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.
An LLC has two kinds of state cost: a one-time fee to file the formation document, and a recurring fee to keep the company in good standing. Most people compare the first number and get surprised by the second. The table below shows both for every state and DC, from the same fee data we use at checkout, verified October 2026.
The short version
- Filing fees run from $35 (Montana) to $500 (Massachusetts). The median is $100.
- 28 of 51 jurisdictions charge $100 or less to form an LLC; 6 charge more than $200.
- 6 states have no recurring report for LLCs, and 4 require a report but charge nothing for it.
- The largest recurring costs are taxes rather than report fees. California: $800/year franchise tax + $20 report every 2 years. Delaware: $400/year LLC tax (from the June 1, 2027 payment; $300 before).
LLC filing fees and annual fees, all 50 states and DC
"Filing fee" is what the state charges to file your articles of organization (or its local equivalent), including any mandatory extra charged at the same time. "Recurring" is the annual or biennial report, fee, or tax the state charges to keep the LLC active.
| State | Filing fee | Recurring | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $200 + $28 | None | None |
| Alaska | $250 | $100 every 2 years | January 2 (biennial) |
| Arizona | $50 | None | None |
| Arkansas | $45 | $150/year | May 1 |
| California | $70 | $800/year franchise tax + $20 report every 2 years | Statement of Information: anniversary month (biennial); $800 tax: 15th day of the 4th month |
| Colorado | $50 | $25/year | End of anniversary month (3-month window) |
| Connecticut | $120 | $80/year | March 31 (fixed window Jan 1–Mar 31, not anniversary-based) |
| Delaware | $110 | $400/year LLC tax (from the June 1, 2027 payment; $300 before) | June 1 (LLC alternative-entity tax) |
| District of Columbia | $99 | $300 every 2 years | April 1 (biennial) |
| Florida | $125 | $138.75/year | May 1 ($400 late penalty after) |
| Georgia | $100 | $50/year | April 1 |
| Hawaii | $51 | $15/year | End of the quarter containing the anniversary month |
| Idaho | $100 | free report required yearly | End of anniversary month |
| Illinois | $150 | $75/year | First day of anniversary month |
| Indiana | $95 | $32 every 2 years | End of anniversary month (biennial) |
| Iowa | $50 | $30 every 2 years | April 1 (odd years) |
| Kansas | $85 | information report every 2 years (2026 fee change, verify) | April 15 (biennial) |
| Kentucky | $40 | $15/year | June 30 |
| Louisiana | $125 + $5 | $35/year | Anniversary date |
| Maine | $175 | $85/year | June 1 |
| Maryland | $100 | $300/year | April 15 (Annual Report & Personal Property Return) |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500/year | Anniversary date |
| Michigan | $50 | $25/year | February 15 |
| Minnesota | $155 | free report required yearly | December 31 |
| Mississippi | $50 | free report required yearly | April 15 |
| Missouri | $50 | None | None |
| Montana | $35 | $20/year | April 15 |
| Nebraska | $100 | ~$25 every 2 years (verify) | April 1 (odd years, biennial) |
| Nevada | $425 | $350/year | End of anniversary month (annual list + business license) |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100/year | April 1 |
| New Jersey | $100 | $75/year | End of anniversary month |
| New Mexico | $50 | None | None |
| New York | $200 | $9 every 2 years | End of anniversary month (biennial) |
| North Carolina | $125 | $200/year | April 15 |
| North Dakota | $135 | $50/year | November 15 |
| Ohio | $99 | None | None |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $25/year | Anniversary date |
| Oregon | $100 | $100/year | Anniversary date |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $7/year | September 30 (new annual report as of 2025; enforcement from 2027) |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50/year | May 1 (window Feb 1–May 1) |
| South Carolina | $110 | None | None |
| South Dakota | $150 | $55/year | First day of anniversary month ($55 online, $70 by mail) |
| Tennessee | $300 minimum | $300/year minimum, up to $3,000 | 1st day of the 4th month after fiscal year-end (~April 1) |
| Texas | $300 | free Public Information Report required yearly | May 15; required even when no tax is owed |
| Utah | $59 | $18/year | End of anniversary month |
| Vermont | $155 | $45/year | Within 3 months of fiscal year-end |
| Virginia | $100 | $50/year | End of anniversary month |
| Washington | $200 | $70/year | End of anniversary month |
| West Virginia | $100 | $25/year | June 30 |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $25/year | End of the quarter containing the formation anniversary |
| Wyoming | $100 | $60/year minimum | First day of anniversary month |
State fees verified October 2026 and charged by the state, not by us. Online filing prices. A few states charge a different amount for paper filings. Click a state for its full guide.
One-time costs, explained
The state filing fee
This is the only cost nobody can avoid. It is paid to the state whether you file yourself or hire someone, and no legitimate service can waive it. The five lowest are Montana ($35), Kentucky ($40), Arkansas ($45), Arizona ($50) and Colorado ($50). The five highest are Massachusetts ($500), Nevada ($425), Texas ($300), Tennessee ($300 and up) and Alaska ($250).
Some states add a mandatory charge at formation: Alabama adds $28 (mandatory state name reservation); Louisiana adds $5 (state online payment charge). The table includes these.
Tennessee is the one state that prices by owner count. Tennessee prices LLC Articles at $50 per member, with a $300 minimum and $3,000 maximum. A Tennessee LLC that is prohibited from doing business in Tennessee uses a flat $300 filing fee.
Newspaper publication
Arizona, Nebraska and New York require a new LLC to publish notice of its formation in some or all cases. The newspapers set the price, not the state, so it does not appear in the table. In New York in particular it can cost more than the filing itself; see the Arizona, Nebraska and New York guides for the details.
Optional costs
- EIN: free from the IRS. Nobody needs to pay for one.
- Registered agent: free if you serve as your own; commercial agents charge a yearly fee.
- Operating agreement: free if you write it; our self-help template is $79 (not offered in California and North Carolina); an attorney costs more and is worth it for complex ownership.
- Filing service: ours is $99, or $149 for same-day submission, on top of the state fee at cost.
See your exact total before you pay
Pick your state and the application shows the state fee and our $99 service fee as separate lines.
Recurring costs, explained
Most states require a short report each year confirming the LLC's address, agent, and sometimes its managers. Some charge nothing for it; others charge a fee or fold a tax into the same filing. The due date is either a fixed day for everyone or tied to the month you formed.
No recurring report
Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina and Alabama have no recurring report for LLCs. Read the state notes before celebrating: some of these states have other obligations (a business privilege tax in one, an attestation notice in another) that are covered in each state guide.
A report, but no fee
Mississippi, Idaho, Minnesota and Texas require a report but charge nothing for it. Free is not optional: skipping it still leads to loss of good standing.
Every two years
Alaska, California, District of Columbia, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and New York put their report on a two-year cycle, so the yearly cost is half the listed fee.
The big ones
California charges $800/year franchise tax + $20 report every 2 years. Delaware charges $400/year LLC tax (from the June 1, 2027 payment; $300 before). Massachusetts's report is $500/year. Tennessee's is $300/year minimum, up to $3,000. If you are weighing where to form, these numbers matter more than the filing fee, because you pay them every year.
Does the cheapest state save you money?
Usually not. An LLC that operates in another state generally has to register there as a foreign LLC, paying that state's registration fee and its annual report on top of the home state's. For most businesses the cheapest option is the state where you already live and work. We run the numbers in Cheapest states to form an LLC and Delaware vs Wyoming.
File it yourself or have us do it
Filing directly with your state costs only the state fee in the table. Every state takes formation filings from owners, almost all of them online. Our service adds $99 for checking the name, preparing the filing, submitting it, and sending you the approved documents and your state's deadlines. The state fee is identical either way.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest state to form an LLC?+
Montana, at $35. But an LLC that does business elsewhere usually has to register in that state too, so the cheapest state for most owners is the one they live and work in.
What is the most expensive state to form an LLC?+
Massachusetts, at $500 to file. Massachusetts's recurring requirement is $500/year.
Which states have no annual report for LLCs?+
Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina and Alabama. Some of them have other obligations, such as a tax return or an attestation notice, so read the state guide before assuming there is nothing to do.
Do I pay the state fee if I use a filing service?+
Yes. The state fee is the same whether you file yourself or use a service. A service's fee is on top of it; ours is shown as a separate line, with the state fee passed through at cost.
How often do LLC fees change?+
Several states changed fees in the past year. We re-verify the fee data regularly; the figures here were verified October 2026. Confirm the current fee on your state's site before you file.