How much does it cost to start an LLC?

It costs $35 to $520 in state filing fees to start an LLC, depending on the state. The median state charges $104. That’s the number most people search for, but it isn’t your whole bill. Some states add a mandatory report, a publication requirement or a minimum tax in the first year, which pushes first-year government costs as high as $890 in California. After that, you’ll pay anywhere from $0 to $800 a year to keep the LLC active.

We track these numbers for all 50 states and DC, checked against each state’s filing office. Below is every cost you might face, which ones are optional, and what real totals look like.

The costs, line by line

Cost	Required?	Typical range	Notes
State filing fee	Yes	$35 to $520	Paid once, to form the LLC
Mandatory first-year items	Some states	$0 to $800+	Initial reports, publication, minimum tax
Annual or biennial report	Most states	$0 to $520 a year	Keeps the LLC in good standing
Minimum state tax	A few states	$0 to $800 a year	California, Delaware, Tennessee and others
Registered agent	Yes (but can be you)	$0 to $249 a year	Free if you serve yourself
EIN	Usually	$0	Free from the IRS
Operating agreement	Recommended	$0 to a few hundred	Free if you write it yourself
Name reservation	No	$10 to $100	Only if you need to hold a name
Expedited filing	No	Varies by state	Pay for speed
Local business licenses	Depends on your business	Varies	Set by your city or county

The first and third rows matter most for budgeting. Our LLC cost by state table shows both for every state, with sources.

State filing fees: the one cost everyone pays

Every state charges a fee to accept your formation document. It’s usually called the Articles of Organization or Certificate of Formation. Here’s where the fees land:

• Lowest: Montana at $35, then Kentucky at $40 and Arkansas at $45.
• Median: $104.
• Highest: Massachusetts at $520.

This fee is the same whether you file yourself or pay a service. A service never lowers it.

First-year costs: where states surprise people

A handful of states stack extra charges on top of the filing fee in year one:

• California charges a $70 filing fee, $20 for the first Statement of Information, and an $800 minimum franchise tax. That’s about $890 before you’ve made a dollar.
• Tennessee has a $300 minimum filing fee plus a $100 minimum franchise tax, for $400 in year one.
• Nevada totals about $436 once you add its required initial list and state business license.
• New York requires newspaper publication after you form. The state’s certificate fee is $50, but ad costs vary by county and can run well over $1,000 in some areas.

Arizona and Nebraska also have publication rules. Our state guides flag these, so check yours before you file.

Yearly costs to keep your LLC active

Most states charge a recurring report fee. Some add a minimum tax.

• $0 a year: 11 jurisdictions, based on our latest check, including Ohio, Texas (for LLCs under the franchise tax threshold) and Arizona.
• Median: $45 a year.
• Highest: California ($800), Massachusetts ($520), Rhode Island ($450), and Delaware, DC and Tennessee ($400 each).

Due dates matter as much as fees. Miss one and you’ll usually owe a late penalty, and states can eventually dissolve an LLC that stays delinquent. Our annual report deadlines by state page lists each one.

Real totals for popular states

Here’s what forming an LLC yourself costs in 12 commonly searched states, using state fees only:

State	Filing fee	First-year government cost	Each year after
California	$70	$890	$800
Texas	$300	$300	$0
Florida	$125	$125	$138.75
New York	$200	$250 + publication ads	$29.50
Delaware	$110	$110	$400
Wyoming	$104	$104	$60
Georgia	$110	$110	$60
Illinois	$150	$150	$75
Ohio	$99	$99	$0
North Carolina	$128	$128	$203
Massachusetts	$520	$520	$520
Montana	$35	$35	$0

Sources and verification dates for each figure are on the linked state pages. Fees were last checked November 1, 2026.

The registered agent: free or $125 to $249 a year

Every LLC needs a registered agent with a street address in the state. If you serve as your own, it costs nothing, but your address goes on the public record. Paid services charge a yearly fee:

Service	Yearly agent fee	Included free in year one?
Northwest Registered Agent	$125	Yes, with $39 formation
Bizee	$149	Yes, with any package
ZenBusiness	$199	No
LegalZoom	$249	No

Prices were checked on each provider’s own site on November 1, 2026. Since you’ll pay this every year, it often ends up costing more than the state filing fee.

What formation services add

You don’t need a service to form an LLC. If you use one, here’s what the cheapest packages cost on top of the state fee:

• Bizee Basic: $0, with a free year of registered agent service. Read our Bizee review.
• Northwest: $39, with a year of registered agent service included. Read our Northwest review.
• ZenBusiness Starter and LegalZoom Basic: $0, but the registered agent is extra from day one.

So in Texas, filing yourself costs $300, Bizee Basic costs $300, and Northwest costs $339. The bigger difference shows up in year two, when the agent fees start. Our Bizee vs Northwest comparison runs that math for every state.

Costs you can skip or do for free

• EIN. It’s free from the IRS. Some services charge to file it for you.
• Operating agreement. Most states don’t require you to file one. New York and a few others require members to adopt one, but you can write it yourself.
• Name reservation. Only useful if you need to hold a name before you’re ready to file.
• Expedited processing. Worth it only if you’re on a deadline.

How to budget

A realistic starting budget looks like this:

1. Find your state’s filing fee and first-year cost on its state guide.
2. Add the yearly report fee or minimum tax, since that’s what you’ll owe every year.
3. Decide on a registered agent. Budget $0 if you’ll serve yourself, or $125 to $249 a year for a service.
4. Add local licenses if your city or county requires them for your type of business.

If keeping costs down matters most, our guide to the cheapest ways to form an LLC compares filing yourself against the low-cost services.