Does Ohio have a Certificate of Formation?
No. Ohio does not use the term Certificate of Formation. To create an Ohio LLC you file Articles of Organization (Form 610) with the Ohio Secretary of State. The Certificate of Formation label is used by states such as Texas and Delaware, not Ohio.
Quick facts
- Ohio's real form
- Articles of Organization - Form 610 (not a Certificate of Formation)
- Filing fee
- $99 (2026), online or by mail
- Agency
- Ohio Secretary of State - file via Ohio Business Central
- Agent
- Statutory agent required - appointed on Form 610 (ORC 1706.09)
- Ongoing report
- None - Ohio has no LLC annual report
- Governing law
- Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1706
The same question in every other state
This requirement is set at state level, so the answer changes when you cross a state line. Below is how 27 other states answer the same question, each linked to the page that cites the agency it came from. The full breakdown is on How to Form an LLC.
| State | Answer |
|---|---|
| Arizona | No. Arizona does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| California | No. California does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Colorado | No. Colorado does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Connecticut | No. Connecticut does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Florida | No. Florida does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Idaho | Not by that name. Idaho's LLC formation document is called the Certificate of Organization, filed with the Idaho Secretary of State. |
| Iowa | No. Iowa does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Kentucky | No. Kentucky forms an LLC by filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State for a $40 fee. |
| Louisiana | No. Louisiana does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Maryland | No. Maryland does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Massachusetts | No. Massachusetts does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Michigan | No. Michigan does not use the term Certificate of Formation. |
| Minnesota | No. Minnesota does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Missouri | No. Missouri does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Nevada | No. Nevada does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| New Mexico | No. New Mexico does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| New York | No. New York does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Oklahoma | No. Oklahoma does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation' for LLCs. |
| Oregon | No. Oregon does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation' for LLCs. |
| Pennsylvania | No. Pennsylvania does not use a Certificate of Formation. |
| South Carolina | No. South Carolina does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Tennessee | No. Tennessee does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Utah | No. Utah does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation.' The document that forms a Utah LLC is the Certificate of Organization, filed with the Utah Division of Corporations & Commercial Code under Utah Code ยง 48-3a-201. |
| Vermont | No. Vermont creates an LLC through Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State under 11 V.S.A. |
| Virginia | No. Virginia does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| West Virginia | No. West Virginia LLCs file Articles of Organization on Form LLD-1 with the Secretary of State. |
| Wisconsin | No. Wisconsin does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
Full context for Ohio
This page answers one question. The complete Ohio guide -- covering the surrounding requirements, the forms, the agency, and what happens if you get it wrong -- is at Ohio Certificate of Formation: Articles of Organization (2026).
Sources
- https://www.ohiosos.gov/assets/610.pdf
- https://www.ohiosos.gov/business/business-filing-forms
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/chapter-1706
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1706.09
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1706.16
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