Quick answer
- Lowest yearly price
- $49, at three Ohio-only providers
- Lowest five-year cost
- $245
- Free option
- Serve as your own agent, if you live in Ohio
- State's yearly agent fee
- None
The cheapest providers, in order
Sort by what five years costs for one business, not by the first-year price. A first-year discount stops mattering the day it renews.
| Provider | Year one | Renewal | 5 years | Files Form 521 | Ohio office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Registered Statutory Agent, LLC | $49 | $49 | $245 | Yes | Litchfield, Medina County (3416 Erhart Road, Litchfield, OH 44253) |
| Ohio Statutory Agent LLC | $49 | $49 | $245 | No | North Canton (6545 Market Avenue N., Suite 100) |
| Ohio Registered Agent | $49 | $49 | $245 | Yes | North Canton (6545 Market Avenue N., Suite 100) |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125 | $125 | $625 | Yes | North Canton (street not listed on its Ohio page) |
| InCorp | $129 | $129 | $645 | Yes | Cincinnati |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 | $159 | $735 | Add-on | North Canton |
| CT Corporation | $436 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Ohio location not named on its Ohio page |
Read from each provider’s Ohio page on October 31, 2026. How we compare.
The three $49 providers tie on price, so the difference is what the $49 includes. Ohio Statutory Agent LLC describes Form 521 as something you file. Ohio Registered Agent says it files your forms but does not state how fast it notifies you. Our service gives you the choice on Form 521 and adds a phone call if a lawsuit goes unacknowledged.
Is the free option really free?
An Ohio resident can be the statutory agent for their own business and pay nothing. It has two costs that are not money. Your home address goes on the public record at the Secretary of State, and legal papers get delivered to that address, so you have to be reliably there to receive them. Our guide on being your own statutory agent covers when that trade is worth it.
Where cheap plans cost more later
- Renewal jumps. Harbor Compliance is $99 the first year and $159 after that. Over five years it is the most expensive plan here with a published renewal price.
- Prepay discounts. InCorp's $87 a year rate requires paying five years up front, $435 in one payment. You also give up the ability to switch without losing what you prepaid.
- Add-on filings. If the provider charges to file your agent change, add that to year one. The state's own fee for Form 521 is $25 either way.
- Mail limits. Northwest includes ten free scans of regular business mail a year. Legal documents are scanned regardless.
Our hidden fees guide goes through each of these with the numbers.
What you give up at $49
Not much, if your business only operates in Ohio. The law asks one thing of an agent: be at an Ohio street address to accept legal papers and get them to you. A $49 agent that scans the same day does that job as well as a $436 one. What the higher prices buy is coverage in other states, compliance software, and enterprise account management. If you need those, see local vs. national agents.