Ohio

Foreign registration · Form 530A

West Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in Ohio

To do business in Ohio, a corporation formed in West Virginia registers there on Form 530A, with $99 in state fees. Ohio may ask for West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services using your West Virginia records and act as your statutory agent there for the first year.

West Virginia and Ohio side by side

	West Virginia formed here	Ohio registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence	Form 530A, Foreign For-Profit Corporation Application for License
State fee	$10	$99 at order
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed with Ohio
Paid expedite		2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	sos.wv.gov	ohiosos.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every two years	No annual report
Due	July 1 each year
Turnaround	Certificate takes a few days	Standard processing: 3 to 7 business days
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Ohio statutory agent

From West Virginia to Ohio, step by step

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

Your West Virginia name and Ohio's rules

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

Agents: Ohio and West Virginia

Ohio calls it a statutory agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. Your current agent for service of process stays for West Virginia; ours takes Ohio's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Ohio and West Virginia

West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25); Ohio has no annual report for corporations. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Ohio

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

Registering an Ohio company in West Virginia

A corporation formed in Ohio that registers with West Virginia files Form CF-1 with $101 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions West Virginia owners ask about Ohio

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Ohio?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does it cost to register a West Virginia corporation in Ohio?

$298 at checkout; Ohio may also want West Virginia's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the Ohio registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Ohio?

Our statutory agent renewal ($149 a year), West Virginia's report ($25, every two years) and no Ohio yearly report.

What if I don't register with Ohio?

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

Does Ohio require a registered agent?

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

How do I withdraw from Ohio later?

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

Official sources

People also search

Corporation into Ohio, by home state (48)

West Virginia into other states (41)

The same move for an LLC