The requirements for a statutory agent in Ohio might seem simple on the surface, but in reality this role has some nuance involved. Rather than spending hours researching the rules and regulations yourself, we’ve created a guide to help you access this information easily.
Knowing exactly what is required from a statutory agent is essential to your business remaining in compliance with your state’s laws. Whether you take on this role yourself or outsource it to another person or business entity, the Ohio statutory agent must keep on top of things in order for your company to stay compliant.
Below is a complete picture of the 4 best Ohio statutory agent services and what they offer. We will outline each option and make independent recommendations based on what you are looking for.
Before we get started with the review, here is a deal many of our readers have taken advantage of:
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Ohio Statutory Agent Services & Description
A registered agent service is a company that specializes in being a registered agent for a wide variety of businesses across the country, bringing tons of expertise and a healthy dose of reliability to the role.
What’s great is that the personal addresses of home-based entrepreneurs remain private when you hire a professional registered agent service. There are quite a few of these companies out there, and most of them make it quite easy to enlist their services.
Registered agent services usually include some additional features, which vary depending on which company you choose. In general though, you’ll often see these services offer a compliance calendar to help you track your important filing deadlines, and you’ll always receive access to their helpful customer support teams.
Here are the 4 best statutory agent services in Ohio:
1. Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent: Northwest charges $125 per year, and they’re the only major national registered agent service that locally scans every document they receive as your agent. They also have personalized customer support that assigns a dedicated account representative to each client.
If you also need to form your business, Northwest offers a $79 formation package that includes a year of registered agent at no extra charge.
2. Zen Business
Zen Business: Zen Business has a lower $99 rate that Northwest offers, with an extra focus on making the process less stressful and an easier to use website. You’ll receive their outstanding customer support, as well as access to helpful software that allows you to track and file your company’s annual reports.
3. Incfile
Incfile: They are one of the most well known LLC and registered agent services available, with rates that start at just $119 per year. Plus they offer an awesome free LLC formation service if you haven’t created a business yet and would like a free registered agent service in the process.
4. LegalZoom
LegalZoom: This is another very popular option that more-or-less does the same thing as the other services, but charges $299 per year. In our opinion, the affordable registered agent services above are far better deals and more than half the cost.
What Is an Ohio Statutory Agent?
Every business entity in the state of Ohio is required to have a statutory agent. (In most states, this is referred to as a registered agent, but Ohio uses the term “statutory agent” instead.) In fact, you will not be allowed to finish the formation process for your company until you designate your statutory agent.
The most important aspect of this role is receiving document deliveries from the state government, then alerting your business of the delivery, before forwarding the documents to you. The role of the statutory agent is so important because it establishes a point of contact for your business with the state, so that they have a reliable place to get in touch with an official representative of your company at any time.
The Ohio Secretary of State website provides a statutory agent search feature that can help you find an agent for your business. We will note that because this is a search rather than a list, there is still some legwork to be done, because the search only works if you know at least part of the registered agent’s name.
Who Can Be an Ohio Statutory Agent?
An Ohio statutory agent is a person or business entity that has a physical address in the state. You or one of your co-owners can serve as your own statutory agent, you can designate a friend or family member for this role, you can hire a lawyer or accountant as your agent, or you can hire an online business services company to provide statutory agent service.
No matter who you choose to be your statutory agent, they need to be physically present at the address provided to the state during all standard business hours. This person or entity does not need to have any prior experience being a statutory agent, but it’s wise to choose a statutory agent who is familiar with the serious responsibilities that come with this role.
There is no minimum age requirement on who can be a statutory agent in the state of Ohio. According to the Ohio Secretary of State, a statutory agent can be either:
- A natural person who is a resident of this state; or
- A domestic or foreign corporation, nonprofit corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited partnership association, professional association, business trust, or unincorporated nonprofit association that has a business address in this state.
What Does a Statutory Agent Do?
A statutory agent performs several modest tasks that accumulate into a larger role of significant importance. They are essentially the liaison between your business and the state you are conducting business in.
Legal Matters
First and foremost, a statutory agent must act as the designated recipient of any tax or legal documents sent by the state of Ohio. In the case of legal matters, the statutory agent must be physically present to receive hand-delivered service of process (SOP) paperwork regarding legal action being taken against your company. After the handoff, the statutory agent then needs to effectively report this delivery to your business, and forward the documents to you.
The statutory agent and the business they represent should have a previously agreed-upon order of operations for the intake and delivery of these documents. For example, they should determine whether the documents will be delivered from the statutory agent to the business via fax, mail, or email.
Ongoing Ohio Business Compliance
The statutory agent also typically helps ensure that your business remains current and compliant on all state-required ongoing maintenance filings. Each state has its own set of laws regarding which maintenance filings are required, which usually refers to annual reports and/or franchise tax payments. These rules are subject to change at any time, so the statutory agent must stay up to date in order to ensure your business remains in good standing with the state, and avoids fines or a business dissolution.
Corporations and LLCs in Ohio are not required to file annual reports. The only entities that have to file any sort of regular report are professional associations and limited liability partnerships, which file biennial reports.
What If I Want to Change My Ohio Statutory Agent?
While the role of the statutory agent is vitally important for any American business entity, this role can always be changed, and there are different rules for how to change your agent depending on which state your business operates in.
In Ohio, business entities can file a Statutory Agent Update form. The form is the same regardless of entity type, and there is a $25 fee associated with this filing. It can be filed online, in person, or by mail. The typical processing time is 3-7 business days, and expedited service is available with the following fees:
- 2 business days: $100
- 1 business day: $200
- 4 hours: $300
For step-by-step instructions to change a statutory agent in Ohio, please check out our guide.
Choosing the Best Statutory Agent in Ohio
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The role of an Ohio statutory agent is critical to your company’s compliance and legal standing. This position requires dealing with seemingly simple tasks, yet if they’re handled incorrectly, they could cost you a considerable amount of money in fines, and could even potentially see the state dissolve your business.
While you can always change your statutory agent down the line, we think it’s essential to pick the right statutory agent for your business starting at the formation phase. You should also keep an eye on your compliance standing to ensure nothing goes awry along the way.