Hire an Ohio Registered Agent. Also called a statutory agent or a designated agent, this is a person local to Ohio or a business located in Ohio that will list their name and physical address on your public-facing Secretary of State documents, such as the Form 530A/B. This makes them the go-to person for any legal documents that need to be served to you, including lawsuits. Your agent informs you of these deliveries in a timely manner.
- Request a Certificate of Good Standing from your home state. This will be submitted with your Ohio foreign corporation paperwork, and it cannot be dated more than 90 days prior than your application.
- Pay your fees and submit your paperwork. It costs a flat rate of $99 to submit your paperwork with the Ohio Secretary of State. This guarantees you a turnaround of 7 business days on your application. For an additional fee, you can get expedited service.
| 2-Day Processing | 1-Day Processing | 4-Hour Processing |
| $199 total | $299 total | $399 total |
Hire Ohio Registered Agent
Want to have us take care of this all for you? We offer a full package that makes the process as easy as one-two-three.
- Sign up for our registered agent service. This is a flat rate of $49 a year, and puts our contact info on your paperwork. Legal notices such as service of processes will be sent to us, and we will notify you immediately. Having a registered agent is required of foreign corporations in Ohio.
- Click “Add Services” and add our filing services. This will give us access to file on your behalf. This is a one-time fee of $100 on top of your state filing fees (including the cost to get your home jurisdiction’s Certificate of Good Standing) and the registered agent fee, totaling a minimum of $248 for foreign registration service. If you would like to expedite this process, the fee would increase based on the state’s processing fees.
- Rest easy! This is what we do. We’re not just a random website–we’re an Ohio business that pays taxes and legally operates in Ohio. We know this stuff, and we are dedicated to helping this process be simple and painless for you. Once we are finished with your Ohio foreign corporation registration, we upload the filing into your online account, email it to you, and mail you the original copy.