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How to start a business in Ohio

The fees, filing links and deadlines for forming and registering a business in Ohio, with the official page for each step.

Last verified October 24, 2026 General information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Each fee shows the date we checked it on the official page. Fees change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.

LLC filing fee: $99
LLC, first year (state fees): $99
Corporation filing fee: $99
Annual report: Not required
DBA filed with: State
General state license: No
Newspaper notice: No

How much does it cost to form an LLC or corporation in Ohio?

To form an LLC, file Articles of Organization for a Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form 610, revised 09/2025; replaced Form 533A) with the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services for $99 (checked Oct 24, 2026). You can file online. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation (Form 532A) for $99 (checked Oct 24, 2026). That filing fee is not the whole bill: see what it costs in the first year.

What does an LLC really cost in its first year in Ohio?

Filing fees are only part of the cost. Here is every state fee and minimum tax we found that a new LLC must pay to form and stay in good standing for its first year. Example: Single-member LLC owned by one individual, filed online at standard speed, operating from day one with no employees; licenses every business must hold are counted, sales tax permits are listed separately.

State fee	Cost	When	Checked
Articles of Organization filing fee	$99	at filing	Oct 24, 2026

First-year total: $99 in state fees. Formation $99. Ohio has no annual report, initial report, franchise tax or minimum tax, so nothing else is due to the state in year one. Excludes the vendor's license, trade names, the CAT (owed only above $6 million in receipts), employer registrations, city licenses and city income tax, registered agent services and optional expedite fees.

After the first year: No recurring state filing fee. A trade name renews every five years for $25. Every business reports unclaimed funds to the state each year, even when it has none.

Fees that apply only in some cases

State fee	Cost	When	Checked
Vendor's license (sales tax) If you make taxable sales or provide taxable services	$50	before you start selling	Oct 24, 2026
Trade name registration If the LLC does business under a name other than its legal name; lasts five years	$39	before using the name	Oct 24, 2026
Commercial Activity Tax (0.26%) Only if Ohio taxable gross receipts pass $6 million in a year; no minimum tax below that	Note Confirm this on the official page before you rely on it.	register within 30 days of passing $6 million; returns are quarterly	Oct 24, 2026
Workers' comp coverage application deposit (BWC) If you hire employees (owner coverage is optional); premiums are extra	$10	when you hire	Oct 24, 2026
Unemployment tax account registration If you pay $1,500 or more in wages in a calendar quarter, or have a worker in each of 20 calendar weeks in a year	Note The Job and Family Services employer portal does not mention a registration fee.	when you hire	Check when you file

Not included: city or county licenses, a registered agent service if you hire one, and optional extras such as expedited filing. Fees can change after the date shown; confirm on the official page before you pay.

Do I need to register a DBA in Ohio?

If you do business under a name that isn’t your legal name, register it as an assumed name (DBA) with the state for $39 (checked Oct 24, 2026).

How to file a DBA

Does Ohio require an annual report?

No. None. Ohio LLCs and for-profit corporations file no annual or biennial report; professional associations file a $25 biennial report. (checked Oct 24, 2026)

Initial report: No. (checked Oct 24, 2026) No initial report. An Ohio LLC files nothing more with the Secretary of State after its Articles unless something changes.

Does Ohio have a franchise or privilege tax?

No franchise tax. Ohio's Commercial Activity Tax (CAT) is 0.26% of Ohio taxable gross receipts above a $6 million yearly exclusion (since 2025; $3 million in 2024). The annual minimum tax ended in 2024, and all CAT filers now file quarterly. A business must register within 30 days of passing $6 million.

How do I register for state taxes in Ohio?

Register with the state revenue agency for sales tax and withholding, and open an unemployment insurance account once you hire your first employee.

Does Ohio require a general business license?

No. Ohio doesn’t issue one general business license; what you need depends on your activity and where you operate.

Ohio's sales tax permit is a vendor's license: anyone making taxable sales or providing taxable services needs one before starting. A county or transient vendor's license costs $50 (up from $25 on April 9, 2025, under HB 366); apply through OH|TAX eServices or the county auditor. No general state business license was found; state licenses depend on the profession or activity (eLicense Ohio lists them), and counties and cities may add their own. No statewide local lookup found.

What local licenses will I need in Ohio?

Cities and counties set their own licenses, zoning and permits. Call your city or county clerk with your business type and address before you open.

Columbus (city)
Columbus is Ohio's largest city. It has no general city business license; its License Section licenses listed activities only (for example short-term rentals, mobile food vending, itinerant vendors, vehicles for hire, massage establishments), each with its own application. The page lists no fees. Columbus also has a city income tax, handled by its Division of Income Tax.

When do I need workers’ comp in Ohio?

1 or more employees; coverage comes only from the Ohio BWC state insurance fund or BWC-approved self-insurance (Ohio is a monopolistic state-fund state).

Private insurers cannot sell Ohio workers' comp: employers buy coverage from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) or qualify with BWC to self-insure. The online coverage application (Form U-3) needs a $10 minimum deposit. Corporate officers count as employees. Coverage is optional for sole proprietors, partners and family farm corporation officers, including owners of an LLC operating as a sole proprietorship or partnership; they can elect it on the application or later. Household and casual workers count as employees once they earn $160 or more in cash in a calendar quarter from one employer.

What else should I know about starting a business in Ohio?

LLCs and corporations pay $99 to form; a corporation authorizing more than 990 shares pays more (up to $100,000). Filing online through the Secretary of State's Ohio Business Filings portal is available around the clock. Optional expedited service costs $100 (2 business days), $200 (1 business day) or $300 (4 business hours) on top of the filing fee. Ohio has no annual report for LLCs or for-profit corporations. A trade name or fictitious name costs $39 (Form 534A), lasts five years, and renews for $25 (Form 523A) in the six months before it expires. No newspaper publication step appears on the state's formation forms or guides. Ohio's business roadmap says U.S. companies no longer report beneficial ownership to FinCEN. Every business must also report unclaimed funds to the state each year, even when it has none.

What to double-check for Ohio?

A few details below aren't spelled out on the state's own pages. Confirm them on the official page before you file.

Note https://ohio.gov/jobs/resources/licenses-and-permits
Note https://bsportal.ohiosos.gov/
Note It is linked from https://www.ohiosos.gov/business.
Note The Job and Family Services employer portal does not mention an unemployment account registration fee. https://thesource.jfs.ohio.gov/employer.html

What to do next

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Sources

Official pages checked on October 24, 2026.