Initial Fees and Licenses in Ohio

Taxes

If you're going to operate your business in Ohio, when you start up you're likely to incur filing fees and licensing fees depending on the type of business you run and your business form (corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership, or limited liability company (LLC)).

Corporations. Whether you are a domestic corporation incorporated in Ohio or a foreign corporation, you will be subject to various registration requirements and fees when you start doing business in Ohio. The following are some of the major initial corporate filings and fees that corporations must send to the Ohio Secretary of State.

Document	Fee
Articles of incorporation (1 to 1,500 shares issued)	$125
Foreign corporation application for license	$125
Amendments, corrections and restatements	$50
Mergers and consolidations	$125
Dissolutions, cancellations, surrenders and withdrawals	$50

For businesses incorporating in Ohio, the filing fees for the articles of incorporation are calculated on a graduated scale when the corporation authorizes more than 1,500 shares. In such a case, the following fees apply:

Number of Shares	Price per Share
1 to 1,000	$.10
1,001 to 10,000	$.05
10,001 to 50,000	$.02
50,001 to 100,000	$.01
100,001 to 500,000	$.005
More than 500,000	$.0025

Limited liability companies (LLCs). If your company is either a domestic or foreign limited liability company (LLC), file the following documents as applicable with the Ohio Secretary of State:

Document	Fee
Articles of organization or licensing	$125
Certificate of merger or consolidation	$125
Amendments, corrections and restatements	$50

Licenses and fees. Ohio requires that you obtain a license and pay a fee if you are operating certain types of businesses in the state. Below is a partial list of some of the types of businesses required to obtain a license. Be sure to check with the state to make sure you are complying with the license requirements for your particular profession.