Illinois Corporation Foreign Registration in Ohio

To do business in Ohio, a corporation formed in Illinois registers there on Form 530A, with $99 in state fees. Ohio may ask for Illinois's Certificate of Good Standing ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services from your Illinois records, then serve as your statutory agent there for year one.

What Illinois and Ohio each ask for

	Illinois formed here	Ohio registering here
Document	Illinois Certificate of Good Standing	Form 530A, Foreign For-Profit Corporation Application for License
State fee	$25	$99 at order
How it is handled	Illinois: online as an instant PDF, printed from the receipt page or sent by email link	Filed with Ohio
Paid expedite		2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200
Office	Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	ilsos.gov	ohiosos.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05), $75, every year	No annual report
Due	Before the first day of the entity's anniversary month each year
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: 3 to 7 business days
Agent	Your Illinois registered agent	Our Ohio statutory agent

How Illinois companies register with Ohio

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

Will your Illinois name work for Ohio?

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

Your Ohio agent and the Illinois one

Ohio calls it a statutory agent; Illinois says registered agent. Ohio papers come to us; Illinois's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: Ohio and Illinois

Illinois wants the Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05) every year ($75); Ohio has no annual report for corporations. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Illinois to Ohio

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

Questions Illinois owners ask about Ohio

Does my Illinois company need to register in Ohio?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Ohio registration cost?

$298 at checkout; Ohio may also want Illinois's Certificate of Good Standing, at extra cost.

How long does the Ohio registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Illinois and Ohio?

Our statutory agent renewal ($149 a year), Illinois's report ($75) and no Ohio yearly report.

What if I don't register with Ohio?

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

Does Ohio require a registered agent?

Yes: the Illinois registered agent stays, and ours covers Ohio for year one, with a street address there.

Can I form a new Ohio corporation instead?

Yes, but Illinois keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one has no Ohio yearly report, and the original keeps Illinois's Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05).

How do I withdraw from Ohio later?

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

Official sources

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