Ohio Limited Liability Company registered agent

Every business entity in Ohio is required to name a Resident Agent. The registered agent is the person or entity that is formally designated to receive "service of process", which is the technical name for being served with a lawsuit. The State requires that you keep a registered agent somewhere in Ohio, and that the registered agent have a valid Ohio address. Naming a registered agent does not mean you will be served with a lawsuit, it just provides a means of getting the lawsuit to you so you can act on it in case your Company is ever involved in litigation.

Many small business owners name themselves as registered agent for their Companies. There is no real drawback to this except that you personally will receive the lawsuit for your Company at the address you set forth. If you don't want to personally receive the lawsuit or you reside outside of Ohio, you can hire companies to serve as your registered agent, usually for $50-$150 per year. These companies' sole purpose is to receive the lawsuit and get it to you immediately, so you can act on it within the time permitted by law.