Ohio

Foreign registration · Form 617

Montana LLC Foreign Registration in Ohio

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

Montana and Ohio side by side

	Montana formed here	Ohio registering here
Document	Montana 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	Montana: online	Filed with Ohio
Paid expedite		2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200
Office	Montana Secretary of State, Business Services	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	biz.sosmt.gov	ohiosos.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $20, every year	No annual report
Due	April 15
Agent	Your Montana registered agent	Our Ohio statutory agent

How Montana companies register with Ohio

We prepare and file Form 617
It lists us as your Ohio statutory agent, next to your Montana name and formation date. Nothing has to come from Montana first, so the Ohio filing can go in right away. Once Ohio approves it, the Montana company can do business there.

Will your Montana name work for Ohio?

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

Agents: Ohio and Montana

Ohio calls it a statutory agent; Montana says registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Montana; ours takes Ohio's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Ohio and Montana

Montana wants the Annual Report every year ($20); Ohio has no annual report for LLCs. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Montana to Ohio

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

Registering an Ohio company in Montana

An LLC formed in Ohio that registers with Montana files Montana's registration (no form number) with $70 in state fees; no Ohio certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Montana to Ohio

Does my Montana company need to register in Ohio?

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

How much does the Ohio registration cost?

$298 at checkout, with nothing to pay Montana.

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

What are the yearly costs for Montana and Ohio?

Our statutory agent renewal ($149 a year), Montana's report ($20) and no Ohio yearly report.

What if I don't register with Ohio?

A Montana company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Ohio require a registered agent?

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

How do I withdraw from Ohio later?

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

Official sources

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