No.1
Best here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 yearly, no change
Score9.3out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. One plan at $149 a year goes wherever the company goes, renewing at $149.
Its three-year total exceeds OH Registered Agent.org's by $150; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- A street address in the state for the registered office
- Service of process scanned and uploaded within the same business day, at no charge
- The first three letters from government offices each year, scanned at no cost
- Compliance reminders
Why pick it
- $149 a year, unchanged at renewal
- Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
- Accepts LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
Weak spots
- The agent plan runs $50 a year above OH Registered Agent.org
- No annual report filing on the agent-only plan
No.2
Lower renewal than Mainstay
2. OH Registered Agent.org: best for the least expensive year among these agents
$99 yearly, no change
Score8.9out of 10
Second place: OH Registered Agent.org. The plan is a flat $99 a year, and papers served on the company are scanned to your account.
The registered office is OH Registered Agent.org's in-state street address, and you read whatever is served on the company as a scan in your account.
In the price
- A physical address in the state for the registered office
- Anything served on the company is scanned and made available online
Why pick it
- Undercuts Mainstay Filing on yearly cost
- Forms LLCs too, with the first agent year free
- $99 annually, flat across renewals
Weak spots
- Built for Ohio; elsewhere you need another agent
The 2 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Yearly charge | Renewal | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.3 | $149 | $149/yr | An agent usable in all fifty states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | OH Registered Agent.org | 8.9 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit OH Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
Scores out of 10 are editorial marks set by The Startup Judge from the criteria on
How we rank. They are not customer ratings.
Ohio registered agent charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Price unchanged at renewal |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $149 | $447 | Yes |
|---|
| OH Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Ohio's own fees are the same whichever agent is chosen.
The basis for the order
The method behind these rulings gives 31% to charge over three years and 31% to work taken off the founder, with renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight dividing 38%. What settled Ohio was work taken off the founder.
Mainstay's plan reaches further: papers served on the company are scanned within the same business day at no cost, the price is identical across all fifty states, and three government letters a year are scanned free. OH Registered Agent.org charges less, so the margin is narrow.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
What Ohio requires of a statutory agent (source: Ohio Secretary of State)
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be the agent's home or usual place of business in Ohio. P.O. boxes and commercial mail receiving agencies are not accepted. Authority: Ohio Rev. Code § 1706.09.
Recurring duties once an agent is appointed in Ohio
Ohio sets no yearly LLC report. The standing duty is to keep a statutory agent on record, because the state directs its notices there.
Questions on Ohio registered agents
Is an Ohio LLC obliged to appoint a statutory agent?
Yes. Ohio law expects every LLC to appoint a statutory agent with a physical address in the state, and that appointment is public.
What is the going yearly rate for a Ohio registered agent?
Yearly charges fall between $99 to $149, and every provider holds its price at renewal.
Is the owner permitted to serve as the statutory agent?
Yes, when the state's conditions are met. An Ohio resident, or a business entity with a business address in Ohio.
Which registered agents were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and OH Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), ruled upon in that order.
What is expected of a statutory agent?
The statutory agent is the company's address of record for lawsuits, subpoenas and state notices. It accepts them and passes them on, and each plan here delivers them to your online account as scans.
Which Ohio registered agent does the record favor?
Mainstay Filing, since the charge is $149 a year whether the company stays in one state or spreads out, and three government letters a year are scanned at no cost.
The record
- Ohio Rev. Code § 1706.16, on the record as of August 2026
- Ohio formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Ohio registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Ohio service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: OH Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026