Registered Agents and Your Ohio LLC

Your Ohio LLC needs to have a “Registered Agent.” These are known in Ohio as “Statutory Agents.” They’re chosen by you and can accept legal notices and other correspondence for your Ohio Limited Liability Company (LLC) on your behalf. There are some rules on choosing Registered Agents:

• If you choose a person, they must reside in Ohio
• If you choose a business, they must be able to conduct business in Ohio
• They must have a physical street address (not a P.O. Box)
• They must be available in person to sign for any delivered correspondence during normal business hours

At Incfile we provide a comprehensive Registered Agent service that’s free for the first year if you incorporate through us. Our Registered Agent service includes a dashboard where you can review documents received, get automatic notification of correspondence and get free forwarding of all official legal correspondence.

Incorporate through us to get your first year of Registered Agent services for free.

Ohio Registered Agents: What Type of Legal Notices Might They Receive?

An Ohio Registered Agent may receive, on behalf of your LLC:

• Correspondence from the Ohio Secretary of State
• Service of process notices (e.g. if your LLC is sued or required to appear in court)
• Official Ohio state and federal government correspondence and notifications
• Tax forms and requests to complete permits, company filings and reports

Note that the Ohio Secretary of State does need the address of your Registered Agent and it needs to be a street address, not a P.O. Box.

Acting As Your Own Registered Agent for Your Ohio LLC

If you live in Ohio, you might choose to be the Registered Agent for your LLC. Be aware that there may be some drawbacks to this:

• The Registered Agent must have a physical street address in the state where you are forming the company. Some people establish companies outside of the state they live in and will need to use a Registered Agent service to provide the address.
• You always need to have someone on hand to receive important documents for your business during business hours (typically 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday). A person must always be available to sign for legal correspondence. If you can’t always be around, consider using a third-party Registered Agent service like Incfile.
• The Registered Agent’s name and address is part of the public record and available through the Ohio Secretary of State's website. If you would prefer your name and address isn’t published, you might choose a Registered Agent service.
• If you change your Ohio business address or move out of state, you don’t need to file additional documentation with the secretary of state for the new address of your Registered Agent. You will need to setup a new registered agent service in the new state.

There are more considerations, but this should help you with your decision to use a Registered Agent service.

If You Don’t Have a Registered Agent for Your Ohio LLC

Failing to have a Registered Agent in Ohio can cause your business issues. These include:

• Getting served or sued and not finding out about it: If your business is sued and you don’t know about it, you could lose to a default judgment in your absence.
• Failure to remain in good standing: Ohio LLCs need to remain in good standing with the secretary of state. If correspondence is undeliverable, certain states may revoke your right to do business.
• Losing your status as an Ohio LLC: A Registered Agent “proves” to the state that your business exists. Without it, you could lose your business entity protections, and your Ohio LLC may be dissolved.

Incfile Will Provide a Registered Agent for Ohio on Behalf of Your LLC

Here at Incfile, we have a reliable Registered Agent Service. We provide the first year of this service completely for free if you choose to form your LLC with us. After the first year, it’s only $99 for subsequent years — a small price for your peace of mind. Here’s what our service provides:

• An always available Registered Agent service that can receive correspondence, documents and legal proceedings on your behalf
• A digital dashboard where you can access, store and retrieve any information we’ve received for your business
• Email notification whenever we receive documents for your business
• Automatic forwarding of all legal correspondence, documentation and information directly to you

Form your LLC with us today to get your first year of a Registered Agent service for free, including easy access to our comprehensive online dashboard.