Rhode Island

Ohio

Foreign registration · Form 617

Rhode Island LLC Foreign Registration in Ohio

An LLC formed in Rhode Island that wants to do business in Ohio files Form 617, with $99 in state fees. Ohio needs nothing from Rhode Island: no Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services from your Rhode Island records, then serve as your statutory agent there for year one.

What Rhode Island and Ohio each ask for

	Rhode Island formed here	Ohio registering here
Document	Rhode Island Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing (not needed here)	Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$22	$99 at order
How it is handled	Rhode Island: online in about two business days, the same day in person, or in 5 to 7 business days by mail	Filed with Ohio
Paid expedite		2-business-day $100, 1-business-day $200
Office	Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	sos.ri.gov	ohiosos.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company (Form 632), $50, every year	No annual report
Due	May 1
Agent	Your Rhode Island resident agent	Our Ohio statutory agent

From Rhode Island to Ohio, step by step

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

Your Rhode Island name and Ohio's rules

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

Agents: Ohio and Rhode Island

Ohio calls it a statutory agent; Rhode Island says resident agent. Ohio papers come to us; Rhode Island's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: Ohio and Rhode Island

Rhode Island wants the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company (Form 632) every year ($50); Ohio has no annual report for LLCs. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Rhode Island to Ohio

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

Registering an Ohio company in Rhode Island

An LLC formed in Ohio that registers with Rhode Island files Form 450 with $156 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($5) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Questions Rhode Island owners ask about Ohio

Does my Rhode Island company need to register in Ohio?

Yes, once a Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island.

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

What are the yearly costs for Rhode Island and Ohio?

Our statutory agent renewal ($149 a year), Rhode Island's report ($50) and no Ohio yearly report.

What if I don't register with Ohio?

A Rhode Island company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Ohio require a registered agent?

Yes: the Rhode Island resident agent stays, and ours covers Ohio for year one, with a street address there.

Can I form a new Ohio LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Ohio later?

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

Official sources

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