Ohio LLC Cost: Filing Fees Breakdown (2026)
An Ohio LLC costs $99 to form - the fee for the Articles of Organization (Form 610) filed with the Ohio Secretary of State. That is the only mandatory state charge to create the LLC, and Ohio has no annual report and no annual report fee. Optional costs include name reservation ($39), a statutory agent update ($25 when you change agents), expedite service, and a $25 vendor's license if you sell taxable goods.
Quick Answer
- Formation fee
- $99 - Articles of Organization (Form 610)
- Agency
- Ohio Secretary of State
- Annual report fee
- $0 - Ohio requires no annual report
- Name reservation
- $39 (Form 534B), holds 180 days
- Statutory agent update
- $25 (Form 521) when you change agents
- Federal EIN
- $0 - free from the IRS
The Core Cost: $99 Articles of Organization
The one mandatory cost to create an Ohio LLC is the $99 filing fee for the Articles of Organization (Form 610), filed with the Ohio Secretary of State. This fee is set by the state and is the same whether you file online through the Secretary of State's business filing portal or by mail. Once the Secretary of State accepts Form 610, your LLC legally exists under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1706. For the full step-by-step process, see how to form an LLC in Ohio.
Everything else is optional or situational. There is no separate "publication" requirement like New York or Arizona impose, and no mandatory first-year franchise fee like California's. That makes Ohio one of the more affordable states to start and maintain an LLC, especially over time, because of the missing annual report fee. Compare with the national cost of an LLC overview and neighboring states below.
Ohio LLC Fee Table (2026)
The table lists the Ohio state fees a typical LLC may encounter, from formation through ongoing operation. Amounts are effective for 2026 and are set by the Ohio Secretary of State, the Ohio Department of Taxation, or the IRS, not by any filing service. Confirm figures against the primary sources listed at the end.
| Item | Form | Fee (2026) | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (create the LLC) | Form 610 | $99 | Secretary of State |
| Annual report | None | Not required - $0 | Secretary of State |
| Name reservation (180 days) | Form 534B | $39 | Secretary of State |
| Statutory agent update (change agent) | Form 521 | $25 | Secretary of State |
| Trade name / fictitious name registration | Form 534A | $39 | Secretary of State |
| Foreign (out-of-state) LLC registration | Form 617 | $99 | Secretary of State |
| Certificate of Dissolution (LLC) | Form 616 | $50 | Secretary of State |
| Vendor's license (if selling taxable goods) | - | $25 | Dept. of Taxation / county auditor |
| Federal EIN | IRS Form SS-4 | $0 (free) | IRS |
| Expedite service (optional) | Preclearance / expedite | Tiered add-on fee | Secretary of State |
Statutory Agent Cost
Every Ohio LLC must appoint a statutory agent - Ohio's term for a registered agent - with an Ohio address to receive legal process. Naming the initial agent on Form 610 costs nothing extra; it is part of the $99 filing. You can serve as your own statutory agent, name a member or manager, or hire a commercial service.
The only state fee tied to the agent is the $25 Statutory Agent Update (Form 521), which you file when the agent or the agent's address changes. If you hire a commercial statutory agent service instead of serving yourself, that provider sets its own annual fee, which is a private cost, not a state charge. Acting as your own agent is the cheapest option if you have a reliable Ohio street address and are available during business hours.
Name Reservation and Trade Names
Reserving a name is optional. If you want to hold a name before filing, the Name Reservation (Form 534B) costs $39 and reserves the name for 180 days. Most founders skip this and simply file the Articles of Organization directly, since acceptance of Form 610 secures the name. Reservation mainly helps when you are not ready to form but want to lock a name.
If your LLC will operate under a name different from its legal name, you register a trade name (Form 534A) for $39. This is Ohio's version of a DBA. Before committing to a name, also check that it does not conflict with a federal trademark, which is a separate federal system from state name registration.
Expedite Service Costs
Standard processing is included in the $99 fee. If you need your filing handled faster, the Ohio Secretary of State offers tiered expedite service for an additional fee added on top of the standard charge, with faster turnaround tiers costing more. Because the exact expedite amounts are periodically adjusted, confirm the current tier pricing on the Secretary of State fee schedule before you rely on it. Expedite is never required - it only speeds up processing.
Ongoing Costs: Taxes, Not Reports
Ohio's standout feature is that there is no annual report and no annual report fee, so there is no recurring entity charge just to stay registered - see Ohio annual report. Your ongoing costs are tax-related. If you sell taxable goods or services, you collect and remit sales tax under a $25 vendor's license.
Larger businesses may owe the Ohio Commercial Activity Tax (CAT), a gross-receipts tax. For 2025 and later years, only businesses with more than $6 million in taxable gross receipts are subject to the CAT, so most small LLCs owe nothing and need not register. How income flows through to your personal return is covered in Ohio LLC tax filing. Federal income tax is separate; a single-member LLC is taxed by default as a disregarded entity per IRS rules.
Sample First-Year Cost
For a simple single-member Ohio LLC where the owner serves as statutory agent, files directly without name reservation, and gets a free EIN, the total first-year state cost is just the $99 formation fee. Add a $25 vendor's license if you sell taxable goods, bringing a typical retail startup to $124. There is no annual report fee to budget for in year two.
- Bare minimum LLC: $99 (Form 610 only).
- Retail LLC: $99 + $25 vendor's license = $124.
- Optional add-ons: $39 name reservation, $39 trade name, expedite fee, or a commercial statutory agent's annual charge.
- Year two and beyond: $0 in required state entity fees.
Compare Ohio's low ongoing cost with neighbors like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start an LLC in Ohio?
$99, the fee for the Articles of Organization (Form 610) filed with the Ohio Secretary of State. That is the only mandatory state charge to create the LLC. A federal EIN from the IRS is free.
Does Ohio have an annual LLC fee?
No. Ohio requires no annual report and charges no annual report fee. There is no recurring state entity fee, though sales tax and, for larger firms, the Commercial Activity Tax may apply.
How much is an Ohio statutory agent?
Naming your initial agent on Form 610 is free. Changing agents later costs $25 (Form 521). A commercial statutory agent service charges its own annual fee.
How much does expedite cost?
The Secretary of State offers tiered expedite service for an added fee above the standard charge. Confirm current expedite pricing on the Secretary of State fee schedule before filing.
Is there a cheaper way to form an Ohio LLC?
The $99 fee is fixed, but you can act as your own statutory agent, get your EIN free from the IRS, and skip optional name reservation to keep total cost to the $99 minimum.
Related
- How much does an LLC cost? (cluster hub)
- How to form an LLC in Ohio
- Ohio annual report requirements
- Ohio statutory agent
- Ohio LLC tax filing
- Ohio Commercial Activity Tax
- Ohio vendor's license
- How to dissolve an LLC in Ohio
- Michigan LLC cost (sibling)
Sources
- Ohio Secretary of State - Filing Forms & Fee Schedule (Form 610 $99; Form 534B $39; Form 521 $25; Form 616 $50; Form 617 $99; expedite).
- Ohio Secretary of State - Form 610, Articles of Organization (PDF).
- Ohio Secretary of State - Businesses (filing methods).
- Ohio Secretary of State - Starting & Maintaining a Business.
- Ohio Revised Code - Section 1706.16, Articles of Organization.
- Ohio Revised Code - Section 1706.09, Statutory Agent.
- Ohio Revised Code - Chapter 1706, Limited Liability Companies (no annual report).
- Ohio Revised Code - Section 5739.17, Vendor's License ($25).
- Ohio Revised Code - Chapter 5751, Commercial Activity Tax.
- Ohio Department of Taxation - Commercial Activity Tax ($6 million exclusion for 2025+).
- Ohio Department of Taxation - Sales & Use Tax.
- IRS - Employer Identification Numbers (free EIN).
- IRS - Limited Liability Company (LLC).
- Cornell LII - Limited Liability Company (LLC).
LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not a law firm or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or tax professional. Fees change; verify current amounts with the Ohio Secretary of State and Ohio Department of Taxation before acting. This guide summarizes publicly available requirements and is updated as agencies revise their fees, forms, and deadlines; always confirm the current details on the relevant government website before you file, because published amounts can change between annual review cycles.