Top 7 Best Ohio Registered Agents 2024: Reviews & Guides
Reviewed by Randolph Vialva, MBA
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Your business in Ohio needs an Ohio registered agent to comply with state law and avoid costly fines from the Ohio Secretary of State. Instead of being your own registered agent and assuming all of the responsibilities that come with it, it’s often better to hire a registered agent service to do the job for you.
This article will cover the best professional registered agent service options in Ohio to help you figure out which statutory agent or resident agent is best for your Ohio LLC or Ohio corporation.
Keep reading to learn more.
An Overview Of A Registered Agent
A registered agent (also sometimes called Ohio statutory agent) acts as a point of official contact for your business entity. They help with business documents, accept service of process, and support you as an individual or business entity in many other ways.
Each Ohio registered agent service on our list will provide you with an Ohio statutory agent. But they do so at different costs and offer different supplementary services to go along with your registered agent in Ohio.
This is why it’s important to research your options for a commercial registered agent before making a hiring decision.
Read more: Best LLC Services.
Ways To Start Your Ohio Business With a Registered Agent
If you still need to form your LLC, then doing so through a registered agent statutory company is a smart decision. Many of the providers on our list will give you a free year of Ohio registered agent service if you form your LLC through them.
The process for doing this is really easy as well. Simply choose a commercial registered agent company, log onto the site, and follow the on-screen instructions to fill out all of the business paperwork and legal documents that the Ohio Secretary of State requests when creating an LLC or corporation.
The business will take care of everything else for you. At the end of the process, you’ll get a free Ohio statutory agent who can help your company with things like the service of process during normal business hours and beyond.
Top 7 Best Ohio Registered Agents In 2024
- Zenbusiness: Best Overall
- Northwest Registered Agent: Most Affordable
- IncFile: Most Well-Rounded
- Harbor Compliance: Best Online Tools
- LegalZoom: Best Reputation
- Rocket Lawyer: Best Ongoing Services
- MyCompanyWorks: Easiest to Start
Read more: Best LLC Formation Services In Ohio (OH) 2024
Top 7 Best Ohio Registered Agents April 2024
Zenbusiness
ZenBusiness is an all-around good option for an Ohio registered agent with affordable prices, after-hours support, and many supplementary services available.
- Starts at $0 plus state fees
- Premium registered agent and compliances services
- Affordable EIN and expedited filing options
- Less brand recognition
With Zenbusiness, your Ohio or foreign corporation can get support with taxes, accounting, and growing your business. The company also helps you satisfy the state’s registered agent requirement so that you remain in good standing with the Ohio office of the Ohio Secretary of State. In addition, ZenBusiness will supply all the formation necessities with its $0 plus state fees and make sure you have everything you need to start your business.
This registered agent service routinely gets good reviews from customers because of how easy it is to use it as a process server, service agent, and more for a foreign LLC, Ohio LLC, and whatever other business entities you may run in the state of Ohio.
Northwest Registered Agent
If you hire Northwest, you’ll get an industry-leading registered agent service with lots of helpful online tools to help your business during normal business hours and beyond.
- Great online reviews
- Affordable
- Solid tools
- Supplementary services can be pricey
Northwest is a great option for a registered agent in Ohio. The company can help your domestic Ohio corporation or Ohio LLC with the service of process, updating the public record, and putting business entity protections into place.
Customers enjoy working with Northwest because of the additional services they provide (like fast legal notices and annual reports) as well as how easy it is to access these services through the company’s online account system.
Incfile
Incfile is a good choice if you’re a business owner who values online tools and is looking for an Ohio-registered agent service with solid online reviews.
- Powerful online tools
- Affordable service
- Great reviews
- No discounts for volume buyers
Incfile is an Ohio registered agent service with lots of online tools and supplementary services available. It’s a good fit for business owners who want more than the basic Ohio registered agent requirements for their business address.
This Ohio registered agent service will assist you with everything from your statutory agent update form to acting as a street address or physical address for your company if you need one. It goes above and beyond what most registered agent services do and its high customer reviews reflect that.
Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance stands out with its national reputation and easy-to-use online account system, which is full of helpful tools and resources to help your company thrive during normal business hours and beyond.
- National Reputation
- Easy to use
- Great online tools
- No premium registered agent service
Harbor Compliance is an Ohio registered agent service that can help with incorporation, compliance software, and industry-specific guidance in addition to its registered agent services.
Whether you need help with legal documents or want a registered agent’s name that will look good to have associated with your business address and Ohio business, this registered agent’s address could be just what you need.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom has an industry-leading reputation and offers a wide variety of business and legal services that can help your legal liability company or other legal entity thrive.
- Industry-leading reputation
- Many ongoing legal and business services
- Great customer support
- Can be more expensive
With LegalZoom, you don’t just get a local office with an Ohio address that can accept legal mail and other documents. In addition to helping out with court documents, receiving service, and all the necessary forms of business documents, this registered agent service offers many services.
For example, LegalZoom can help with business formation, legal document drafting and review, business license applications, and much more.
Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer offers a wide variety of business and legal services in addition to its registered agent services. It also offers customer-friendly pricing options.
- Offers ongoing business and legal services
- Money-back guarantee
- Subscription-based pricing available
- Credit card needed for trial
If you need help with starting a business or just want to ask a lawyer a few questions, Rocket Lawyer could be the Ohio registered agent service for you. It can act as your registered office address or physical street address if you’d like as well.
Customers enjoy using Rocket Lawyer because they’re able to try it out with reduced risk. If you don’t like the service that your limited liability company gets with a filing fee or service of process, then you can take advantage of its money-back guarantee.
MyCompanyWorks
MyCompanyWorks is one of the most affordable options for a new registered agent in Ohio – whether you’re a business owner of limited liability companies in North Canton or anywhere else.
- Affordable
- Easiest to begin using
- Faster filing
- Limited add-on services
MyCompanyWorks makes it easy to remain in good standing with the Ohio Secretary of State. The company’s Ohio statutory agent service is easy to sign up for and is priced affordably when compared to most Ohio registered agent options.
Whether you need a street address for service of process during business hours or you need help with the public record and a filing fee, this company will help your LLC business in Ohio in more ways than one.
What Is The Cost Of Ân Ohio Registered Agent?
The cost of registered agents in Ohio typically ranges from $99 to $300 per year. But your registered agent’s price will depend on the company that you choose and the services that you select.
For example, if you also want business and legal advice in addition to a registered agent in Ohio, then you may need to pay a monthly fee in addition to your annual statutory agent fee in order to get it.
Why You Should Use Ohio Registered Agent Services?
If you’ve been looking up Ohio registered agent FAQs, you may be wondering why you should hire a registered agent in Ohio instead of acting as your own registered agent.
The main reason is that being your own registered agent carries a lot of responsibility. You have to always be available to accept legal notices and service of process for your LLC during standard operating hours. There are other obligations you may need to satisfy as well to avoid fines.
An easier solution is typically to simply hire a statutory agent who can do all of this for you. They’ll take over all of your statutory agent responsibilities so that you can focus on growing your company.
Who Can Be An Ohio Registered Agent Service?
You can be your own registered agent as long as you’re at least 18 years old and a resident of the state. Or, you can hire a registered agent in Ohio through a company as long as that company has a business address in Ohio.
Final Thoughts
Hiring a registered agent service will give you more time to focus on running your business. Doing so is a smart way to ensure you remain in compliance without having to sacrifice your time to do so.
Each registered agent on our list can be a good fit for different types of companies and LLCs. Northwest is our top pick for a registered agent because it’s affordable, has great online reviews, and provides access to many helpful online resources.
However, you may also want to look into Zenbusiness if you’re looking for a well-rounded registered agent service or Incfile if you want a registered agent company that provides access to stand-out online tools for your LLC.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A registered agent is an official point of contact for your LLC or corporation. They accept legal documents and service of process on your behalf and may help your business with other compliance tasks as well.
Yes, every LLC in the state of Ohio is required, by law, to have a designated registered agent.
Hiring a registered agent will typically cost between $99 and $300 per year. However, your LLC may be able to get a free registered agent for a year if you also form your business through one of the companies on our list.
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- Information on Starting, Maintaining or Dissolving a Business – Ohio Secretary of State. Ohio Secretary of State. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.ohiosos.gov/businesses/information-on-starting-and-maintaining-a-business/frequently-asked-questions/#agents
- Filing Forms & Fee Schedule – Ohio Secretary of State. Ohio Secretary of State. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.sos.state.oh.us/businesses/filing-forms–fee-schedule/
- Ohio Registered Agent | For LLCs & Corporations. Northwest Registered Agent. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/registered-agent/ohio
- Get an Ohio Statutory Agent Today. ZenBusiness Inc. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.zenbusiness.com/ohio-statutory-agent/
- Ohio Registered Agents & Your LLC | Statutory Agents in Ohio. www.incfile.com. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.incfile.com/ohio-llc/registered-agents-ohio-llc