Counselors
LPC / LPCC- LLC
- Yes
- PLLC
- Not available
- Professional corporation
- Yes
Licensing board: Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board
Join the waitlist for your counseling practiceLoading the guide
Which business structures each therapy license may use, where to file and what it costs, the taxes to expect, and the order to do it in. Every fee shows the date we checked it.
For all four licenses, we confirmed: LLC and Professional corporation. A sole proprietorship works in every state and needs no company filing.
From state law and board rules as we last read them, not advice for your situation. “Yes” means we confirmed it. When we could not, the card says to confirm with your board.
Licensing board: Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board
Join the waitlist for your counseling practiceLicensing board: Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board
Join the waitlist for your marriage and family therapy practiceLicensing board: Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board
Join the waitlist for your social work practiceLicensing board: State Board of Psychology
Join the waitlist for your psychology practiceCounselors: R.C. 4757.37(A) states that a licensed professional clinical counselor or licensed professional counselor 'may render the professional services ... within this state through 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, a partnership, or a professional association formed under Chapter 1785.' R.C. 1706.05(A) lets an LLC carry on any lawful activity. A standard LLC is the usual vehicle. A professional association under R.C. Chapter 1785 is also available: R.C. 1785.01(A) and 1785.02 cover licensed professional clinical counselors, licensed professional counselors, independent social workers, social workers, independent marriage and family therapists, marriage and family therapists and psychologists; it may render services only through licensed officers, employees and agents (R.C. 1785.03) and files a $25 biennial report. Ohio has no separate PLLC form; R.C. 1785.09 states the chapter does not preclude professional services through an LLC formed under Chapter 1706. R.C. 4757.37(B) also allows one entity to combine counseling with psychology, medicine, nursing and the other listed professions.
Marriage and family therapists: R.C. 4757.37(A) lets independent marriage and family therapists and marriage and family therapists render services through an LLC formed under Chapter 1705. or 1706., a business corporation under 1701.03(B), a partnership or a professional association. R.C. 1706.05(A) lets an LLC carry on any lawful activity. A standard LLC is the usual vehicle. A professional association under R.C. Chapter 1785 is also available: R.C. 1785.01(A) and 1785.02 cover licensed professional clinical counselors, licensed professional counselors, independent social workers, social workers, independent marriage and family therapists, marriage and family therapists and psychologists; it may render services only through licensed officers, employees and agents (R.C. 1785.03) and files a $25 biennial report. Ohio has no separate PLLC form; R.C. 1785.09 states the chapter does not preclude professional services through an LLC formed under Chapter 1706. A marriage and family therapist (not independent) may diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders only under the supervision required by R.C. 4757.30.
Social workers: R.C. 4757.37(A) lets independent social workers and social workers render services through an LLC formed under Chapter 1705. or 1706., a business corporation under 1701.03(B), a partnership or a professional association. R.C. 1706.05(A) lets an LLC carry on any lawful activity. A standard LLC is the usual vehicle. A professional association under R.C. Chapter 1785 is also available: R.C. 1785.01(A) and 1785.02 cover licensed professional clinical counselors, licensed professional counselors, independent social workers, social workers, independent marriage and family therapists, marriage and family therapists and psychologists; it may render services only through licensed officers, employees and agents (R.C. 1785.03) and files a $25 biennial report. Ohio has no separate PLLC form; R.C. 1785.09 states the chapter does not preclude professional services through an LLC formed under Chapter 1706. Only an independent social worker (LISW) may engage in private practice; R.C. 4757.26(C) bars a social worker (LSW) from private practice as an individual practitioner or member of a partnership or group practice.
Psychologists: R.C. 4732.28(A) states that a licensed psychologist 'may render the professional services of a psychologist within this state through a corporation formed under division (B) of section 1701.03 of the Revised Code, a limited liability company formed under ... Chapter 1706. of the Revised Code, a partnership, or a professional association formed under Chapter 1785.' R.C. 1706.05(A) lets an LLC carry on any lawful activity. A standard LLC is the usual vehicle. A professional association under R.C. Chapter 1785 is also available: R.C. 1785.01(A) and 1785.02 cover licensed professional clinical counselors, licensed professional counselors, independent social workers, social workers, independent marriage and family therapists, marriage and family therapists and psychologists; it may render services only through licensed officers, employees and agents (R.C. 1785.03) and files a $25 biennial report. Ohio has no separate PLLC form; R.C. 1785.09 states the chapter does not preclude professional services through an LLC formed under Chapter 1706.
$99 (SOS Business Filing Forms and Fee Schedule). File online at Ohio Business Central. No LLC annual or biennial report appears on the fee schedule.
$99 (SOS Business Filing Forms and Fee Schedule). A professional association also files a $25 biennial report (Form 520).
This is an estimate, added up from the fees on this page: the state filing fee, the first annual report or yearly state fee, and any flat minimum tax our data names. It leaves out board application fees, a registered agent company, expedited filing, newspaper notices, name reservations, local licenses and income tax. The state sets the real amounts.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $99 |
| First annual report or yearly state feeOur data shows no annual report for this state. | $0 |
| Estimated state costs in year one | $99 |
Does not include state taxes unless a flat minimum is listed above.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $99 |
| First annual report or yearly state feeOur data shows no annual report for this state. | $0 |
| Estimated state costs in year one | $99 |
Does not include state taxes unless a flat minimum is listed above.
Ohio Commercial Activity Tax is a gross receipts tax at 0.26% (2.6 mills) of taxable gross receipts above the exclusion amount; R.C. 5751.01 defines the exclusion amount as $3,000,000 beginning 2024 and $6,000,000 beginning 2025, so a typical solo practice owes none. Annual minimum tax not mentioned in the sections read. Municipal net profit tax applies to residents' pass-through income (R.C. 718.01(B)); nonresident treatment and local registration vary by city. No state franchise tax found.
State tax information More tax information More tax information (2)
City and county: Ohio has no statewide business license; municipal net profit tax registration is commonly required. Home occupation rules are local. No URL verified. Ask your city or county whether a local business license or home occupation permit applies to a practice like yours.
Ask an accountant before you choose how the company is taxed. This page does not tell you which tax treatment to pick.
The order below follows the rules we found for Ohio. A board approval or a newspaper notice changes where a task falls, so a different state may order these differently.
Your Ohio licensing board can add its own rules to the state's business law. Read them for your license before you file anything.
Check that no one in the state already has the name, and follow the state's name rules for professional practices.
The state requires a registered agent with a street address in the state. That can be you, if you have a street address in the state, or a registered agent company.
Use the form and fee for the structure you chose, listed above.
It is free. Apply only on irs.gov, after the state approves your filing.
You may already have one. Get a second, organization number only if your practice is a company that bills under its own name.
Bring your state filing, EIN letter and ID. Keeping practice money in its own account keeps your records clean.
Ask your city or county whether a local business license or home occupation permit applies to a practice like yours.
Our data shows no annual business report for this state, but tax filings and other deadlines may still apply. Put every one on your calendar.
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Last checked: Oct 18, 2026. We change this date only when someone re-checks the facts, never when the page is rebuilt.
We checked these facts against the official sources listed below, including the state filing office and the licensing boards.
See a mistake? Email us a correction. Please do not include any client or personal information.