Ohio registered agent and statutory agent service. With a real portal.
Ohio requires every LLC, corporation, nonprofit, and partnership to keep a statutory agent at an Ohio street address. We file the appointment for you, accept service of process and official mail at our Litchfield, Ohio address, scan it the same business day, and notify the people you choose. $49 per business per year, paid by card, with no per-document or forwarding fees. Add Business Tools for $39 a month if you want a business phone line, website, and CRM too.
No contract. Cancel any time; your appointment with the state stays in place until a replacement agent is filed.
Litchfield, OH 44253
Receiving the mail is the easy part.
The work is making sure the right person sees it, acknowledges it, and knows where the original is.
Receive
Process servers and state agencies deliver to our Litchfield office. Staff record the date, time, and method of delivery and photograph the envelope.
Scan and classify
Every page is scanned the same business day. Service of process is marked urgent, state notices for attention, and everything else routine.
Notify and escalate
Authorized contacts get email and text the moment a document is published. Urgent items escalate to a phone call if nobody acknowledges them.
Store or forward
Ask for the original and we ship it signature-required with no handling fee; you pay only the carrier's charge, at cost. Served originals are kept for seven years, state and tax mail for three years, routine mail for 30 days.
One Ohio office. One price. A portal that does the follow-up.
Plenty of agents will take $49 and email you a PDF. We built the part that comes after: knowing who saw it, who acknowledged it, where the original is, and who to call when nobody answers.
See what's included →$49 every year
Not an introductory rate. Same price at renewal, same price for your tenth entity.
No per-document fees
Unlimited scans, pages, and authorized contacts. No forwarding fee either: when you want a physical original shipped, you pay only the carrier's charge, at cost.
Acknowledgment, tracked
We record who opened a document and who acknowledged it, and we call when nobody does.
Roles, not a shared login
Owner, employee, and attorney access, scoped per entity and per document category.
We file the agent change
Sign the consent in the portal and we prepare and file the appointment with the Ohio Secretary of State. One office, in Litchfield; Ohio is all we do.
Filing guides included
How each Ohio form works, what the state charges, and the exact agent entries if you file your own formation. Read the guides →
Four kinds of client, one portal.
Your first business
LLC, corporation, or nonprofit: you're about to form the business and need an agent address that isn't your kitchen table. We can file the formation too.
Filing guides →Several entities
Holding companies, rental LLCs, a side business. One login, one price per entity, permissions set per entity.
Pricing →Attorneys and accountants
Manage clients' entities from one account. Attorney-role access is scoped to the entities you're assigned.
For professionals →Switching agents
Leaving a national agent or a friend's office address. Sign the consent in the portal and we file the agent change with the state.
Switching →Formation, filings, and documents. Flat fees, from the same office.
Start the entity, register it from out of state, register a trade name, amend or dissolve it, get the EIN, elect S-corp, order a certificate of good standing, the record book and seal, or an apostille. State fees are listed beside ours, never folded in.
Business Formation
We prepare and file your Ohio Articles of Organization or Incorporation with the Secretary of State, appoint ourselves as your statutory agent, and hand back a filed entity ready to open a bank account.
$100 plus the $99 Ohio state filing fee →Foreign Business Registration
Already formed in another state? We register your LLC or corporation to do business in Ohio, appoint ourselves as your Ohio statutory agent, and file with the Secretary of State.
$100 plus the $99 Ohio state fee; corporations also need a home-state certificate of good standing →Trade Name (DBA) Registration
Operate under a name other than your legal name? We check availability and file the trade name or fictitious name registration with the Ohio Secretary of State.
$50 plus the $39 Ohio state filing fee →Name Reservation
Not ready to file yet? We reserve your LLC or corporation name with the Ohio Secretary of State so nobody else can register it in the meantime.
$50 plus the $39 Ohio state filing fee →Amendment to Articles
Changing your entity's name, purpose, or share count? We prepare and file the amendment to your Ohio articles with the Secretary of State.
$75 plus the $50 Ohio state filing fee →Dissolution and Cancellation
Closing the business? We prepare and file the certificate of dissolution with the Ohio Secretary of State, or surrender an out-of-state entity's Ohio registration.
$75 plus the $50 Ohio state filing fee →Tax ID (EIN)
We obtain your federal Employer Identification Number from the IRS so you can open a bank account, hire, and apply for licenses. $50 online; $200 when the IRS requires a paper filing.
$50 $200 when the IRS requires a paper Form SS-4 →S-Corp Election
We prepare and file IRS Form 2553 so your LLC or corporation is taxed as an S corporation, which can reduce self-employment tax for owners who pay themselves a salary.
$100 →Certificate of Good Standing
Banks, lenders, and other states ask for proof that your Ohio entity is active. We order the certificate of good standing from the Secretary of State and deliver it to your portal.
$25 plus the $5 Ohio state certificate fee →Corporate Book
A binder built for your entity: filed articles, operating agreement or bylaws, membership or stock certificates, ledger, and minutes, organized so a bank or buyer can read it.
$60 →Corporate Seal
A hand-held embosser that presses your entity name, state, and year of formation into paper. Used on certificates, resolutions, and documents some banks and foreign authorities still ask to see sealed.
$40 →Apostille
We obtain a certified copy of your Ohio filing and have the Ohio Secretary of State attach an apostille, so the document is accepted in any country that belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention.
$300 state certification and apostille fees included →A Business Tools workspace for the work an agent doesn't do.
A business phone line, website hosting with an AI website builder, a CRM, invoicing and estimates, texting, and online booking. Add it to any order; cancel any time. Statutory-agent records stay in the portal; nothing is written into your workspace.
About Business Tools →- ✓Statutory agent appointment at our Litchfield, Ohio address, filed by us
- ✓Same-day scanning, notifications, and phone escalation
- ✓Owner, employee, and attorney roles
What is an Ohio statutory agent?
An Ohio statutory agent is the person or company your business names, on file with the Ohio Secretary of State, to receive lawsuits and official notices for it. Most states call this role a registered agent. Ohio's statutes use the older term "statutory agent," and the Secretary of State's forms do too. The job is the same. When someone sues your LLC or a state agency needs to reach your corporation, the papers go to the agent's Ohio address, and the agent gets them to you.
The requirement comes from the Ohio Revised Code. Section 1706.09 covers limited liability companies, section 1701.07 covers for-profit corporations, and section 1702.06 covers nonprofit corporations. Each one says the entity "shall have and maintain" an agent in Ohio. If you search for an Ohio registered agent, an Ohio statutory agent, or statutory agent service, you are looking for the same thing.
Who needs an Ohio registered agent?
Every entity that exists on the Secretary of State's books needs one for as long as it stays on those books. That includes:
- Ohio limited liability companies, including single-member LLCs and rental or holding LLCs (ORC 1706.09).
- Ohio for-profit corporations, whether taxed as an S-corp or a C-corp (ORC 1701.07).
- Ohio nonprofit corporations, including churches, clubs, and associations that incorporated (ORC 1702.06).
- Out-of-state LLCs registered to do business in Ohio (ORC 1706.09) and out-of-state corporations licensed in Ohio, which the statute calls keeping a "designated agent" (ORC 1703.041).
The agent is named when the business is formed or registered. The Secretary of State will not accept original articles of organization or articles of incorporation without a written appointment of an agent and the agent's signed acceptance. After that, the business has to keep an agent in place. If the agent resigns, dies, or moves out of Ohio, the business must appoint a new one right away.
For most owners, keeping an agent on record is the main ongoing Secretary of State requirement, because Ohio LLCs and for-profit corporations do not file annual reports. Most nonprofit corporations have one more: under ORC 1702.59 they file a statement of continued existence every five years, and that statement names the statutory agent. A nonprofit that misses it can have its articles canceled, so the agent on that form should be one you can count on.
What are the requirements for an Ohio statutory agent?
Ohio allows two kinds of agent:
- A natural person who is a resident of Ohio. The appointment lists the street address of that person's primary residence in Ohio.
- A business entity with a business address in Ohio that is authorized to act as agent. The appointment lists its usual place of business in Ohio.
The statute defines "usual place of business" as a place in Ohio that is customarily open during normal business hours, where someone authorized to accept service of process is generally present. It does not include a post office box, even one with a street-style address. An address where nobody is present to accept papers does not meet it either.
The agent also has to agree to the job. The appointment includes a written acceptance signed by the agent. When you sign up with us, you e-sign the appointment consent in the portal, we sign the acceptance, and nothing is filed before you sign.
What happens when service of process arrives at our Ohio office?
A process server, sheriff, or certified-mail carrier delivers to our office at 3416 Erhart Road in Litchfield. Here is what follows:
- We log the delivery and match the papers to the business named on them.
- Every page is scanned and published to your portal the same business day it arrives.
- A summons, complaint, subpoena, or garnishment is marked urgent. Every authorized contact is notified, and if nobody acknowledges it we pick up the phone.
- The portal keeps a timestamped trail of who was notified and who acknowledged the document.
- We keep the served original for seven years, or ship it to you on request at the carrier's actual charge.
We tell you what arrived and when. What to do about it, and by when, is a question for your attorney. We do not give legal advice or track the deadlines printed in court papers.
What does an Ohio statutory agent receive, and what doesn't it do?
Lawsuits get the attention, but they are not the only thing that comes to an agent's address. We sort everything into three groups, and each group is handled and kept differently:
- Service of process: summonses, complaints, subpoenas, and garnishments. Marked urgent, with phone escalation. Originals kept seven years.
- State and tax correspondence: letters from the Ohio Secretary of State, the Department of Taxation, and other agencies. Flagged for attention. Originals kept three years.
- Routine mail: everything else addressed to the business. Scanned and published like the rest. Originals kept 30 days.
After those periods, paper is securely destroyed unless you ask us to forward it first. Scans stay in your portal while your account is open.
What a statutory agent is not
An agent is a receiving address with people behind it. It is not your lawyer or your accountant. We do not answer lawsuits, respond to agencies, calculate deadlines, or give legal or tax advice. We make sure you know, the same business day, that something arrived and who has seen it. The decisions after that belong to you and your advisers.
Can a statutory agent keep my home address off the public record?
Yes, for the agent entry. Ohio's business records are public, and the agent's name and address are part of them. If you name yourself, the law requires the street address of your primary residence. That address then shows up in the Secretary of State's search results, and it is where a process server will knock.
When you use a statutory agent service, our address goes on the record instead. Process servers and state mail come to our office instead of your front door. Other filings you make may still ask for names or addresses, so read each form before you file it.
Should I be my own Ohio statutory agent or hire a service?
You can be your own agent if you live in Ohio. Plenty of owners do. Before you decide, ask yourself a few plain questions:
- Are you home, or is someone authorized to sign for papers, during normal business hours?
- Are you comfortable with your home address on the public record?
- If you move, will you remember to file the change? The state charges $25 to record a new agent or a new agent address.
- Will a lawsuit sitting in your mailbox while you are on vacation hurt the business?
If any answer worries you, a service makes sense. If the business has no agent on file, or the agent cannot be found at the address on record, a person suing you can serve the Secretary of State instead. The state then mails the papers to the address it has, and service is complete whether or not you read them. The Secretary of State can also cancel an LLC's articles or registration if a missing agent is not fixed within 30 days of the state's notice (ORC 1706.09).
A local registered agent for your Ohio LLC or corporation
We are an Ohio company with one office, in Medina County, and Ohio is the only state we serve. Our service is $49 per business per year, paid by card at signup and renewed at the same price, with an email before each renewal. Scans are free, and you can add as many authorized contacts as you need.
Signing up takes four steps: create a portal account, add your business, e-sign the appointment consent, and pay. We prepare and file the appointment or the Statutory Agent Update (Form 521) with the Secretary of State. Your appointment shows Pending until the state record lists us, then Active. If you are changing agents, the state charges $25 to record it, and we confirm that fee with you before we file.
Questions before you start? Call (877) 908-6122, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET.
Ohio registered agent and statutory agent questions
What is a registered agent in Ohio?
It is the person or company named on the state record to receive lawsuits and official notices for your business. Ohio's statutes call this role a statutory agent. The agent must be an Ohio resident or an authorized business with an Ohio address, and the agent's name and address are public. When papers arrive, the agent's job is to get them to you quickly.
Is a registered agent required in Ohio?
Yes, every Ohio LLC, for-profit corporation, and nonprofit corporation must keep a statutory agent under ORC 1706.09, 1701.07, and 1702.06. Out-of-state LLCs and corporations registered in Ohio need one too. The Secretary of State will not accept original articles without an agent appointment, and it can cancel an entity that goes without an agent after notice.
Is a statutory agent the same as a registered agent?
Yes, "statutory agent" is simply the term Ohio law and the Ohio Secretary of State use for what most other states call a registered agent. The duties are the same: accept service of process and official mail at an in-state address and pass it to the business. Ohio's LLC statute even describes the agent's work as "the services of a registered agent."
Who can be a statutory agent in Ohio?
An individual who lives in Ohio, or a business entity with an Ohio business address that is authorized to act as agent. An individual lists the street address of their primary residence. A business lists its usual place of business, which must be open during normal business hours, staffed by someone who can accept papers, and cannot be a P.O. box.
Why would an LLC need a registered agent?
Because Ohio law requires it, and because someone has to be at a known address to receive the LLC's lawsuits and state mail. ORC 1706.09 requires every LLC to keep an agent. Without one, a plaintiff can serve the Secretary of State instead, the case can move forward without you knowing, and the state can cancel the LLC's articles after notice.
What does it mean to be a statutory agent for an LLC?
It means agreeing, in writing, to accept service of process and official notices for that LLC at an Ohio address. The agent signs an acceptance filed with the Secretary of State and must be reachable at the address on record during business hours. The agent passes documents along. It does not run the LLC or answer lawsuits for it.
Is it worth having a registered agent?
For most owners, yes, because a missed lawsuit costs far more than the yearly fee. A service keeps your home address off the agent record, is staffed during business hours, and gives you a scan and a notice the day papers arrive. If you live in Ohio, are home during the day, and don't mind the public listing, serving as your own agent can work.
What address can I use for my Ohio statutory agent?
It must be a real Ohio street address, not a P.O. box. An individual agent lists the street address of their primary residence in Ohio. A business acting as agent lists its usual place of business, a place open during normal business hours where someone authorized to accept papers is generally present. When we are your agent, the address on record is ours.
What happens if my Ohio LLC doesn't have a statutory agent?
The Secretary of State can cancel it. Under ORC 1706.09, the state sends notice, and if the missing agent isn't fixed within 30 days, the articles or registration are canceled. Reinstatement is possible within two years. Meanwhile, anyone suing the LLC can serve the Secretary of State, and service is complete once the state mails the papers to the last address it has.
Does an out-of-state company need an Ohio statutory agent?
Yes, if it is registered or licensed to do business in Ohio. Foreign LLCs must keep an agent under ORC 1706.09, and foreign corporations must keep a "designated agent" under ORC 1703.041. The agent must be an Ohio resident or a business with an Ohio address. Whether your activity requires registering in Ohio at all is a question for your attorney.