All 50 states · LLC costs
What an LLC actually costs, in every state
Two numbers matter and most guides only show the first: what you pay once to form, and what you pay every year to stay alive. Formation runs $35 (Montana) to $500 (Massachusetts) — but the recurring line is where states really differ: from $0 in a dozen states to California's $800 every single year. Every figure below was verified against the state's own filing office in August 2026 — the state name links to the source.
The spread
$35–$500 to form · $0–$800+/yr to keep
Cheapest to start: Montana ($35), Kentucky ($40), Arkansas ($45). Cheapest to keep: Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio — no recurring report at all. The ongoing traps: California $800/yr, Massachusetts $500/yr, Delaware $400/yr, Nevada $350/yr, Maryland and Tennessee $300/yr.
| State | To form (one-time) | Ongoing (per year unless noted) | Newspaper publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $200 + $25 name rsv. (mandatory) | privilege tax — $0 for most small LLCs (exempt ≤$100 due) | no |
| Alaska | $250 | $100 every 2 yrs | no |
| Arizona | $50 | none | YES — unless agent is in Maricopa/Pima county |
| Arkansas | $45 online / $50 paper | $150/yr franchise tax | no |
| California | $70 (online only) | $800/yr franchise tax + $20 SI every 2 yrs | no |
| Colorado | $50 (online only) | $25/yr | no |
| Connecticut | $120 | $80/yr | no |
| Delaware | $110 | $400/yr LLC tax (June 1) | no |
| Florida | $125 (incl. agent fee) | $138.75/yr ($538.75 if late) | no |
| Georgia | $100 online / $110 paper | $50/yr online | no |
| Hawaii | $51 | $12.50–15/yr | no |
| Idaho | $100 online | $0/yr (report still required) | no |
| Illinois | $150 | $75/yr | no |
| Indiana | $100 (paper; online slightly less) | $50 every 2 yrs (paper) | no |
| Iowa | $50 | $30 online every 2 yrs (odd years) | no |
| Kansas | $85 online (cut May 2026) | $90 online every 2 yrs | no |
| Kentucky | $40 | $15/yr | no |
| Louisiana | $100 (rises to $125 on Oct 1, 2026) | $30/yr (→ $35) | no |
| Maine | $175 | $85/yr | no |
| Maryland | $100 | $300/yr | no |
| Massachusetts | $500 ($520 online) | $500/yr ($520 online) | no |
| Michigan | $50 | $25/yr | no |
| Minnesota | $135 mail / $155 online | $0/yr (renewal still required) | no |
| Mississippi | $50 (online only) | $0/yr (report still required) | no |
| Missouri | $50 online / $105 paper | none | no |
| Montana | $35 | $0 if filed by Apr 15 | no |
| Nebraska | $100 online | $25 online every 2 yrs | YES — 3 weeks' newspaper notice + $25 proof filing |
| Nevada | $425 all-in (articles + initial list + license) | $350/yr (list + license) | no |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100/yr | no |
| New Jersey | $100 (cut from $125 on Jul 1, 2026) | $75/yr | no |
| New Mexico | $50 (online only) | none | no |
| New York | $200 | $9 every 2 yrs | YES — 6 weeks in 2 newspapers + $50 certificate (often the biggest cost) |
| North Carolina | $125 | $200/yr paper · $203 online | no |
| North Dakota | $135 | $50/yr | no |
| Ohio | $99 | none | no |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $25/yr | no |
| Oregon | $100 | $100/yr | no |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $7/yr (annual since 2025 — replaced the decennial) | no |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50/yr (+$400 min. tax to Div. of Taxation) | no |
| South Carolina | $110 | none (unless taxed as a corporation) | no |
| South Dakota | $150 online / $165 paper | $55 online / $70 paper per yr | no |
| Tennessee | $300 | $300–3,000/yr ($50/member, $300 min) | no |
| Texas | $300 | $0 tax below $2.65M revenue — free Public Information Report still required yearly | no |
| Utah | $59 (raised Jul 2025) | $18/yr | no |
| Vermont | $155 | $45/yr | no |
| Virginia | $100 (SCC) | $50/yr registration fee | no |
| Washington | $180 (online adds expedite surcharge) | $70/yr | no |
| West Virginia | $100 ($0 for veteran-owned) | $25/yr | no |
| Wisconsin | $130 online / $170 paper (DFI) | $25 online / $40 paper per yr | no |
| Wyoming | $100 | $60/yr min (asset-based) | no |
Numbers that changed recently — where older guides are wrong
Verified against official sources this month, these differ from what most third-party guides still print: New Jersey dropped to $100 (July 1, 2026), Kansas cut its fees roughly in half (May 2026), Delaware is $110 to form and $400/yr (not $90/$300), Pennsylvania now requires an annual $7 report (since 2025; the old once-a-decade rule is gone), Colorado's report is $25 (not $10), Vermont is $155/$45, Utah $59/$18, and Montana's on-time annual report is free. Louisiana's increase to $125/$35 takes effect October 1, 2026.
The three publication states
Only New York (six weeks in two newspapers plus a $50 certificate — often several hundred dollars and by far the biggest formation cost there), Nebraska (three weeks' notice plus a $25 proof filing), and Arizona (waived when your statutory agent's address is in Maricopa or Pima County, where the Corporation Commission posts notice free) still require newspaper publication. Everywhere else: none — Texas even repealed its rule back in 2003.
Common questions
What's the cheapest state to form an LLC?
To form: Montana at $35, then Kentucky at $40. But if you'll operate for years, weigh the recurring line instead — Missouri, New Mexico, and Ohio charge nothing at all after formation, and several states' 'cheap' formation is offset by $100–800 every year afterward.
Should I form in another state to save money?
Almost never, if you actually operate somewhere specific: your home state will require you to register there anyway as a foreign LLC (usually at similar or higher cost), and you'll pay two states' recurring fees instead of one. The famous exceptions (Delaware, Wyoming, Nevada) mostly make sense for businesses raising capital or genuinely operating nowhere in particular.
Are these all the costs?
These are the state filing costs every LLC pays. On top, depending on your situation: a registered-agent service (~$100–300/yr, optional in most states if you serve as your own), business licenses (city/county/industry), a DBA filing if you operate under another name, and taxes. The EIN is free directly from the IRS — never pay for it.
Why do some states show $0 ongoing but still require a report?
A few states (Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana on time, Texas below its revenue threshold) charge nothing for the recurring filing but still require it — and missing a free filing can dissolve your LLC just as thoroughly as missing a paid one. Calendar it regardless of price.
How current are these numbers?
Every row was verified against the state's own filing office (linked on the state name) in August 2026 — including several 2025–2026 changes most guides haven't caught. Fees change on legislative schedules, so the linked official page is always the final word.
What this guide is, honestly: a careful, statute-cited map of the standard process — not legal advice, and not a substitute for a licensed attorney when the situation is contested or unusual.
Verified against each state's own Secretary of State / filing-office fee schedules, August 2026 (one gap, disclosed: Indiana's discounted online rates sit behind its filing portal login, so the verified paper fees are shown). State fees are only part of total startup cost, and they change — the linked official sources are the authority. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.Coming: the guided pack. We're building a $19 step-by-step pack for this process — your answers filled into the right documents, the filing steps for your county, and a checklist you can hand to the bank or clerk. This site is new; the pack ships when it meets our bar.