Ohio

Foreign registration · Form 617

Iowa LLC Foreign Registration in Ohio

To do business in Ohio, an LLC formed in Iowa registers there on Form 617, with $99 in state fees. Ohio needs nothing from Iowa: no Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services from your Iowa records, then serve as your statutory agent there for year one.

Iowa and Ohio side by side

	Iowa formed here	Ohio registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$5	$99 at order
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed with Ohio
Paid expedite		2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	ohiosos.gov
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $30, every two years	No annual report
Due	April 1 of odd-numbered years
Agent	Your Iowa registered agent	Our Ohio statutory agent

From Iowa to Ohio, step by step

We prepare and file Form 617
It names us as your Ohio statutory agent, with your Iowa name and formation date. Nothing has to come from Iowa first, so the Ohio filing can go in right away. After approval, your Iowa LLC is registered with Ohio.

Your Iowa name and Ohio's rules

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

Agents: Ohio and Iowa

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

Staying in good standing in Iowa and Ohio

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($30); Ohio has no annual report for LLCs. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to Ohio

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

The other way: Ohio into Iowa

An LLC formed in Ohio that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0010 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($5) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Iowa to Ohio

Does my Iowa company need to register in Ohio?

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

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

$298 at checkout, with nothing to pay Iowa.

Do I need Iowa'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 Iowa first. Paid expedite: 2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and Ohio?

Our statutory agent renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($30, every two years) and no Ohio yearly report.

What if I don't register with Ohio?

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

Does Ohio require a registered agent?

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

How do I withdraw from Ohio later?

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

Official sources

People also search

LLC into Ohio, by home state (48)

Iowa into other states (47)

The same move for a corporation