Ohio does not offer a professional LLC

What Ohio offers instead

How do you form a professional association in Ohio instead?

1. 1

   Confirm every shareholder holds the licence

   Only individuals licensed, certificated or otherwise legally authorized in Ohio to render the same professional service (or one of the combinations the statute allows) may organize and become shareholders of a professional association. Shares may be issued and transferred only to such licensed persons, and the association renders the service only through licensed officers, employees and agents.

   Source: Ohio Rev. Code § 1785.02 · Ohio Rev. Code §§ 1785.03, 1785.05, 1785.07

2. 2

   Choose a corporate name

   Chapter 1785 has no name section; Chapter 1701 applies to professional associations under § 1785.08. The name must end with or include "company," "co.," "corporation," "corp.," "incorporated" or "inc.", must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records, and must not imply a connection with a government agency.

   Source: Ohio Rev. Code § 1785.08 · Ohio Rev. Code § 1701.05

3. 3

   File Form 532C with the Secretary of State

   File Initial Articles of Incorporation for a domestic professional association (Form 532C) with the Ohio Secretary of State, online at Ohio Business Central or on the PDF form, and pay the filing fee set by the state. Chapter 1701 governs the organization and manner of filing the articles.

   Have LLCity prepare and file it ›

   Source: Ohio Secretary of State, Filing Forms and Fee Schedule · Ohio Rev. Code § 1785.08

4. 4

   Appoint a statutory agent

   The articles must be filed with a written appointment of a statutory agent, signed by the incorporators or a majority of them, and the agent's signed acceptance. The agent must be an Ohio resident or an entity with a business address in Ohio, and a post office box is not a usual place of business.

   What Ohio requires of your agent, and how we serve as it ›

   Source: Ohio Rev. Code § 1701.07

5. 5

   File the biennial statement in even-numbered years

   Within thirty days after 30 June of each even-numbered year, the association must file a statement naming all shareholders and certifying that each is duly licensed, signed by an officer (the office's Biennial Report, Form 520). If it is still not filed thirty days after the Secretary of State's notice, the articles are cancelled.

   Source: Ohio Rev. Code § 1785.06 · Ohio Secretary of State, Filing Forms and Fee Schedule

Steps checked against the sources linked under each one on 12 November 2026.

Which occupations does Ohio treat as professional?

An enumerated list tied to the licensing chapters. § 1785.01(A): "professional service" means a service that may be performed only under a licence, certificate or other authorization issued under ORC ch. 4701, 4703, 4705, 4715, 4723, 4725, 4729, 4730, 4731, 4732, 4733, 4734, 4741, 4755 or 4757 to certified and licensed public accountants, architects, attorneys, dentists, nurses, optometrists, pharmacists, physician assistants, doctors of medicine, osteopathic medicine and podiatric medicine, practitioners of the limited branches of medicine, mechanotherapists, psychologists, professional engineers, chiropractors (including acupuncture through the state chiropractic board), veterinarians, physical and occupational therapists, licensed professional clinical counselors and professional counselors, independent social workers and social workers, independent and other marriage and family therapists, art therapists and music therapists. Under §§ 1785.01(B) and 1785.02 an association renders one of those services, or one of two permitted combinations: architects with professional engineers (chs. 4703 and 4733), or the listed health-care and ch. 4757 counselling professions together. § 1785.03 bars a combined health-care association from controlling a practitioner's professional clinical judgment. §§ 1785.02 to 1785.05 and 1785.07 limit organizers, shareholders and share transfers to licensed individuals. Last amended by H.B. 33 of the 135th General Assembly, effective 3 October 2023.

Does the agent requirement differ from an ordinary Ohio LLC’s?

No. Ohio sets no separate agent requirement for a professional entity — it is the same requirement an ordinary Ohio LLC files under.

Ohio's term is "statutory agent". Chapter 1785 has no agent provision, so § 1701.07 applies through § 1785.08: the agent is an Ohio resident or an entity with a business address in Ohio, and the original articles are not accepted without a written appointment signed by the incorporators and the agent's written acceptance. The Secretary of State's fee schedule lists the same Statutory Agent Update, Form 521, for for-profit corporations, professional associations and LLCs.

Why Ohio answers this way

Ohio has no professional LLC. The Ohio Revised Limited Liability Company Act, ch. 1706, has no professional-service provisions: § 1706.16 lists the contents of articles of organization (name, statutory agent and acceptance, an optional § 1706.761(B)(3) statement, and other matters the organizers choose), and § 1706.07 requires only "limited liability company" or "L.L.C.", "LLC", "limited", "ltd." or "ltd". The Secretary of State's fee schedule lists one domestic LLC formation form, Articles of Organization Form 610 (revised 09/25, replacing Form 533A), with no professional variant, and a separate section for Domestic Professional Associations. § 1785.09 provides that ch. 1785 "does not preclude the rendering of a professional service within this state by a corporation formed under division (B) of section 1701.03 of the Revised Code, a limited liability company formed under Chapter 1705. or 1706. of the Revised Code, or a foreign limited liability company registered with the secretary of state", so an ordinary Ohio LLC is also open to licensed professionals, subject to the profession's own licensing law. A professional association files a biennial statement of shareholders and licensure under § 1785.06, within thirty days after 30 June of each even-numbered year (the Biennial Report, Form 520); the fee schedule lists no recurring report for ordinary LLCs or for-profit corporations.