North Carolina

Ohio

Foreign registration · Form 617

North Carolina LLC Foreign Registration in Ohio

An LLC formed in North Carolina that wants to do business in Ohio files Form 617, with $99 in state fees. Ohio asks nothing of North Carolina here, not even the Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services from your North Carolina records, then serve as your statutory agent there for year one.

North Carolina vs Ohio: the paperwork

	North Carolina formed here	Ohio registering here
Document	North Carolina Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$10	$99 at order
How it is handled	North Carolina: online as a downloadable electronic certified document, or on paper	Filed with Ohio
Paid expedite		2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200
Office	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	sosnc.gov	ohiosos.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $203, every year	No annual report
Due	April 15
Agent	Your North Carolina registered agent	Our Ohio statutory agent

How North Carolina companies register with Ohio

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

Your North Carolina name and Ohio's rules

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

Your Ohio agent and the North Carolina one

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

Staying in good standing in North Carolina and Ohio

North Carolina wants the Annual Report every year ($203); Ohio has no annual report for LLCs. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, North Carolina to Ohio

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

Registering an Ohio company in North Carolina

An LLC formed in Ohio that registers with North Carolina files Form L-09 with $253 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($5) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: North Carolina to Ohio

Does my North Carolina company need to register in Ohio?

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

How much does it cost to register a North Carolina LLC in Ohio?

$298 at checkout, with nothing to pay North Carolina.

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

What are the yearly costs for North Carolina and Ohio?

Our statutory agent renewal ($149 a year), North Carolina's report ($203) and no Ohio yearly report.

What if I don't register with Ohio?

A North Carolina company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Ohio require a registered agent?

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

How do I withdraw from Ohio later?

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

Official sources

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