Ohio Foreign Registration › Form 617

Ohio Form 617, line by line

Form 617 is Ohio's Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company, and registration costs $99. A manager, member or other authorized person signs it, and it names a statutory agent. We type it for $199.

The form at a glance

Title: Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company
Form: Form 617
Law: R.C. 1706.511 to 1706.515
Fee: $99
Filed with: Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services
Home-state certificate: Not part of the form
Signed by: at least one person authorized by the limited liability company
Optional date: A delayed effective date up to 90 days out
Filing routes: In Ohio Business Central, or by post

Line: the LLC name

Enter the name exactly as it stands in the home state. Ohio asks for the words "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C.," "LLC," "limited," "ltd.," or "ltd". The name has to stand apart from other names on Ohio's records, and a close match can be cured with the written consent of the other holder.

Line: the assumed name

The form has a second name line that is used only when the home name does not meet the naming rule. The statute treats it as a pre-condition: the company adopts an assumed name that complies before it registers, and then does business under that name. Leave the line empty if the home name is fine.

Line: the jurisdiction of formation

Give the place where the LLC was formed. The statute requires it, along with a confirmation that the company is foreign.

Optional effective date and time

A filing can state an effective time and a delayed effective date not more than 90 days after the Secretary of State receives it. Leave it blank and the registration is effective on filing.

Series LLCs

If the company establishes series of assets, the form calls for an attachment with the statements the statute lists: that the company has series, whether a series' debts are enforceable against that series only, and whether the company's general debts reach a series' assets.

The statutory agent block

The form sets out an original appointment of the statutory agent and an acceptance of appointment. The company names the agent and its Ohio address, and the agent signs the acceptance. Post office boxes and commercial mail receiving agency addresses are not allowed. The agent page explains who qualifies.

The signature block

The filing needs the signature of at least one person authorized by the limited liability company. An individual signs and prints a name. A business entity prints its own name and an authorized representative signs on its behalf, with a printed name and title. A typed name signifies an intent to sign.

The return cover sheet

The first page tells the office where to send the approved record: a name, a required email address, an address and a phone number, and a service type. The service type chooses regular handling or one of three expedite levels, priced at $100, $200 and $300 on top of the filing fee.

Fee and mailing

The fee is $99. Paper filings go in the mail, typed, on single-sided paper, with a check or money order payable to the Ohio Secretary of State. Double-sided and illegible forms are rejected. The web route is Ohio Business Central. Regular handling is 3 to 7 business days.

Why filings come back

The recurring causes are the ones the instructions warn about: a post office box or mail-drop address for the agent, a missing agent signature, a name that does not meet the rule or clashes with another record, a form that is not typed, double-sided paper, and a missing email address. We check each of these before the filing goes out.

Who may file the form

Anyone the LLC authorizes can prepare and submit the filing, including a service provider, because the Secretary of State's requirement is for the signature of a person authorized by the LLC, not for a particular filer. When we file for you, an authorized person at the LLC signs the typed form and we submit it.

After approval

The registration is effective as stated and the LLC may begin to transact business in Ohio. If a statement on the form becomes untrue, you file a certificate of correction on Form 612 for $50. A new agent or a new agent address goes on Form 521.

Filing Form 617 through us

Send your answers
The LLC name, home state, agent and signer.
Confirm the name
We test it against Ohio's naming rule and tell you if an assumed name is needed.
Collect the acceptance
The agent signs, whether that is us or someone you choose.
Sign
An authorized person signs the typed form.
We file
The filing goes to the Secretary of State with the $99 fee.

Registered agent: first year included, then $149 a year

$199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.

Form 617 questions

Does Form 617 ask for members or managers?

No. The statute does not list them.

Can a company sign on behalf of the LLC?

Yes. The entity prints its name and an authorized representative signs for it.

Have Form 617 filed

Our fee and Ohio's

Register in Ohio

Form 617 typed from what you tell us
The statutory agent paperwork finished, whether the agent is ours or yours
The name checked against Ohio's naming rule before the form goes in
The approved registration handed back to you
Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year

Ohio

$199

+ $99 Ohio fee

Ohio's fee is $99. It is listed apart from our own. $199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.

Sources

Ready to register in Ohio?

Order now and the form is typed from your answers.