Ohio

Foreign registration · Form 530A

California Corporation Foreign Registration in Ohio

Ohio registers a corporation from California as a foreign corporation on Form 530A, with $99 in state fees. Ohio may ask for California's Certificate of Status ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services from your California records, then serve as your statutory agent there for year one.

What California and Ohio each ask for

	California formed here	Ohio registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status	Form 530A, Foreign For-Profit Corporation Application for License
State fee	$5	$99 at order
How it is handled	California: online as a PDF within minutes, or on paper by mail or drop-off in Sacramento	Filed with Ohio
Paid expedite		2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov	ohiosos.gov
Yearly filing	Statement of Information (Form SI-550), $25, every year	No annual report
Due	Last day of the corporation's registration-anniversary month, annually
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: 3 to 7 business days
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our Ohio statutory agent

How California companies register with Ohio

We prepare and file Form 530A
It names us as your Ohio statutory agent, with your California name and formation date. If Ohio wants the California certificate, it is ordered first. Once Ohio approves it, the California company can do business there.

Your California name and Ohio's rules

We search Ohio's records for California's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: Ohio and California

Ohio calls it a statutory agent; California says agent for service of process. Ohio papers come to us; California's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: Ohio and California

California wants the Statement of Information (Form SI-550) every year ($25); Ohio has no annual report for corporations. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, California to Ohio

An LLC formed in California files Form 617 with Ohio ($99 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Ohio into California

A corporation formed in Ohio that registers with California files Form S&DC-S/N with $100 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions California owners ask about Ohio

Does my California company need to register in Ohio?

Yes, once a California business operates there; Ohio registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Ohio calls it registration for California corporations; other states say certificate of authority.

How much does the Ohio registration cost?

$298 at checkout; Ohio may also want California's Certificate of Status, at extra cost.

How long does the Ohio registration take?

Ohio's standard processing takes 3 to 7 business days, plus time for California's certificate if Ohio asks for it. Paid expedite: 2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for California and Ohio?

Our statutory agent renewal ($149 a year), California's report ($25) and no Ohio yearly report.

What if I don't register with Ohio?

Ohio can charge a California company a civil penalty of up to $10,000 and a fine of at least $250.

Does Ohio require a registered agent?

Yes: the California agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Ohio for year one, with a street address there.

Can I form a new Ohio corporation instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one has no Ohio yearly report, and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550).

How do I withdraw from Ohio later?

California companies leave by filing a Certificate of Surrender of Foreign Licensed Corporation; until then, both the Ohio registration and California's filings stay in place.

Official sources

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