In Ohio, you do indeed need a registered agent for your LLC. All LLCs are required by state law to have a registered agent with a real Ohio street address. This is to guarantee that your company has a dependable point of contact with the state at all times. Penalties and even the dissolution of your LLC may arise from failing to keep a registered agent on file.
Risks are involved with serving as a registered agent. All legal and tax paperwork must be received by the registered agent and promptly forwarded to the LLC owner. If the registered agent does not do this, the LLC may suffer severe repercussions, including losing a case by default or being subject to fines from the state. Additionally, the registered agent’s address is made public, making it accessible to everyone, including spammers, marketers, and con artists.
In an LLC, there are two distinct roles: agent and manager. While the manager is in charge of managing the LLC’s daily activities, the agent is in charge of obtaining legal and tax paperwork on the LLC’s behalf. A member of the LLC or an outsider recruited by the members may serve as the management. Sometimes the agent will also serve as the manager.
If you have a physical Ohio location where you may receive legal and tax documents during regular business hours, then you are eligible to serve as your own registered agent in Ohio. However, if you act as your own registered agent, your address will be made public and you may start receiving unwanted spam and promotional materials. The fact that you can overlook crucial legal and tax paperwork if you are not always accessible during typical business hours could have a negative impact on your LLC.
In conclusion, an Ohio LLC must have a statutory agent in order to operate legally. An individual or a company with an actual street address in Ohio may serve as the registered agent. Although there are some hazards associated with becoming a registered agent, you can lessen them by using an experienced registered agent service. You can serve as your own registered agent in Ohio if you have a physical street address, can receive legal and tax paperwork during regular business hours, and you can fulfill the functions of agent and management, which are distinct in an LLC.