LLC Formation Costs by State (2025) — Compare All 50 States

Montana ($35 filing fee), Kentucky ($40), and Arizona, Mississippi, Missouri, and New Mexico (all $50) have the lowest filing fees. For total first-year cost including registered agent, Arizona, Mississippi, Missouri, and New Mexico are among the cheapest at around $175. However, if you're operating in a specific state, forming there is usually more practical than forming out of state.

Delaware is preferred by startups seeking venture capital due to its well-developed corporate law and business-friendly courts. Wyoming is popular for small businesses and privacy, with strong charging order protection and no income tax. For most small businesses that operate in one state, forming in your home state avoids the need to register as a foreign LLC — which adds additional costs.

Our first-year total includes: (1) the state filing fee, (2) the first annual/biennial report fee (if due in year one), (3) required publication costs where applicable, and (4) a typical registered agent fee of $125/year. It does not include operating licenses, permits, federal EIN (free), attorney fees, or state business privilege taxes that vary by revenue.

Yes — every LLC must designate a registered agent with a physical street address in the state of formation. You can serve as your own registered agent (free) if you have a physical address in that state, or hire a professional registered agent service for $50–$300/year. We use $125 as a typical market rate in our calculations.

Arizona, Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, and South Carolina have no annual report requirement for LLCs. This significantly reduces ongoing compliance costs. Note that some of these states still require other filings (such as tax returns) with state revenue departments.

Nebraska and New York require LLC owners to publish notice of formation in designated newspapers. Nebraska requires 3 weeks of publication in a local paper (typically $150–$300). New York requires 6 weeks of publication in two newspapers, which can cost $1,000–$2,000+ in New York City counties, though costs are lower in upstate counties.