Form your LLC: $99 + state fee
One flat service fee in all 50 states and DC. The state's own fee is passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
Start your LLCWhat's included
- Name availability check before we file
- Articles of organization prepared and filed
- Submitted within 3 business days, or same day for +$50
- Approved documents emailed, plus a private order page
- Your state's after-formation deadlines in writing
- A real person by email and phone
Every state also accepts filings directly from owners, for the state fee alone.
Forming an LLC can take minutes or more than a month, and almost all of that difference comes from one thing: the state's review queue. Your own part, gathering the details and completing the form, usually fits in an afternoon. Here is what controls the timeline, state by state, and what you can do to avoid adding days to it.
The three clocks
- Preparation. Choosing a name, lining up a registered agent, and completing the form. Fast if you have decided on members and management beforehand.
- Submission. Getting the filing to the state. Online submission is immediate; mail adds transit time, and most states process mailed filings more slowly too.
- State review. The state examines the filing and approves it or sends it back. This is the clock nobody outside the state controls, except by paying for the state's expedite where one exists.
Processing times and expedite options by state
From our state research. Where a state does not publish a turnaround, we say so rather than guess. 17 of 51 jurisdictions have a published or documented figure; 30 list paid expedite options, and 6 states offer none.
| State | Document | State processing | State expedite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Certificate of Formation | Online filings are described as near-immediate ('in the time it takes to type') | Since 1/1/2020 there is no separate $100 expedite fee for electronic filers (Secretary of State newsroom). No other expedite tiers verified. |
| Alaska | Articles of Organization | Paper: up to 3 weeks, slower October through February. | None found |
| Arizona | Articles of Organization | Regular about 14-16 business days (FAQ; about 15 business days after agent acceptance). Expedite about 3-5 business days, or same day if filed online with expedite and no upload once the agent accepts. | Expedite $35. Next-day $100, same-day $200, 2-hour $400 (clock starts after agent acceptance). |
| Arkansas | Certificate of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | None found |
| California | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | 24-hour $350 or same-day $750, online or drop-off. 4-hour $500 and preclearance $500 are drop-off only (Sacramento). |
| Colorado | Articles of Organization | Online filings are generally processed immediately. | $150 expedite applies to paper filings only (fulfilled in 3 business days). Not applicable to online articles. |
| Connecticut | Certificate of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | $50 per transaction for 24-hour expedited service (not for mailed paper filings) |
| Delaware | Certificate of Formation | Not published; varies with the state's workload | 24-hour $50, same-day $100, 2-hour $500, 1-hour $1000. |
| District of Columbia | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | Walk-in one-day service +$100. |
| Florida | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | Not offered |
| Georgia | Articles of Organization | Online: 7–10 business days; mail: 15 business days (sos.ga.gov fee reference, Oct 2026) | +$120 two business days; +$275 same business day (submitted before noon); +$1,200 one hour (mail/in-person only); fee schedule effective 9/6/2025. |
| Hawaii | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | +$25 expedited service (DCCA) |
| Idaho | Certificate of Organization | About 7-10 days from filing (sos.idaho.gov) | +$40 expedited; +$100 same day (form instructions); same-day requests by 1 p.m. MT. |
| Illinois | Articles of Organization | About 10 business days standard. | +$100 for 24-hour processing ($250 total) |
| Indiana | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | None found |
| Iowa | Certificate of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | +$15 five business days; +$50 two business days; +$125 same day; +$200 one hour. |
| Kansas | Articles of Organization | Online: within minutes. | None found |
| Kentucky | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | None found |
| Louisiana | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | $35 expedite (24 hours); $60 priority expedite (while you wait / 2-4 hours) |
| Maine | Certificate of Formation | Not published; varies with the state's workload | +$50 24-hour (next business day); +$100 same business day. |
| Maryland | Articles of Organization | Standard: 6 to 8 weeks (per the 05/2026 form) | Expedited +$50 ($150 total, 7-14 business days). Same-day $425 online or $525 paper. |
| Massachusetts | Certificate of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | None found |
| Michigan | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | Formation documents: 24-hour +$50, same-day +$100 (received by 1 pm ET), 2-hour +$500, 1-hour +$1,000 (Form CSCL/CD-272 for paper). |
| Minnesota | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | The $155 online/in-person fee is described as 'expedited service'. No other expedite tiers verified. |
| Mississippi | Certificate of Formation | Not published; varies with the state's workload | None found |
| Missouri | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | None found |
| Montana | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | 24-hour processing $20; 1-hour processing $100. |
| Nebraska | Certificate of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | Not offered |
| Nevada | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | 24-hour +$125; 2-hour +$500; 1-hour +$1,000 (each on top of the filing fee) |
| New Hampshire | Certificate of Formation | Paper: filed-stamped copy within 30 days (form instructions) | None found |
| New Jersey | Certificate of Formation | Not published; varies with the state's workload | DORES LLC fees: expedite (8.5 business hours) $25 per filing; same-day FAX filing $50; 2-hour service $500; 1-hour service $1,000. |
| New Mexico | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | None found |
| New York | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | $25 (24-hour), $75 (same day, by noon), $150 (2-hour, hand delivered/faxed by 2:30 pm); not required for online filings per Business Express. |
| North Carolina | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | $100 within 24 hours; $200 same day if received by 12:00 noon (G.S. 55D-11). Must be requested at submission. |
| North Dakota | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | Not offered |
| Ohio | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | OAC 111:1-2-01: $100 (2 business days), $200 (1 business day), $300 (4 business hours); forms say the $200/$300 tiers are walk-in only. |
| Oklahoma | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | None found |
| Oregon | Articles of Organization | Online 1-3 days; mail or fax about 1 week (Oregon license directory). | Not offered |
| Pennsylvania | Certificate of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | $100 same-day (received before 10:00 a.m.), $300 3-hour (before 2:00 p.m.), $1,000 1-hour (before 4:00 p.m.); not accepted by mail. |
| Rhode Island | Articles of Organization | Within two business days ('The RI Department of State processes all filings within two business days'). | Not offered |
| South Carolina | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | None found |
| South Dakota | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | $50 expedite fee (Secretary of State filing-fees page) |
| Tennessee | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | None found |
| Texas | Certificate of Formation | Not published; varies with the state's workload | Standard expedite $50; Next Day $500; Same Day $750 (Form 806 rev 09/26) |
| Utah | Certificate of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | $75 per filing expedited processing fee (fee schedule) |
| Vermont | Articles of Organization | Online normally < 1 business day; mail 7-10 business days. | Not offered |
| Virginia | Articles of Organization | Real-time approval in CIS when no document is uploaded; uploaded/paper filings are reviewed by the Clerk's Office. | None found |
| Washington | Certificate of Formation | Expedited: generally within 3 working days. | $100 expedite per entity; $150 same-day listed but per the resource page not currently assessed. |
| West Virginia | Articles of Organization | Standard 5-10 business days (Customer Order Request form) | Next business day $25; in-person same day $25; 2-hour $250; 1-hour $500. |
| Wisconsin | Articles of Organization | Not published; varies with the state's workload | None found |
| Wyoming | Articles of Organization | Online: active immediately. Paper: up to 15 business days. | Online filings: none. Paper filings since 7/1/2026: next-day $700, same-day $1,400 (verify on sos.wyo.gov before using) |
Expedite fees are charged by the state on top of its filing fee. Times are the state's own figures and change with seasonal volume; confirm before you rely on one.
What causes delays
- A name conflict. The most common rejection. Search the state's records first, and have a backup name ready.
- Agent problems. A PO box instead of a street address, or a missing consent in states that require one.
- Paper filings. Mail adds transit time, and paper queues are usually slower than online ones.
- Busy seasons. Some states note seasonal slowdowns in their own processing figures; the table and state guides show them where published.
- Missing details. Some states require information others don't, such as member names, a business email, or an industry code. The state guides list what each asks for.
Things that take longer than approval
Approval means the LLC exists, but a few follow-on steps have their own timelines. Arizona, Nebraska and New York require newspaper publication in at least some cases, which runs over several weeks. Opening a bank account depends on the bank's own checks. Licenses and tax registrations vary by agency. Plan for these if you need the LLC fully operating by a specific date.
Need it submitted today?
Same-day submission is +$50: order by 2 PM Eastern on a business day and we submit that day.
How to move faster
- File online if your state offers it.
- Decide members, management, and the registered agent before you start.
- Search the name in the state's records the same day you file.
- Pay for the state's expedite only if you have a real deadline; it is a state fee, not a guarantee.
- Check that every address is a street address where the form asks for one.
File it yourself or have us do it
Filing yourself is as fast as you are: submit online and the state's clock starts. If we file it, we submit standard orders within 3 business days, and same-day orders (+$50) placed by 2 PM Eastern on a business day go in that day. Our service is $99 plus the state fee. We can't speed up the state's review, and nobody honestly can; we email you as soon as the state approves. The full process is in How to start an LLC.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to form an LLC?+
Preparing and submitting the filing can take an afternoon. State review ranges from minutes for some online filings to several weeks in slower states; the table above lists each state's figure where one is published.
Can I pay to get my LLC approved faster?+
Many states sell expedited processing for an extra state fee (30 list options in our research). A filing service can submit quickly, but only the state can speed up its own review.
Why was my LLC filing rejected?+
The most common reasons are a name that is too close to an existing business, a registered agent address that isn't a street address, a missing agent consent where required, or a missing required field.
When can I start doing business as an LLC?+
Once the state approves the filing, the LLC exists. You'll usually still want an EIN and a business bank account before you take payments in its name.