An Ohio Registered Agent is your business's liaison for essential legal notifications – learn more about their role in our comprehensive guide.
One of the things you’ll need to determine before filing your paperwork to form a limited liability company (LLC) in the state of Ohio is who will serve as your statutory agent. The state requires all LLCs to have one, but what is a statutory agent? What are their duties, and what are the requirements to be one?
A statutory agent (often referred to as a registered agent in most states) is an individual or company that is appointed by the LLC to receive important legal documents on behalf of the business. This position is necessary to ensure that the correct people within an LLC are notified in person in the event of time-sensitive events such as service of process for lawsuits. The agent also receives things like garnishment notices against employees, and notifications of taxes.
The Ohio Secretary of State will not accept articles of organization for filing unless they include a written appointment and acceptance of a statutory agent (R.C. 1705.06(B)(1)). An Ohio LLC must maintain a statutory agent in the state at all times. The statutory agent must be:
Although it may seem like the simplest option is to be your own statutory agent, there are some compelling reasons to instead use a registered (statutory) agent service, such as:
A statutory agent is initially appointed when forming the LLC. You will name them when completing the Articles of Organization, which you submit to the state to make your LLC official.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
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