Massachusetts Corporation Foreign Registration in Ohio

Ohio registers a corporation from Massachusetts as a foreign corporation on Form 530A, with $99 in state fees. Ohio may ask for Massachusetts's Certificate of Good Standing ($12). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services from your Massachusetts records, then serve as your statutory agent there for year one.

Massachusetts vs Ohio: the paperwork

	Massachusetts formed here	Ohio registering here
Document	Massachusetts Certificate of Good Standing	Form 530A, Foreign For-Profit Corporation Application for License
State fee	$12	$99 at order
How it is handled	Massachusetts: online, by mail or in person, delivered by mail or email depending on the certificate	Filed with Ohio
Paid expedite		2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200
Office	Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	sec.state.ma.us	ohiosos.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $125, every year	No annual report
Due	Within 2.5 months after the close of the corporation's fiscal year
Agent	Your Massachusetts resident agent	Our Ohio statutory agent

From Massachusetts to Ohio, step by step

We prepare and file Form 530A
It names us as your Ohio statutory agent, with your Massachusetts name and formation date. If Ohio wants the Massachusetts certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Massachusetts corporation is registered with Ohio.

Your Massachusetts name and Ohio's rules

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

Your Ohio agent and the Massachusetts one

Ohio calls it a statutory agent; Massachusetts says resident agent. Your current resident agent stays for Massachusetts; ours takes Ohio's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Ohio and Massachusetts

Massachusetts wants the Annual Report every year ($125); Ohio has no annual report for corporations. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Massachusetts to Ohio

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

Questions Massachusetts owners ask about Ohio

Does my Massachusetts company need to register in Ohio?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Ohio registration cost?

$298 at checkout; Ohio may also want Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts's certificate if Ohio asks for it. Paid expedite: 2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for Massachusetts and Ohio?

Our statutory agent renewal ($149 a year), Massachusetts's report ($125) and no Ohio yearly report.

What if I don't register with Ohio?

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

Does Ohio require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Ohio corporation instead?

Yes, but Massachusetts keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one has no Ohio yearly report, and the original keeps Massachusetts's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Ohio later?

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

Official sources

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The same move for an LLC