Start your first LLC: pick the guide that matches you
Same filing, different worries. Choose your situation; each guide ends in the same recommendation, Mainstay Filing, with the numbers that matter to you.
Mainstay Filing
Our rating: 4.9 out of 5
$199 / year, same at renewal, plus the state fee
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report filed every year it is due where the state requires one
- Compliance reminders and stored documents
Price from the Mainstay Filing pricing and FAQ pages, checked October 21, 2026. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
I am starting…
- Side hustle Best LLC formation service for a side hustle?
- Online business Best LLC formation service for a small online business?
- Startup Best LLC formation service for a new startup?
- First-time owner Best LLC formation service for a first-time business owner?
- Non-US owner Best LLC formation service for a non-US owner?
Or start from your state
| State | Filing fee | State report | 3 years with Mainstay Filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $236 | None | $833 |
| Alaska | $250 | $100 / 2 yrs | $947 |
| Arizona | $50 | None | $647 |
| Arkansas | $45 | $150 tax report | $942 |
| California | $70 | $20 / 2 yrs | $687 |
| Colorado | $50 | $25 / yr | $697 |
| Connecticut | $120 | $80 / yr | $877 |
| Delaware | $110 | $400 tax | $1,507 |
| Florida | $125 | $138.75 / yr | $999.50 |
| Georgia | $110 | $60 / yr | $827 |
| Hawaii | $51 | $12.50 / yr | $673 |
| Idaho | $100 | $0 report | $697 |
| Illinois | $150 | $75 / yr | $897 |
| Indiana | $95 | $32 / 2 yrs | $724 |
| Iowa | $50 | $30 / 2 yrs | $677 |
| Kansas | $85 | $90 / 2 yrs | $772 |
| Kentucky | $40 | $15 / yr | $667 |
| Louisiana | $125 | $35 / yr | $792 |
| Maine | $175 | $85 / yr | $942 |
| Maryland | $100 | $300 / yr | $1,297 |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500 / yr | $2,097 |
| Michigan | $50 | $25 / yr | $697 |
| Minnesota | $155 | $0 renewal | $752 |
| Mississippi | $50 | $0 / yr | $647 |
| Missouri | $50 | None | $647 |
| Montana | $35 | $20 / yr | $672 |
| Nebraska | $100 | $25 / 2 yrs | $722 |
| Nevada | $425 | $350 annual list | $1,722 |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100 / yr | $897 |
| New Jersey | $100 | $75 / yr | $847 |
| New Mexico | $50 | None | $647 |
| New York | $200 | $9 / 2 yrs | $806 |
| North Carolina | $125 | $200 / yr | $1,122 |
| North Dakota | $135 | $50 / yr | $832 |
| Ohio | $99 | None | $696 |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $25 / yr | $747 |
| Oregon | $100 | $100 / yr | $897 |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $7 / yr | $736 |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50 / yr | $847 |
| South Carolina | $110 | None | $707 |
| South Dakota | $150 | $55 / yr | $857 |
| Tennessee | $300 | $300 / yr | $1,497 |
| Texas | $300 | $0 report | $897 |
| Utah | $59 | $18 / yr | $692 |
| Vermont | $155 | $45 / yr | $842 |
| Virginia | $100 | $50 fee | $797 |
| Washington | $200 | $70 / yr | $937 |
| West Virginia | $100 | $25 / yr | $747 |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $25 / yr | $777 |
| Wyoming | $100 | $60 / yr | $817 |
Questions
Which LLC formation service is best for me?
It depends on who you are: a side hustle cares about a quiet year’s cost, an online business about addresses, a startup about the operating agreement, a first-time owner about what comes after filing. Mainstay Filing is our pick for all four.
What changes by state?
The filing fee ($35 to $500) and the annual report (6 states have none). Providers pass the state fee through, so the gap between services does not change.