How to Start a Business in Ohio (2026 Guide)

To start a business in Ohio, file Articles of Organization (LLC) or Articles of Incorporation with the Ohio Secretary of State through Ohio Business Central, appoint a statutory agent, get an EIN, and register with the Ohio Department of Taxation for a vendor’s license if you sell taxable goods. An Ohio LLC costs $99 to form as of October 2026, and Ohio does not require LLCs to file annual reports.

Ohio has no corporate income tax. Its main business tax, the Commercial Activity Tax (CAT), now applies only to businesses with more than $6 million in Ohio taxable gross receipts, so most small businesses never owe it or need to register.

Updated October 2026.

Best Business Formation Services in Ohio (2026)

If you’d rather not handle forming a business in Ohio yourself, these are the services we recommend, in order. The table compares price and what’s included.

1. Mainstay Filing

Mainstay Filing is our top pick in Ohio. It costs $199/year + state fee at cost and covers lLC formation filing, registered agent for the year, EIN application, annual report preparation and filing. The price stays the same every year, with no add-on menu.

2. OH Registered Agent.org

OH Registered Agent.org is a Ohio registered agent service at $99/year. It provides $99 per year, flat; in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.

Ohio at a glance (October 2026)

Fees are listed on the Secretary of State’s filing forms page. Mainstay Filing also tracks Ohio LLC costs for first-year budgeting.

Choose how to organize your Ohio business

Ohio’s low LLC costs make the decision easier than in many states:

• Sole proprietorship. No formation filing. If you use a business name other than your own, register it as a trade name or fictitious name. You are personally liable for business debts.
• General partnership. Co-owners with shared personal liability. Partnerships can also register a trade name.
• LLC. A one-time $99 filing and no annual report make Ohio LLCs among the cheapest to maintain anywhere. Members are protected from business liabilities. Our guide to starting an LLC in Ohio covers the filing in more detail.
• Corporation. Suits companies that plan to issue stock. Ohio corporations also skip annual reports and corporate income tax, though they are subject to the CAT if receipts exceed the exclusion.

For most owners, the LLC wins on cost and simplicity.

Name your business and confirm it is available

Ohio LLC names must include an identifier such as “limited liability company”, “LLC” or “L.L.C.”, and must be distinguishable from names already on the Secretary of State’s records.

1. Search the Secretary of State’s business search, or follow our Ohio business name search guide.
2. Look up the matching domain and social handles with Namechk.
3. Search federal trademarks in the USPTO database.

The business name generator can suggest alternatives. A name reservation costs $39.

Registering a trade name in Ohio

Ohio registers DBAs at the state level, through the Secretary of State. You can file a trade name registration or a report of use of a fictitious name for $39. Both last five years. The Secretary of State sends a notice about six months before expiration, renewal costs $25, and a name that is not renewed is canceled, according to the office’s active status guidance.

Appoint a statutory agent

Ohio calls the registered agent a statutory agent. Your LLC’s Articles of Organization include the agent’s appointment, and the agent must be an Ohio resident or a business entity authorized in Ohio with an Ohio street address. A P.O. box does not qualify.

If you live in Ohio you can serve yourself, but many owners use a professional agent so legal papers never arrive at home. Mainstay Filing includes an Ohio statutory agent for the first year as part of its formation package.

File your Articles of Organization

The Secretary of State takes filings online through Ohio Business Central, or by mail using Form 610, which replaced the old Form 533A in 2025. The Articles ask for:

• The LLC name.
• The statutory agent’s name, address and signed acceptance.
• The effective date, if you want a later date.
• The organizer’s signature.

The fee is $99. Ohio does not require newspaper publication. After approval, sign an operating agreement covering ownership, voting and buyouts. Ohio does not collect it, but banks and future partners will want to see it.

Get an EIN

Apply for an Employer Identification Number at no cost on the IRS website. You will need it for payroll, a business bank account and Ohio tax registrations.

Register for Ohio taxes

The Ohio Department of Taxation handles most business tax registrations through OH|TAX eServices, per its business registration page.

Vendor’s license and sales tax

If you sell taxable goods or services from a fixed location, you need a vendor’s license for each location. The fee is $50; it rose from $25 for new applications on April 9, 2025. Ohio’s state sales tax rate is 5.75%, and counties and transit authorities add up to 3%, according to the Department of Taxation. You can also apply through your county auditor.

Commercial Activity Tax

The CAT applies to all entity types, but only on Ohio taxable gross receipts above an exclusion amount. For tax years 2025 and later, the exclusion is $6 million. Businesses at or below it do not need to register. Those above it pay 0.26% on receipts over the exclusion, register within 30 days of crossing the threshold through the Ohio Business Gateway, and file quarterly. The old annual minimum tax was eliminated in 2024.

Withholding

Employers register for state income tax withholding through OH|TAX eServices. Many Ohio cities also levy municipal income taxes, so check the rules where your employees work.

Hiring in Ohio

Ohio’s 2026 minimum wage is $11.00 per hour for non-tipped employees of businesses with annual gross receipts of $405,000 or more, and $5.50 for tipped employees. Smaller employers below that receipts threshold follow the federal $7.25 minimum, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s state table. Ohio adjusts the rate every January.

Employers also need to:

• Register with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services for unemployment insurance through The SOURCE, which replaced the old ERIC system.
• Report new hires through the Ohio New Hire Reporting Center.
• Get workers’ compensation coverage from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, the state-run fund, unless the business qualifies to self-insure.

Licenses and permits

Ohio has no general statewide business license. The vendor’s license covers sales tax, and other licenses depend on your industry and location:

• Professional and occupational licenses from state boards, for fields such as cosmetology, construction trades, real estate and health care.
• Liquor permits from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control.
• City and county permits, zoning approvals and health permits in places such as Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

The Ohio Business Gateway and the Ohio SBDC network can help you identify what applies.

Banking and insurance

Open a business bank account with your filed Articles, EIN and operating agreement, and keep business money separate. Consider general liability, professional liability, commercial auto and property insurance depending on your work. Workers’ compensation through the BWC is the one most Ohio employers must have.

What does an Ohio business file each year?

Very little with the Secretary of State. Ohio LLCs and for-profit corporations do not file annual reports, so your main yearly obligations are tax-related:

• Sales tax returns, if you hold a vendor’s license.
• Withholding returns and municipal income tax filings, if you have employees.
• Quarterly CAT returns, only if your Ohio taxable gross receipts exceed $6 million.
• Trade name renewals every five years, if you registered one.

Keep your statutory agent information current. If your agent resigns or moves and you do not update the record, your LLC risks cancellation, and you could miss lawsuits or official notices sent to the old address. A quick check of your record in the business search once a year is enough to catch problems.

Building a website for your Ohio business

Once your name is approved, register a matching domain and launch a simple website. These builders make that straightforward:

An easy-to-use website builder that lets users create attractive online stores.

Visit Square Online

Easy-to-use, no-code, hosted website builder. Great for beginners.

Visit Wix

Create, sell, and market your business from one place.

Visit Squarespace

FAQs

Disclosure: We may earn a commission from services recommended on this page.