Comparison

Ohio vs Michigan vs Georgia LLC (2026)

Research dated Sep 11, 2026. Figures copied from the matching state hubs. Tonight’s re-check: Ohio still $99 Articles with $0 SOS annual; Michigan still $50 / $25; Georgia still $100 online / $60 annual — no fee drift.

This is the Midwest / Southeast operating-state ladder founders actually compare when they live, hire, or sell in Ohio, Michigan, or Georgia. Ohio is the SOS-cash lean pick (~$99 over three years) because there is no LLC annual report to the Secretary of State. Michigan undercuts on day one ($50 Articles) then adds a light $25 Annual Statement. Georgia is closest to a “normal” annual-registration state: $100 online to form, then $60 every year.

Form where you operate. Picking another state’s charter does not erase nexus where you actually sell, hire, or hold inventory — you may still need to foreign-qualify and pay that state’s fees/taxes. Full 51-state ranking: cheapest states (3-year).

At a glance — SOS only

State	Articles	Typical recurring	~3-yr state	Rank / 51
Ohio	$99	$0 (no SOS annual)	$99	#7
Michigan	$50	$25 (Annual Statement)	$125	#13
Georgia	$100	$60 (Annual Registration)	$280	#26

Gap Ohio → Georgia over ~3 years: $181 in SOS cash alone (before registered-agent fees or operating taxes).

Same three + professional RA (Northwest path)

State fees are identical whichever formation company you use. Adding the national provider table’s Northwest path ($289 over 3 years: $39 formation with RA year 1, then $125 RA years 2–3) shows how RA spend sits on top of each charter.

State	State 3-yr	+ Northwest path
Ohio	$99	$388
Michigan	$125	$414
Georgia	$280	$569

Provider math from the 3-year provider comparison. DIY RA needs an in-state physical street address — most remote founders pay for commercial RA.

Ohio — $99 once, no SOS annual report

ORC 111.16(F) sets the fee for filing and recording articles of organization of a limited liability company at ninety-nine dollars. The SOS fee schedule lists Form 610 (replaces 533A) at the same $99. Domestic Ohio LLCs do not file an annual or biennial report with the Secretary of State, so three years of SOS cash is still $99. That is not “zero compliance”: you must keep a statutory agent with an Ohio street address (ORC 1706.09), and Commercial Activity Tax / sales tax / employer withholding can still apply once you operate.

~3-year state fees: $99
Watch: Agent change/resignation is $25. Missing an agent after SOS notice can cancel the articles. CAT exclusion thresholds are revenue-driven and separate from SOS fees.
Sources: ORC § 111.16 · SOS filing forms & fee schedule · Full Ohio hub

Michigan — cheapest day one, light $25 annual

LARA Corporations Division charges $50 to file Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700); MCL 450.5101 and the BCS_CD_265 filing-information PDF match that figure. The Annual Statement (Form CSCL/CD-2700) is $25, due February 15 each year after formation (an LLC formed after September 30 skips the immediately following February 15). Articles + three on-time statements → $125. Professional LLCs pay a higher combined annual ($75) — not the figure modeled here.

~3-year state fees: $125
Watch: Ordinary LLCs do not get a separate late fee on the $25 statement, but two consecutive misses can cost good standing and the company name (restoration is $50 plus $25 per missing year). Annuals file online via MiBusiness Registry Portal.
Sources: MCL 450.5101 · LARA annual statements · BCS_CD_265 PDF · Full Michigan hub

Georgia — $100 online, then $60 every year

Official georgia.gov register-LLC guidance (updated June 2026) prices online Articles of Organization at $100 by credit card; mail or in-person filings are $110. This page uses the online channel. The SOS How to File Annual Registration guide lists LLC Annual Registration at $60.00 for both online and paper. Newly formed domestic LLCs file the first registration between January 1 and April 1 of the calendar year after formation, then every year in that window. Online Articles + three registrations → $280.

~3-year state fees: $280
Watch: Late after April 1 adds a $25 penalty; mail annuals can add a $10 service charge. Failure to file risks administrative dissolution. You may prepay up to three calendar years.
Sources: georgia.gov — Register an LLC · How to File Annual Registration · Full Georgia hub

Who each state is for (orientation only)

Ohio — founders who will operate in Ohio and want the lowest ongoing SOS-report burden, and who will still calendar statutory-agent maintenance and any CAT / tax registrations.
Michigan — cost-conscious Michigan operators who want the lowest Articles fee in this trio and will file the $25 Annual Statement by February 15.
Georgia — Georgia-based operators fine with a straightforward $60 annual registration and the online $100 formation channel.

None of these charters is a nexus shield for the other two states — or for Florida, Texas, California, or anywhere else you actually do business.

How this page is built

Source of truth: Ohio, Michigan, and Georgia hubs — same numbers as those pages.
Re-check (2026-09-11): ORC 111.16(F) still $99; LARA / BCS_CD_265 still $50 Articles + $25 Annual Statement; georgia.gov still $100 online Articles and SOS annual registration still $60 — no fee drift.
Excludes: professional RA (except the optional Northwest add-on table), Georgia mail/in-person $110 Articles channel, expedites, foreign qualification, and operating taxes (Ohio CAT, Michigan CIT/FTE, Georgia income/sales).

Form lean, then pick the charter on purpose

Form with Northwest Registered Agent — Northwest

We may earn a commission when you use links on this site, at no extra cost to you. Always verify current prices on the provider’s site. Full affiliate disclosure.