Ohio

Foreign registration · Form 21

Ohio Corporation Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

Wisconsin registers a corporation from Ohio as a foreign corporation on Form 21, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin also asks for Ohio's Certificate of Good Standing ($5), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services from your Ohio records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Ohio vs Wisconsin: the paperwork

	Ohio formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Ohio Certificate of Good Standing	Form 21, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$5	$100 at order
How it is handled	Ohio: online or by mail	Filed on Wisconsin's paper form
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	cogs.ohiosos.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	No annual report	Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report, $65, every year
Due		March 31 each year after qualification
Agent	Your Ohio statutory agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How Ohio companies register with Wisconsin

Order the Ohio certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($5) is ordered from Ohio separately; it is not part of our Wisconsin order. Wisconsin counts 60 days from the day Ohio issues it, so the order goes in shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form 21
It lists us as your Wisconsin registered agent, next to your Ohio name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Ohio certificate comes first; then the Wisconsin filing goes in. After approval, your Ohio corporation is registered with Wisconsin.

Wisconsin costs for Ohio companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$100
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Ohio	$5
Our service, with a year of Wisconsin registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Ohio certificate included	$304

Wisconsin's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Will your Ohio name work for Wisconsin?

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

Agents: Wisconsin and Ohio

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

Yearly filings: Wisconsin and Ohio

Ohio has no annual report for corporations; Wisconsin wants the Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report every year ($65). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Ohio to Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Ohio files Form 521 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Wisconsin into Ohio

A corporation formed in Wisconsin that registers with Ohio files Form 530A with $99 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Ohio owners ask about Wisconsin

Does my Ohio company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once an Ohio business operates there; Wisconsin does not count a one-off deal finished within 30 days.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Wisconsin issues one to Ohio corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register an Ohio corporation in Wisconsin?

$299 at checkout plus $5 to Ohio for the Certificate of Good Standing, $304 in all (checkout is $100 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Ohio's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Wisconsin wants it ($5), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Ohio and Wisconsin?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), no Ohio yearly report and Wisconsin's report ($65).

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

Wisconsin can charge an Ohio company up to $65 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

Yes: the Ohio statutory agent stays, and ours covers Wisconsin for year one.

Can I form a new Wisconsin corporation instead?

Yes, but Ohio keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25), and Ohio has no yearly report for the original.

Official sources

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