How to form an LLC in your state (2026)
Filing an LLC costs $35 in Montana up to $500 in Massachusetts; the median state charges $100. After formation, most states bill a yearly or every-other-year report, from $0 to $500 a year. The simplest way to have it all handled is Mainstay Filing: $199 a year plus the state fee covers formation, the registered agent, the EIN and annual reports.
- State fees from official sources, checked August 2026 to October 2026
- Prices verified October 2026
- 50 states, one table
Start an LLC: what each state charges
| State | Filing fee | Report fee | Registered agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama1 | $236 | None | Required |
| Alaska | $250 | $100 / 2 yrs | Required |
| Arizona | $50 | None | Required |
| Arkansas2 | $45 | $150 tax report | Required |
| California | $70 | $20 / 2 yrs | Required |
| Colorado | $50 | $25 / yr | Required |
| Connecticut | $120 | $80 / yr | Required |
| Delaware3 | $110 | $400 tax | Required |
| Florida | $125 | $138.75 / yr | Required |
| Georgia | $110 | $60 / yr | Required |
| Hawaii4 | $51 | $12.50 / yr | Required |
| Idaho5 | $100 | $0 report | Required |
| Illinois | $150 | $75 / yr | Required |
| Indiana | $95 | $32 / 2 yrs | Required |
| Iowa | $50 | $30 / 2 yrs | Required |
| Kansas | $85 | $90 / 2 yrs | Required |
| Kentucky | $40 | $15 / yr | Required |
| Louisiana | $125 | $35 / yr | Required |
| Maine | $175 | $85 / yr | Required |
| Maryland | $100 | $300 / yr | Required |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500 / yr | Required |
| Michigan | $50 | $25 / yr | Required |
| Minnesota6 | $155 | $0 renewal | Office required |
| Mississippi | $50 | $0 / yr | Required |
| Missouri | $50 | None | Required |
| Montana | $35 | $20 / yr | Required |
| Nebraska7 | $100 | $25 / 2 yrs | Required |
| Nevada8 | $425 | $350 annual list | Required |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100 / yr | Required |
| New Jersey | $100 | $75 / yr | Required |
| New Mexico | $50 | None | Required |
| New York | $200 | $9 / 2 yrs | Optional |
| North Carolina | $125 | $200 / yr | Required |
| North Dakota | $135 | $50 / yr | Required |
| Ohio | $99 | None | Required |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $25 / yr | Required |
| Oregon | $100 | $100 / yr | Required |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $7 / yr | Office required |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50 / yr | Required |
| South Carolina | $110 | None | Required |
| South Dakota | $150 | $55 / yr | Required |
| Tennessee9 | $300 | $300 / yr | Required |
| Texas10 | $300 | $0 report | Required |
| Utah | $59 | $18 / yr | Required |
| Vermont | $155 | $45 / yr | Required |
| Virginia11 | $100 | $50 fee | Required |
| Washington12 | $200 | $70 / yr | Required |
| West Virginia | $100 | $25 / yr | Optional |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $25 / yr | Required |
| Wyoming | $100 | $60 / yr | Required |
- Alabama: $208 online for the Certificate of Formation ($200 by mail), plus the required name reservation, $28 online ($25 by mail).
- Arkansas: Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report, $150 flat, due May 1.
- Delaware: No annual report. Every Delaware LLC pays a $400 annual tax by June 1 (raised from $300 starting with tax year 2026).
- Hawaii: $50 filing fee plus the $1 State Archives fee.
- Idaho: Annual report due by the end of the anniversary month; no fee online.
- Minnesota: Annual renewal due by December 31; no fee is required.
- Nebraska: Biennial report due April 1 of odd-numbered years: $25 online, $30 on paper (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 21-192(1)).
- Nevada: Articles of Organization $75, plus the initial list ($150) and state business license ($200) that must be filed with them. Annual list $150 plus state business license renewal $200, filed together.
- Tennessee: $50 per member, with a $300 minimum (one to six members) and a $3,000 maximum.
- Texas: No report with the Secretary of State. LLCs file a Public Information Report with the Comptroller by May 15 each year; no franchise tax is due below $2.65 million in revenue (2026 and 2027).
- Virginia: No annual report: a $50 annual registration fee, due by the end of the month the LLC was formed.
- Washington: $180 filing fee plus the $20 online processing fee.
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year, all-in, plus state fees
One price covers the paperwork in any state. The state’s own fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report, prepared and filed every year it’s due
- Compliance reminders
The same $199 at renewal. Already have an LLC and only need an agent? Mainstay Filing’s registered agent service alone is $149 a year.
Prices verified October 21, 2026 on Mainstay Filing’s pricing and FAQ pages.
How much does it cost to form an LLC?
The state filing fee runs from $35 to $500, with a median of $100. The five lowest: Montana $35, Kentucky $40, Arkansas $45, Arizona $50 and Colorado $50. The five highest: Massachusetts $500, Nevada $425, Texas $300, Tennessee $300 and Alaska $250.
The yearly cost matters as much as the filing fee. Counting a biennial report as half its fee per year, the highest recurring state charges are Massachusetts ($500 a year), Delaware ($400 a year), Nevada ($350 a year), Maryland ($300 a year) and Tennessee ($300 a year). A few states add taxes or publication costs on top; each state page lists them.
Other formation services
- Northwest Registered Agent: $39 plus the state fee, with its registered agent service included the first year, then $125 a year; annual report filing is an extra $100 plus the state fee.
- ZenBusiness: Starter package $0 plus the state fee; Pro is $199 a year with the EIN and annual-report filing, and its registered agent is a separate $199 a year that no package includes.
- Bizee: Basic package $0 plus the state fee (Standard $199, Premium $299), with one free year of its registered agent, which is $149 a year after that.
- LegalZoom: Basic package $0 plus the state fee (Pro $249, Premium $299); its registered agent is $249 a year for first-time agent customers.
Prices from each company’s own pages, checked October 20, 2026. Plus the state fee in every case.
Which states have no annual report?
6 states have no recurring report for LLCs: Alabama, Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio and South Carolina. 4 more require a yearly filing but charge nothing for it: Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi and Texas.
7 states ask for a report every two years instead of every year: Alaska ($100), California ($20), Indiana ($32), Iowa ($30), Kansas ($90), Nebraska ($25) and New York ($9).
Do you need a registered agent?
Yes in 46 of 50 states: the LLC must name a registered agent (some states say statutory or resident agent) with a street address in the state, available during business hours to accept legal papers. Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are the exceptions: Minnesota office required, New York optional, Pennsylvania office required and West Virginia optional.
You can usually serve as your own agent if you live in the state and keep a public street address there. A service such as Mainstay Filing, whose $199 yearly price includes the agent, keeps your home address off the public record.
How to form an LLC in any state
- Choose a name that includes “LLC” or “Limited Liability Company” and isn’t already on the state’s business records.
- Name a registered agent with an in-state street address (see the table for the four exceptions).
- File the formation document, usually called Articles of Organization or a Certificate of Formation, with the state and pay the filing fee above.
- Get an EIN from the IRS. It is free and issued online once the LLC exists.
- Keep it in good standing by filing each annual or biennial report on time.
Mainstay Filing handles steps 2 through 5 for $199 a year plus the state fee, the same price every year.
Questions
What is the cheapest state to form an LLC?
Montana, at $35. The next lowest filing fees are Kentucky ($40), Arkansas ($45), Arizona ($50) and Colorado ($50). Most owners still form in the state where they run the business, because an LLC that operates in another state generally has to register there too.
Which state charges the most to form an LLC?
Massachusetts: $500 to file, and $500 for every annual report after that.
Which states have no annual report for LLCs?
Alabama, Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio and South Carolina. Alabama LLCs file no annual report with the Secretary of State. The Department of Revenue's business privilege tax return (Form PPT) is required only when the tax, which is based on net worth, comes to more than $100, and it is due with the federal income tax return.
What is the best LLC formation service?
Our pick is Mainstay Filing. $199 a year covers the formation filing, a registered agent, the EIN application and every annual report, with the same price at renewal and state fees passed through at cost. For an existing LLC, its registered agent service alone is $149 a year.
Do I need a registered agent for an LLC?
In 46 states, yes. New York and West Virginia make an agent optional, and Minnesota and Pennsylvania require a registered office rather than an agent. Mainstay Filing includes the agent in its $199 yearly price.
How current are these fees?
Each fee is tied to an official source with the date it was checked; the newest checks are from October 2026. Provider prices were verified in October 2026. See sources and method.
Sources and method
State fees come from each state’s fee schedule, statutes and forms, read and dated state by state, then cross-checked against a second read of the official pages in late September and October 2026. Every figure on the state pages lists its sources. Full list: sources and method.