Ohio

Foreign registration · Form 521

Ohio LLC Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

Wisconsin registers an LLC from Ohio as a foreign LLC on Form 521, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin needs nothing from Ohio: no Certificate of Good Standing. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services from your Ohio records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Ohio and Wisconsin side by side

	Ohio formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Ohio Certificate of Good Standing (not needed here)	Form 521, Foreign Registration Statement
State fee	$5	$100 at order
How it is handled	Ohio: online or by mail	Filed online with Wisconsin
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	cogs.ohiosos.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Yearly filing	No annual report	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $80, every year
Due		March 31
Agent	Your Ohio statutory agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How Ohio companies register with Wisconsin

We prepare and file Form 521
It names us as your Wisconsin registered agent, with your Ohio name and formation date. Nothing has to come from Ohio first, so the Wisconsin filing can go in right away. Once Wisconsin approves it, the Ohio company can do business there.

Will your Ohio name work for Wisconsin?

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

Agents: Wisconsin and Ohio

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

Yearly filings: Wisconsin and Ohio

Ohio has no annual report for LLCs; Wisconsin wants the Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) every year ($80). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Ohio to Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Ohio files Form 21 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($5)). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Wisconsin company in Ohio

An LLC formed in Wisconsin that registers with Ohio files Form 617 with $99 in state fees; no Wisconsin certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Ohio to Wisconsin

Does my Ohio company need to register in Wisconsin?

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

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

$299 at checkout, with nothing to pay Ohio.

Do I need Ohio's certificate of good standing?

No, Wisconsin takes Form 521 without it.

What are the yearly costs for Ohio and Wisconsin?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), no Ohio yearly report and Wisconsin's report ($80).

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

An Ohio company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Wisconsin can add up to $97.50 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

Yes: the Ohio statutory agent stays, and ours covers Wisconsin for year one.

Can I form a new Wisconsin LLC instead?

Yes, but Ohio keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25), and Ohio has no yearly report for the original.

How do I withdraw from Wisconsin later?

Ohio companies leave by filing a Withdrawal of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company; until then, Wisconsin's report stays due alongside Ohio's filings.

Official sources

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