Key Takeaways
- Ohio allows incoming LLC domestication directly (Ohio Rev. Code §1706.721-.723) — your LLC keeps its original formation date
- Filing fee: $99 standard, combined fee covering both the Certificate of Conversion and the Articles of Organization
- No new EIN is needed. Ohio's conversion statute explicitly preserves your LLC's original existence — the IRS treats your EIN as unchanged. Update your address on file with the IRS via Form 8822-B once your Ohio statutory agent is set.
- No. Ohio's statute does not condition the conversion on proof of formal withdrawal or dissolution in your old state; that remains a separate step you handle under the old state's own law, if it requires one at all once Ohio confirms the conversion.
- Same-day LLC domestication filing available through LLC Attorney, at no markup on state fees
If your LLC is formed in another state but you want Ohio to be its new legal home, Ohio's conversion statute lets you make that move without dissolving the company and starting over — Ohio just doesn't use the word "domestication" for it.
This guide covers exactly how to convert an LLC into Ohio in 2026 — the $99 Certificate of Conversion filing, Ohio's unusually strict unanimous-consent requirement, and what happens to your EIN and formation date.
What Is LLC Domestication?
Domestication (sometimes called continuance or statutory conversion) lets you move your LLC from one state to Ohio without dissolving it and starting over. Done correctly, the LLC keeps its original formation date, its EIN, and its contracts — only its home state changes.
Can You Domesticate an LLC Into Ohio?
Yes. Ohio's LLC Act includes a statutory domestication provision (Ohio Rev. Code §1706.721-.723), so an out-of-state LLC can become a Ohio LLC directly while retaining its original formation date.
How to Domesticate Your LLC in Ohio
- Filing agency: Ohio Secretary of State
- Form: Certificate of Conversion (filed together with new Ohio Articles of Organization) (Form 700)
- Filing fee: $99 standard, combined fee covering both the Certificate of Conversion and the Articles of Organization
- Processing time: About 7 business days standard
- Expedited option: $199 total for 2-business-day expedited processing
- Certificate of Good Standing: Not required by Ohio.
- Plan of domestication: Ohio does not require a separate formal plan document beyond the standard filing.
- Member approval: Ohio requires unanimous member consent by statute — Ohio Rev. Code §1706.721 states that "a declaration of conversion must be consented to by all the members of a converting limited liability company." This is stricter than most states, which typically defer to whatever threshold the operating agreement sets or default to a simple majority. In Ohio, every member has to sign off, no exceptions written into the statute.
What Happens to Your EIN, Contracts, and Formation Date?
Domesticating to Ohio preserves your LLC's original formation date — the entity continues, it doesn't restart.
No new EIN is needed. Ohio's conversion statute explicitly preserves your LLC's original existence — the IRS treats your EIN as unchanged. Update your address on file with the IRS via Form 8822-B once your Ohio statutory agent is set.
All existing contracts, bank accounts, licenses, and pending liabilities carry over automatically — Ohio Rev. Code §1706.723 treats the Ohio LLC as the same entity that existed under its prior state's law, not a new one stepping into its shoes.
Do I Need to Close My LLC in My Old State?
No. Ohio's statute does not condition the conversion on proof of formal withdrawal or dissolution in your old state; that remains a separate step you handle under the old state's own law, if it requires one at all once Ohio confirms the conversion.
If your business keeps operating in the old state after moving its legal home to Ohio — an office, employees, or regular in-state activity — you'll likely need to foreign-qualify in that state instead of maintaining it as your domestic entity. Check the old state's foreign-qualification requirements once the move is final.
When Do Ohio's Taxes and Filings Start?
Ohio's tax and compliance obligations begin as soon as the Articles of Organization take effect. Ohio has no state-mandated LLC annual report, but the converted LLC becomes subject to Ohio's Commercial Activity Tax (above the applicable revenue threshold) and state income tax withholding/pass-through obligations from that date forward.
You'll typically owe a final-year return to your old state covering the period before the conversion took effect, prorated to the conversion date — confirm the exact filing requirement with that state's tax agency, since this varies based on where your prior state was.
Ohio's Revised LLC Act (Ohio Rev. Code Chapter 1706, effective 2022) replaced the older Chapter 1705 — make sure any citation you see references Chapter 1706, since older content still floating online sometimes cites now-superseded 1705 sections.
How to Move Your LLC to Ohio Step by Step
If You Do It Yourself
Step 1 — Confirm your LLC is in good standing in its current state.
Ohio doesn't require this document, but it's still worth confirming your LLC is current before filing.
Step 2 — Get member approval for the move.
Ohio requires unanimous member consent by statute — Ohio Rev. Code §1706.721 states that "a declaration of conversion must be consented to by all the members of a converting limited liability company." This is stricter than most states, which typically defer to whatever threshold the operating agreement sets or default to a simple majority. In Ohio, every member has to sign off, no exceptions written into the statute.
Step 3 — File the domestication paperwork.
File with Ohio Secretary of State using the Certificate of Conversion (filed together with new Ohio Articles of Organization), $99 standard, combined fee covering both the Certificate of Conversion and the Articles of Organization.
Step 4 — Confirm your EIN and contracts carry over.
No new EIN is needed. Ohio's conversion statute explicitly preserves your LLC's original existence — the IRS treats your EIN as unchanged. Update your address on file with the IRS via Form 8822-B once your Ohio statutory agent is set. All existing contracts, bank accounts, licenses, and pending liabilities carry over automatically — Ohio Rev. Code §1706.723 treats the Ohio LLC as the same entity that existed under its prior state's law, not a new one stepping into its shoes.
Step 5 — Appoint a registered agent in your new state.
Ohio calls this role a "Statutory Agent" — required before or as part of the domestication filing.
Step 6 — Handle your old state's final obligations.
No. Ohio's statute does not condition the conversion on proof of formal withdrawal or dissolution in your old state; that remains a separate step you handle under the old state's own law, if it requires one at all once Ohio confirms the conversion. You'll typically owe a final-year return to your old state covering the period before the conversion took effect, prorated to the conversion date — confirm the exact filing requirement with that state's tax agency, since this varies based on where your prior state was.
Step 7 — Update your tax and compliance calendar.
Ohio's tax and compliance obligations begin as soon as the Articles of Organization take effect. Ohio has no state-mandated LLC annual report, but the converted LLC becomes subject to Ohio's Commercial Activity Tax (above the applicable revenue threshold) and state income tax withholding/pass-through obligations from that date forward.
Step 8 — Watch for Ohio-specific domestication traps.
The most common Ohio-specific mistake is assuming a majority vote is enough because that's how most other states' conversions work — Ohio Rev. Code §1706.721 requires unanimous member consent by statute, confirmed directly in the statute text, with no operating-agreement override available. Also remember Ohio calls its registered agent a "statutory agent," a term specific to Ohio's Revised LLC Act.
If LLC Attorney Does It for You
- Submit your LLC's current-state details at llcattorney.com — name, formation date, and member information.
- LLC Attorney handles the domestication filing, obtains your Certificate of Good Standing, and serves as your statutory agent in Ohio once the move is complete.
- Receive confirmation of your completed move, plus access to flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) for any old-state wind-down questions.
When Should You Talk to an Attorney About Moving Your LLC to Ohio?
Talk to an attorney before converting your LLC to Ohio if you have multiple members and any uncertainty about getting unanimous consent, if your business will continue operating in your old state and you need to sort out foreign-qualification timing, or if your old state has unusual final-tax-return requirements you want confirmed before you file.
Is Ohio a State Where Domestication Complexity Matters More?
Ohio's unanimous-consent requirement makes this a state where multi-member LLCs need to plan ahead — unlike states that defer to your operating agreement's own threshold, Ohio Rev. Code §1706.721 requires every single member to consent to the declaration of conversion, with no statutory carve-out. If even one member is unreachable or objects, the conversion can't proceed under Ohio law as currently written.
What You Actually Get With LLC Attorney's Ohio Domestication Service
The part of Ohio LLC conversion that catches multi-member LLCs off guard isn't the filing itself — it's Ohio's statutory requirement that every single member consent, with no operating-agreement workaround. LLC Attorney confirms consent is properly documented before anything gets filed.
- LLC domestication to Ohio, starting at $199.
- Certificate of Good Standing retrieval, filing prep, and registered agent service all handled in one order.
- Old-state withdrawal and final-tax-obligation guidance specific to your prior state — not a generic multi-state template.
- Access to professionally trained Business Success Advisors at no charge, plus flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) for move-specific questions.
Moving your LLC's legal home to Ohio is straightforward once unanimous member consent is locked in — LLC Attorney makes sure that step, and the conversion filing itself, are handled correctly from the start.
Ready to Move Your LLC to Ohio?
LLC Attorney handles the domestication filing for LLCs moving to Ohio, starting at $199. See our full pricing for all service tiers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Ohio's Revised LLC Act (Ohio Rev. Code §§1706.72-1706.723) achieves the same result as domestication through its "conversion" statute, which explicitly covers converting an out-of-state LLC into an Ohio LLC while preserving its original formation date.
Yes. Ohio Rev. Code §1706.723 explicitly states that the LLC's existence "shall be deemed to have commenced on the date the converting entity commenced its existence" in its original jurisdiction — full continuity, confirmed directly by statute text, not just general practice.
$99 standard, a combined fee covering both the Certificate of Conversion and the new Ohio Articles of Organization filed together. A 2-business-day expedited option is available for $199 total.
No. Your EIN stays the same — Ohio's conversion statute continues the same legal entity rather than creating a new one. Update your address with the IRS via Form 8822-B once your Ohio statutory agent is set.
Ohio doesn't require proof of withdrawal from your old state as part of its own filing. Whether you need to close anything out there depends on that state's own law once Ohio's conversion is confirmed.
Ohio's obligations begin as soon as the Articles of Organization take effect. Ohio has no LLC annual report, but the Commercial Activity Tax and state income tax obligations apply going forward from that date.
All of them. Ohio Rev. Code §1706.721 requires unanimous member consent to the declaration of conversion — an unusually strict statutory default with no operating-agreement override, unlike most states that defer entirely to your governing documents.
About 7 business days for standard processing, or 2 business days with the $199 expedited option. Since Ohio doesn't require a Certificate of Good Standing, the member-consent step is often the practical bottleneck rather than the state's own processing time.
Yes. LLC Attorney handles the domestication filing for LLCs moving to Ohio, starting at $199.