How much does an LLC cost? The all-in number is the state filing fee ($40–$500) plus annual reports and registered agent service. Full state-by-state breakdown below — or start your LLC with ClearFormation (state fee + agent + EIN in one checkout).
Every LLC pays these — skipping any one blocks banking, contracts, or good standing:
Most US founders land $100–$400 in year one and $60–$300 per year after that, before accounting or legal extras. California and Delaware are the expensive outliers ($800+/yr). New Mexico can be $50 once with $0 ongoing reports. Use the tables below for state-specific numbers.
How much does an LLC cost? For most founders the answer is $100–$400 in year one and $60–$200 per year after that — but California, Delaware, and New York are expensive outliers. The state filing fee is the only mandatory cost every LLC pays; everything else depends on where you form and whether you outsource registered agent or EIN filing.
The state filing fee is a one-time charge to the Secretary of State for processing your Articles of Organization — and after that, costs fall into three buckets: annual or biennial reports (most states), franchise or business taxes (a handful of states), and registered agent service (every state, though free if you use your own in-state address). The IRS issues EINs at no charge — see the IRS EIN application page.
State filing fee + registered agent + EIN ($0) + operating agreement ($0 if DIY) + any publication
Annual report + franchise tax (if any) + registered agent renewal
How much does an LLC cost in practice depends on your state and whether you outsource formation. These three scenarios assume ClearFormation's all-in plan (state fee + registered agent + EIN) — DIY saves the service fee but you still pay every state charge.
| Item | Year 1 | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $100 | — |
| Annual report | — | $60 |
| Registered agent | Included | ~$125/yr |
| EIN (IRS) | $0 | — |
| Form 5472 + CPA (foreign owner) | ~$500–$900 | ~$500–$900/yr |
| Typical total | ~$725–$1,125 | ~$685–$1,085/yr |
Wyoming has no state income tax on out-of-state income. Foreign-owned single-member LLCs still need annual Form 5472 even at $0 revenue.
| Item | Year 1 | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $300 | — |
| Annual report | — | $0 |
| Franchise tax | $0 (under revenue threshold) | $0 (under ~$2.65M revenue) |
| Registered agent (self) | $0 | $0 |
| Typical total (state only) | $300 | $0–$50/yr |
Texas has a high one-time filing fee but no annual LLC report. Most small LLCs never hit the franchise tax filing threshold.
| Item | Year 1 | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization | $70 | — |
| $800 minimum franchise tax | $800 | $800 |
| Statement of Information | $20 | $20 (every 2 years) |
| Registered agent | $0–$150 | $0–$150/yr |
| Typical total (state only) | ~$890–$1,040 | ~$820–$970/yr |
California's $800 franchise tax applies even at $0 revenue. Forming a Wyoming LLC while living in CA does not avoid it — you still foreign-qualify and pay CA.
| State | LLC filing fee | Annual report | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $35 | $20 | None |
| Kentucky | $40 | $15 | Limited Liability Entity Tax applies |
| Arkansas | $45 | $0 | $150 annual franchise tax due May 1 (tax filing with SOS — not an information report) |
| Arizona | $50 | $0 | None for LLCs |
| Colorado | $50 | $25 | None |
| Iowa | $50 | $30 online / $45 mail (biennial) | None for LLCs |
| Michigan | $50 | $25 | None for LLCs |
| Mississippi | $50 | $0 | None for LLCs |
| Missouri | $50 | $0 | None |
| New Mexico | $50 | $0 | None |
| Hawaii | $51 | $15 | None (general excise tax applies) |
| Utah | $59 | $18 | None for LLCs |
| California | $70 | $20 | $800 minimum annual franchise tax |
| Louisiana | $75 | $25 | None for LLCs by default |
| Indiana | $97.04 | $0 | None |
| Ohio | $99 | $0 | Commercial Activity Tax above $150k gross receipts |
| Georgia | $100 | $50 | None |
| Idaho | $100 | $0 | None |
| Maryland | $100 | $300 | None (annual report fee instead) |
| Nebraska | $100 | $25 | None |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100 | Business Profits Tax may apply |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $25 | None for LLCs |
| Oregon | $100 | $100 | Corporate Activity Tax may apply |
| Virginia | $100 | $50 | None for LLCs |
| West Virginia | $100 | $25 | None for LLCs |
| Wyoming | $100 | $60 minimum | None |
| Delaware | $110 | $0 | $300 annual LLC franchise tax due June 1 (tax payment only — not an annual report filing) |
| Connecticut | $120 | $80 | Business Entity Tax repealed; PE tax may apply |
| Florida | $125 | $138.75 | None for LLCs |
| New Jersey | $125 | $75 | None for LLCs |
| North Carolina | $125 | $200 | None for LLCs by default |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $7 | None for LLCs |
| South Carolina | $125 | $0 | None for LLCs taxed as partnerships |
| Vermont | $125 | $35 | None for LLCs |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $25 | None for LLCs |
| Minnesota | $135 | $0 | None for LLCs |
| North Dakota | $135 | $50 | None |
| Illinois | $150 | $75 | None for LLCs |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50 | None for LLCs |
| South Dakota | $150 | $50 | None |
| Kansas | $160 | $55 biennial | None |
| Maine | $175 | $85 | None |
| Alabama | $200 | $0 | Business Privilege Tax (min $100/yr, filed separately with the Alabama Dept. of Revenue) |
| New York | $200 | $9 | None for LLCs (but NYC unincorporated business tax may apply) |
| Washington | $200 | $70 | None (B&O tax applies on gross receipts) |
| Alaska | $250 | $100 | None |
| Tennessee | $300 | $300 minimum | Franchise and Excise Tax applies |
| Texas | $300 | $0 below threshold | Franchise Tax; no tax due below revenue threshold |
| Nevada | $425 | $350 | None |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500 | None for LLCs |
Fees reviewed against state secretary of state sources (last reviewed June 2026). Confirm current amounts on your state's business filing portal before checkout.
Two LLCs in the same state can have very different all-in costs depending on five variables: whether you act as your own registered agent, whether you need expedited state processing, whether publication is required (New York, Arizona, Nebraska), whether you have foreign owners who need Form 5472, and whether you operate in a second state that requires foreign qualification. A $50 New Mexico filing can still cost $600+ in year one if you add a formation service, commercial agent, and CPA for international tax filings — while a Texas founder filing DIY in their home state might pay only the $300 state fee.
The state fee table below is the right starting point. Use the year 1 vs year 2 examples above to model your scenario, then compare all-in quotes from formation services rather than headline "$0 plus state fees" ads that exclude registered agent and EIN.
The annual report is the single recurring filing in most states, with fees ranging from $0 (Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina LLCs) to $300+ (Massachusetts $500, Delaware $300 franchise tax), and skipping it eventually triggers administrative dissolution of your LLC.
A few states charge an annual tax on top of (or instead of) the annual report — independent of income:
New York, Arizona, and Nebraska require LLCs to publish a notice of formation in a newspaper after filing. The cost ranges from $0 (Maricopa/Pima County, AZ) to $1,600+ (NYC counties). This is paid by you directly to the newspaper — ClearFormation doesn't handle publication. Read the full breakdown in our state publication requirements guide.
