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Formation Explained

LLC rules, unpacked for first-time owners.

Start here

LLC paperwork explained for all fifty states

Pick a state and read what forming, keeping and expanding an LLC involves there, with every figure sourced.

The three main topics

1

Starting an LLC in each state

What it takes to start an LLC where you live, with the official fee and form named for every state.

Open the state list
2

State-by-state registered agents

What a registered agent is, whether your state demands one, who may serve and how much a service charges.

Open the state list
3

Out-of-state registration by state

The steps for bringing an existing LLC into another state, with each state's fee and form.

Open the state list

Frequently explained

Top picks by topic

3

Foreign Registration Services Mainstay Filing Where we would start $199 + state fee

The terms behind the forms

Registered agentArticles of organizationAnnual reportForeign LLCForeign registrationService of processCertificate of good standingRegistered office
Read every term

Behind the picks

What counts in our ranking

  1. What three years cost (34%): We add year one to two renewals using the prices each company publishes.
  2. How much work the price handles (28%): We count which recurring jobs sit inside the price: the registered agent, the state report, the EIN application and whether it works in other states.
  3. Prices spelled out (16%): We look for a first-year price, a renewal price and a state fee that you can find before you reach checkout, explained so a first-time owner can follow.
  4. Renewal terms (12%): We compare what you pay in year one with what you pay at renewal.
  5. Reach beyond one state (10%): We note whether the service covers one state or all fifty, which matters when your company registers in a second state.
Learn how we rate

Every state, alphabetically