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Plain English · Ohio

2 Best Foreign Registration Services in Ohio (2026), Plainly Answered

In Ohio for 2026, we would use OH Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. On top of the $99 state fee, service fees come to $397 to $497 over three years.

By the Plain Charter editorial team ·

Plainly put

Fee to register
$99
Certificate required?
No
After registering
None
Who we'd use
OH Registered Agent.org then Mainstay Filing

Ohio: our picks

The order follows our five criteria, led by cost and coverage.
1Best overall

1. OH Registered Agent.org: best for a low yearly agent cost

Service $199, agent renewal $99

Start with OH Registered Agent.org: three years of service fees come to $397.

Lower three-year cost than Mainstay Filing puts it first for a company staying in Ohio.

The price covers

  • State registration
  • Year-one agent

Upsides

  • Low $99 renewal
  • Agent service, year one
  • Registers for $199

What to weigh

  • A second provider for the home state
Visit OH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Bundled

2. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs adding states

Service $199, agent renewal $149

Our number 2 is Mainstay Filing, since its $199 fee is the same in any state, with year one of statutory agent service included.

It costs $100 more than OH Registered Agent.org over three years, and cost carries the most weight with us.

The statutory agent renews at $149 a year in every state.

The price covers

  • Registration, filed
  • Fifty-state coverage

Upsides

  • Same fee in every state
  • $199 to register

What to weigh

  • Higher agent renewal ($149)
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Compare at a glance

#ServiceYear 1RenewalOver three yearsCovers
1OH Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397state registration; Year-one agentVisit OH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Registration, filed; Fifty-state coverageVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 12, 2026. State fees are the same with every pick.

What owners ask

Does my out-of-state LLC need to register?

Before it does business in Ohio, an LLC formed elsewhere registers with the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services.

Unregistered, the LLC faces the courts stay closed to its claims (R.C. 1706.515(A)).

codes.ohio.gov (October 2026)

What will it cost to register?

Budget $99 for the state and $199 for a service.

State fees for three years come to $99. ohiosos.gov (October 2026)

Where is the filing sent?

The Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services accepts the Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 617) from LLCs formed elsewhere.

The state does not ask for a certificate from the home state.

What recurs once registered?

There is no yearly report to keep up.

Why this order?

OH Registered Agent.org leads on three-year cost, which weighs 35% in our order.

Three-year cost counts for 35% and what the price takes off your plate for 30%; the other three criteria are smaller.

$397 over three years for OH Registered Agent.org, which is $100 under Mainstay Filing.

How we choose

What Ohio requires

WhatAnswerSource
Application fee$99ohiosos.gov (October 2026)
Home-state certificateNocodes.ohio.gov (October 2026)
State total, years 1 to 3$99Total of these fees
Three-year state total = filing + reports in years 2 and 3 + any minimum tax; variable costs are not added.

Other quick questions

What about the home state?

Both states have their own rules. Mainstay Filing works in each; a one-state service covers only its state.

What is the three-year cost of each?

OH Registered Agent.org $397 and Mainstay Filing $497, plus state fees.

What sources do you use?

State fees from Ohio's official sources, cited next to each figure; service prices from each company's own pricing.

Do I need to hire a service?

Not required. Services charge for doing the paperwork for you.

Who files the registration?

Each of our picks prepares and files it; the state fee stays the same.

Which foreign registration service would you pick in Ohio?

We rank OH Registered Agent.org first on three-year cost, with Mainstay Filing behind it.

Sources for this page

  1. Ohio Rev, August 2026 (codes.ohio.gov)
  2. Ohio formation fee: Filing fee, October 2026 (codes.ohio.gov)
  3. Ohio registered agent statute, October 2026 (codes.ohio.gov)
  4. Ohio Secretary of State, filing, October 2026 (ohiosos.gov)
  5. Form 617, Registration of a, October 2026 (ohiosos.gov)
  6. R.C. 1706.511, registration of foreign, October 2026 (codes.ohio.gov)
  7. R.C. 1706.515, effect of failing, October 2026 (codes.ohio.gov)
  8. OH Registered Agent.org pricing page, prices as of November 12, 2026
  9. Mainstay Filing Ohio service page, prices as of November 12, 2026