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2 Best LLC Services in Ohio (2026), and What to Know First

Ask about Mainstay Filing ($199) and OH Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order, when you need LLC formation services in Ohio in 2026. The costs split two ways: $99 to the state for the filing and $397 to $597 to a service across three years.

Answered by the Ask About LLC editorial team ·

The short answers

What does the state charge?
$99, paid once
Every year after
Nothing to file
Statutory agent
Yes, the law says so
Our pick
Mainstay Filing then OH Registered Agent.org

Our Ohio answer, best first

Curious why this order? Read how we choose.

1Ask this one first

1. Mainstay Filing: best for formation and agent for one price

$199 yearly ($298 at signup, state fee included)

Mainstay Filing is the one to ask first in Ohio because formation and statutory agent service arrive together for $199 a year, with the EIN application included.

The extra $200 over three years, compared with OH Registered Agent.org, pays for coverage beyond Ohio.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork submitted
  • Statutory agent for twelve months
  • EIN application submitted
  • No markup on state fees

Good news

  • No charge for the EIN application
  • One yearly fee: $199
  • Renewal is $199

The catch

  • From year two you pay $100 more than at OH Registered Agent.org
  • Nothing recurring in Ohio for it to handle
Go to Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2The Ohio option

2. OH Registered Agent.org: best for companies that stay local

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

OH Registered Agent.org takes second place: forming costs $199, the agent is covered in year one, then $99 a year.

What the price covers

  • Ohio formation filing
  • A year of agent service to start

Good news

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • Forms the LLC for $199 plus the state fee
  • A renewal of $99

The catch

  • They charge $99 to apply for your EIN
Go to OH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

How do they compare?

#CompanyYear oneEvery year after3-year totalIncluded
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597formation paperwork submitted; statutory agent for twelve months; EIN application submittedGo to Mainstay Filing
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2OH Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397ohio formation filing; A year of agent service to startGo to OH Registered Agent.org
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read on November 13, 2026; three years means year one plus two renewals.

Questions owners ask

What will forming an LLC cost in this state?

Set aside $99 for the state, plus $199 if you hire help in the first year.

Over three years the state collects $99, filing fee included. codes.ohio.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

What do I actually send the state?

Send the Articles of Organization (Form 610) to the Ohio Secretary of State; approval of that one filing is what creates the LLC.

Legal basis: Ohio Rev. Code § 1706.16. codes.ohio.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

Does this state require a statutory agent?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

An Ohio resident, or a business entity with a business address in Ohio.

codes.ohio.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

What will I owe in later years?

Nothing repeats on the report side, because Ohio asks for no report.

Do I have to pay someone to do this?

Nothing stops you. Without a service your three-year bill is the state's $99.

Expect $397 to $597 more over three years if you hire someone.

Why is the list in this order?

On chores the price takes care of, worth 29%, Mainstay Filing comes out ahead.

Two questions carry most of the weight, what you pay over three years (33%) and chores the price takes care of (29%), and three smaller ones follow.

A narrow win: the filing and the agent for one yearly price.

How we choose

Ohio: the formation checklist

QuestionAmount or ruleOfficial source
LLC filing fee$99codes.ohio.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
Statutory agentYes, the law says socodes.ohio.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
State fees, years one to three$99The rows above, added up
How was the bottom line figured? Add the filing fee, the next two reports and the minimum tax if the state has one. Anything with no fixed price, a newspaper notice for instance, is described above and kept out of the sum.

Questions people also ask

Who applies for the EIN?

Only Mainstay Filing covers it at no added cost. At the others, OH Registered Agent.org bills $99.

What do the picks cost over three years?

For three years you would pay $597 at Mainstay Filing, $397 at OH Registered Agent.org, before state fees.

Are the fees official?

State fees come from Ohio's official documents, and service fees come from each company's own pricing page. Both carry dates on this page.

Do I have to use a service?

No. What the law asks for is a filing, and it does not say who has to send it.

What does the LLC owe the state yearly?

Nothing repeats on the report side, because Ohio asks for no report.

What is the best LLC service for Ohio?

Mainstay Filing, because $199 a year forms the LLC and supplies a statutory agent, and the EIN application comes with it. After that, OH Registered Agent.org.

Sources for this answer

  1. Ask-about note for Ohio Rev: the state publishes it at codes.ohio.gov, confirmed August 2026, so you can look it up yourself
  2. Ask-about note for Ohio formation fee: Filing fee: the state publishes it at codes.ohio.gov, confirmed October 2026, so you can look it up yourself
  3. Ask-about note for Ohio registered agent statute: the state publishes it at codes.ohio.gov, confirmed October 2026, so you can look it up yourself
  4. The Mainstay Filing Ohio service page, as it stood on November 13, 2026
  5. The OH Registered Agent.org pricing page, as it stood on November 13, 2026