Ohio

Foreign registration · Form 530A

Wisconsin Corporation Foreign Registration in Ohio

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

Wisconsin and Ohio side by side

	Wisconsin formed here	Ohio registering here
Document	Wisconsin Certificate of Status	Form 530A, Foreign For-Profit Corporation Application for License
State fee	$10	$99 at order
How it is handled	Wisconsin: online, emailed as soon as it is requested	Filed with Ohio
Paid expedite		2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200
Office	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	dfi.wi.gov	ohiosos.gov
Yearly filing	Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report, $25, every year	No annual report
Due	End of the calendar quarter containing the anniversary of the articles' effective date
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: 3 to 7 business days
Agent	Your Wisconsin registered agent	Our Ohio statutory agent

From Wisconsin to Ohio, step by step

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

Will your Wisconsin name work for Ohio?

We check your exact Wisconsin name against Ohio's records before filing.

Agents: Ohio and Wisconsin

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

Staying in good standing in Wisconsin and Ohio

Wisconsin wants the Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report every year ($25); Ohio has no annual report for corporations. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Wisconsin to Ohio

An LLC formed in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Ohio that registers with Wisconsin files Form 21 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($5) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Questions Wisconsin owners ask about Ohio

Does my Wisconsin company need to register in Ohio?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Ohio registration cost?

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

What are the yearly costs for Wisconsin and Ohio?

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

What if I don't register with Ohio?

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

Does Ohio require a registered agent?

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

How do I withdraw from Ohio later?

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

Official sources

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