The Cost of Starting an LLC in Each State
To start an LLC in any state, you must file the Articles of Organization (in some states, there are alternative names, such as Certificate of Incorporation or similar) with the local governmental agency that deals with company formations. In most states, you have to file the formation documents with the local Secretary of State, or SOS. In general, the formation process is very similar for all states.
Reserving an LLC Name
When filing the Articles of Organization you need to provide a business entity name that is not taken and which follows local naming requirements.
Some states require that you reserve the business name before filing your Articles of Organization and enclose the Business Entity Name Reservation Certificate with your paperwork.
Name reservation fees typically range from $10 to $50.
The period for which you can reserve a name for your LLC varies from 60 to 120 days.
Filing the Articles of Organization
The Articles of Organization is a company formation document that legally registers your LLC business entity in your state. In some states, there are alternative names, such as Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Formation, etc.
The Articles of Organization can be filed online via the website of the SOS, or by mail, by fax, or in-person.
Please be aware that many Secretary of State offices are temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When filing the Articles of Organization with the local SOS office, you must pay the formation fee (except some states). The formation fees typically range from $100 to $300.
Additional Formation Costs
Depending on the state where you form your LLC, there might be additional costs or requirements related to starting or maintaining your LLC. Such expenses may include the requirement to file annual or biennial reports with fees included or a requirement to publish a formation notice in a local newspaper.
LLC Formation Fees & Yearly Fees:
Below is a list of all LLC formation fees and annual/biennial fees if any by each state.
| State | Filing Fees | Recurring Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama LLC | $200 | $10 Annual Report $100 Annual Privilege Tax (minimum) |
| Alaska | $250 | $100 (every 2 years) |
| Arizona LLC | $50 (plus publishing costs) | $0 (no fee and no information report) |
| Arkansas | $45 online, $50 by mail | $150 Franchise Tax Report (annually) |
| California | $70 | $800 – Franchise Tax (annually) $20 – Statement of Information (annually) |
| Colorado LLC | $50 | $10 (annually) |
| Connecticut | $120 | $80 (annually) |
| Delaware | $90 | $300 Franchise Tax (annually) |
| Florida | $125 | $138.75 (annually) |
| Georgia | $100 | $50 (annually) |
| Hawaii | $50 | $15 (annually) |
| Idaho | $100 | $0 (report due annually) |
| Illinois | $150 | $75 (annually) |
| Indiana | $95 online, $100 by mail | Report twice a year – $32 online, $50 by mail |
| Iowa | $50 | $60 (biennial report) |
| Kansas | $160 online, $165 by mail | $55 (annually) |
| Kentucky | $40 | $15 (annually) |
| Louisiana | $100 | $35 (annually) |
| Maine | $175 | $85 (annually) |
| Maryland | $100 | $300 (annually) |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500 (annually) |
| Michigan | $50 | $25 (annually) |
| Minnesota LLC | $155 online, $135 by mail | $0 (report due annually) |
| Mississippi | $50 | $0 (report due annually) |
| Missouri | $50 (online), $105 (mail) | $0 |
| Montana | $70 | $20 (annually) |
| Nebraska | $105 | $10 (biennial report) |
| Nevada | $75, plus $150 for the initial list of officers | $150 Annual List of Members & Managers |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100 (annually) |
| New Jersey | $125 | $75 (annually) |
| New Mexico | $50 | $0 |
| New York | $200 (plus publishing costs) | $9 (every 2 years) |
| North Carolina | $125 | $200 (annually) |
| North Dakota | $135 | $50 (annually) |
| Ohio | $99 | $0 |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $25 (annually) |
| Oregon | $100 | $100 (annually) |
| Pennsylvania | $125 (plus publishing costs) | $70 (decennial report) |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50 (annually) |
| South Carolina | $110 | $0 |
| South Dakota | $150 | $50 (annually) |
| Tennessee | $300 (minimum) | $300 (minimum) |
| Texas | $300 | $0 report Franchise Tax |
| Utah | $70 | $20 |
| Vermont | $125 | $35 (annually) |
| Virginia | $100 | $50 (annually) |
| Washington | $200 | $60 (annually) |
| West Virginia | $100 | $25 (annually) |
| Wisconsin | $130 (online), $170 (mail) | $25 (annually) |
| Wyoming | $100 (mail), $102 (online) | $50 minimum (annually) |