Alabama

Ohio

Foreign registration · Form 617

Alabama LLC Foreign Registration in Ohio

To do business in Ohio, an LLC formed in Alabama registers there on Form 617, with $99 in state fees. Ohio asks nothing of Alabama here, not even the Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services from your Alabama records, then serve as your statutory agent there for year one.

Alabama and Ohio side by side

	Alabama formed here	Ohio registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$25	$99 at order
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed with Ohio
Paid expedite		2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	ohiosos.gov
Yearly filing	Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year	No annual report
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our Ohio statutory agent

From Alabama to Ohio, step by step

We prepare and file Form 617
It names us as your Ohio statutory agent, with your Alabama name and formation date. No Alabama paperwork holds up the Ohio filing. Once Ohio approves it, the Alabama company can do business there.

Your Alabama name and Ohio's rules

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

Agents: Ohio and Alabama

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

Staying in good standing in Alabama and Ohio

Alabama wants the Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report every year; Ohio has no annual report for LLCs. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to Ohio

A corporation formed in Alabama files Form 530A with Ohio ($99 in state fees, the same). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Ohio into Alabama

An LLC formed in Ohio that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees; no Ohio certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Alabama owners ask about Ohio

Does my Alabama company need to register in Ohio?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; Ohio law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does it cost to register an Alabama LLC in Ohio?

$298 at checkout, with nothing to pay Alabama.

Do I need Alabama's certificate of good standing?

No, Ohio takes Form 617 without it.

How long does the Ohio registration take?

Ohio's standard processing takes 3 to 7 business days; nothing comes from Alabama first. Paid expedite: 2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and Ohio?

Our statutory agent renewal ($149 a year), Alabama's report (fee set by the state) and no Ohio yearly report.

What if I don't register with Ohio?

An Alabama company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Ohio require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Ohio LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Ohio later?

Alabama companies leave by filing a Certificate of Cancellation of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company; until then, both the Ohio registration and Alabama's filings stay in place.

Official sources

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