Guides
Ohio statutory agent guides
Plain-language guides to Ohio statutory agents: who qualifies, Form 521, changing or removing an agent, resignations, lawsuits, and rules by type of business.
The basics
What is a statutory agent?The role, who needs one, and what it does and does not cover.Agent requirementsWho qualifies, which address counts, and what must be signed.Statutory vs. registered agentSame role, different word, and where it trips people up.What agents costFrom free to about $300, and which charges to watch for.Being your own agentLegal and free, with real trade-offs on privacy and availability.Agent address rulesWhy P.O. boxes, mailbox stores, and virtual offices fail.Keeping your address privateWhat a commercial agent does, and the other fields to watch.
Appointing and changing an agent
Appointing an agentNew business or existing, with the signatures Ohio wants.Form 521The $25 form that changes your agent or the agent's address.Naming an agent on articlesFilling in the agent section when forming your company.Acceptance of appointmentThe signature Ohio insists on, and what it actually commits to.Removing an agentRevoking an agent who won't cooperate, or a former partner.If your agent movedAn in-state move and a move out of Ohio have different fixes.If your agent resignedThe 30- and 60-day clocks, and how to avoid a gap in coverage.
When something goes wrong
By type of business
For LLCsORC 1706.09 applied to single-member and multi-member LLCs.For corporationsORC 1701.07, incorporators, officers, and S corporations.For nonprofitsORC 1702.06, officer turnover, and the five-year statement.For foreign companiesRegistering a Delaware or other out-of-state company in Ohio.Out-of-state ownersWhy you can't serve yourself, and what to do after a move.Rental property LLCsOne agent across several rentals, and addresses to avoid.Attorney or CPA as agentWhen it works, and what to do when you change firms.
Name an Ohio statutory agent that answers the door.
$49 a year per business. You file the appointment, or we do. Documents scanned the same business day.