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Register Your Ohio LLC in Arizona
Step-by-step foreign qualification requirements, fees, and filing instructions for Ohio LLCs expanding into Arizona.
Cost Summary
- Arizona filing fee
- $150
- Ohio Certificate of Full Force and Effect (Good Standing)
- $5
- Annual obligation in Arizona
- No annual report required
- Estimated year 1 total
- $155
Note: Year 1 total includes the $150 filing fee in Arizona, the $5 Certificate of Full Force and Effect (Good Standing) fee from Ohio. Registered agent fees (typically $100-$200/year) are not included. Arizona also requires newspaper publication at $30 to $300. That cost is mandatory and is not included in this total. Newspaper publication required in most counties. Maricopa and Pima County filings are exempt because the ACC posts the notice. CONFLICT, unresolved 2026-08-01: the ACC instructions for Form L-025 (Foreign Registration Statement, Rev. 4/2022) answer "Is publication required? No", while LegalZoom, UpCounsel and Arizona statutory-agent services all state the requirement extends to foreign LLCs outside Maricopa and Pima. The $90 is retained pending a direct check with the ACC. If the form instructions govern, foreign initial_realistic_cost drops from 240 to 150.
Ohio data last reviewed Aug 15, 2026 · ohiosos.gov
Arizona data last reviewed Aug 15, 2026 · azcc.gov
How to register your Ohio LLC in Arizona
1
Check name availability in Arizona
Before filing, verify that your LLC name (or a distinguishable variation) is available in Arizona. If your exact name is already taken, you may need to register under a fictitious or assumed name.
Search the business name register on the Arizona Corporation Commission website before you file.
2
Get a Certificate of Full Force and Effect (Good Standing) from Ohio
Arizona requires a Certificate of Full Force and Effect (Good Standing) from Ohio to prove your LLC is in good standing. The fee is $5. Available to order online. No state-imposed expiration; third parties typically require certificate dated within 30-60 days.
Order from Ohio ↗
3
File the Foreign Registration Statement in Arizona
Submit your application along with the Certificate of Full Force and Effect (Good Standing) and the $150 filing fee. Processing time is 5-10 business days. Expedited processing available for $35. Online filing is available.
Arizona filing portal ↗
4
Appoint a registered agent in Arizona
You must designate a registered agent with a physical address in Arizona to accept legal documents on behalf of your LLC. This is required as part of the foreign qualification application.
Ongoing compliance in Arizona
- Annual report
- No annual report required
- Report due
- Varies
- Processing time
- 5-10 business days
- Expedite
- $35
Note: Arizona does not require LLCs to file annual reports. LLC filings are handled by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), not the Secretary of State. On publication for FOREIGN registrations, the ACC's own instructions for Form L-025 answer "Is publication required? No". Some third-party guides state the opposite, so confirm with the ACC before budgeting for it. For a domestic Arizona LLC the requirement is settled: publish Notice of Formation in an approved newspaper within 60 days of formation (3 consecutive publications, $60-$120). Exempt if the statutory agent is in Maricopa or Pima County.
Important to know about Arizona
- For a domestic Arizona LLC, failure to publish within 60 days triggers a 30-day warning from the ACC and then termination. Whether the same obligation reaches a foreign registration is disputed; the ACC's own form instructions say it does not.
Already operating in Arizona without registering? Our guide to what Arizona charges unregistered LLCs covers fines, back fees, and court access.
Activities that do NOT require registration in Arizona
- Maintaining, defending, mediating, arbitrating, or settling a lawsuit or proceeding
- Carrying on internal affairs, including holding meetings of members or managers
- Maintaining accounts at financial institutions
- Maintaining securities transfer or registration offices, or trustees or depositories for its own securities
- Selling through independent contractors
- Soliciting or obtaining orders that must be accepted outside Arizona before they become contracts
- Creating or acquiring debt, mortgages, or security interests in property
- Securing or collecting debts, enforcing security interests, and holding or maintaining the property involved
- Conducting an isolated transaction that is not one of a series of similar transactions
- Owning property, and nothing more
- Doing business in interstate commerce
Under A.R.S. Section 29-3905. Arizona puts NO time limit on the isolated-transaction carve-out. Subsection C disclaims service of process, taxation and regulation under other Arizona law. Do not confuse with A.R.S. Section 29-1108, which governs foreign LLPs and does carry a 30-day cap.
Need a registered agent in Arizona?
A registered agent is required for foreign qualification. These services operate in all 50 states.
Get Northwest Registered Agent ↗
Recommended · $125/year · Privacy included
Registered Agents Inc
$200/year · Report filing included, state fees extra
Harbor Compliance
$99 first year, then $149/year · Full-service compliance option
Not sure which service fits? Our full Northwest Registered Agent review and Harbor Compliance review cover pricing, renewal terms, and where each one fits.
Need a business address in Arizona?
A virtual mailbox gives your LLC a professional address in Arizona for mail forwarding, public filings, and banking, without leasing office space.
Independent mailbox providers
This page provides general information based on publicly available state requirements. It is not legal advice. Verify all fees and requirements with the Arizona Secretary of State before filing.