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Founder Mentor Guide

Walkthrough 1 · Arizona

Arizona LLC Formation Walkthrough (2026): 8 Stages and the 3 Best LLC Services

Here is the short answer for forming an LLC in Arizona in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($199), AZ Registered Agent.org ($199) and Arizona Registered Agent.co ($199), ranked from first to last. Arizona charges $50 to form an LLC; you can finish in 8 stages.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

The short version

What the state charges to file
$50
azcc.gov, seen in October 2026
Periodic filing
None
Nothing to file
Three years of state fees
$50
Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Stages in this walkthrough
8
First to last

Walkthrough goals

  • The official Arizona fee and form
  • What the statutory agent rule asks of you
  • The state filing that repeats
  • Our recommendations, with reasons

Our shortlist for Arizona

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we score), and three-year cost and work taken off your desk count most.

Our call

1. Mainstay Filing: best for first-time owners

Start with this one$199 yearly plus the $50 state fee

Start with Mainstay Filing; $199 a year gets you the filing and a statutory agent, with the EIN application thrown in.

Next to AZ Registered Agent.org the three-year premium is $200, which the 32% weight on work taken off your desk outweighs.

What you get

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • Statutory agent all year long
  • The EIN application comes with it
  • No markup on the state fee

What works

  • The EIN stage is part of the package
  • No jump at renewal ($199)
  • $199 per year for the whole package

What to watch

  • A yearly premium of $100 over AZ Registered Agent.org
  • There is little upkeep to fold into the price in this state
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. AZ Registered Agent.org: best for Arizona LLCs working to a budget

One-state plan$199 and fees, then $99 yearly

Second place goes to AZ Registered Agent.org, since $199 on top of the state fee, and the first year of agent service is already in there, then $99 a year.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • The agent renews at $99
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 plus the state fee

What to watch

  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit AZ Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. Arizona Registered Agent.co: best for owners happy to do their own reports

One-state plan$199 and fees, then $99 yearly

Third place goes to Arizona Registered Agent.co, since $199 on top of the state fee, and the first year of agent service is already in there, then $99 a year.

Its prices are identical to AZ Registered Agent.org's, so either is fine on cost.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • The agent renews at $99
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 plus the state fee

What to watch

  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit Arizona Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Arizona picks side by side

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2AZ Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit AZ Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Arizona Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Arizona Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Arizona's $50 fee is still owed in every row.

Starting a Arizona LLC, stage by stage

  1. Stage 1

    Search for your name before you fall in love with it

    Look your name up on the Arizona register at the Arizona Corporation Commission. It takes a few minutes and spares you a rejected filing.

    See whether the web address is open while you are at it.

  2. Stage 2

    Name your statutory agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An Arizona resident, or a corporation or LLC formed in Arizona or authorized to do business there. The appointment takes effect only once the agent accepts it in writing.

    The address has to be a place of business or residence in Arizona with a street address. A P.O. box can be listed only as a separate Arizona mailing address.

    You can hire whichever recommended service you like for this.

    Check it yourself: azleg.gov, seen in October 2026

  3. Stage 3

    Who does the paperwork?

    Either way you pay Arizona $50. The services we recommend charge $199 more to do the work.

  4. Stage 4

    Now deal with the Articles of Organization

    Once the Arizona Corporation Commission accepts the Articles of Organization (Form L010) and $50, the LLC exists. The law behind it is Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 29-3201.

    Check it yourself: azcc.gov, seen in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    A requirement unique to Arizona

    • Publication: a notice runs three times within 60 days unless the statutory agent is in a county of more than 800,000 people, where the Commission posts it instead.

  6. Stage 6

    Pick up the EIN

    State approval first, IRS number second. This stage is part of what Mainstay Filing sells.

  7. Stage 7

    Document how the company runs

    Treat the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. Keep a copy; no one at the state will ask for it.

  8. Stage 8

    Mark the dates that come back around

    There is no report to file, which leaves the statutory agent as your one standing job.

What each stage costs in Arizona

EntryPaid toTotal
Filing to form the LLCState agency$50
Optional serviceService$199 in year one
State total across three yearsState agency$50
The state's fees come from official pages, listed below. Over three years they add up to the filing, two reports and, in a few states, a minimum tax.

How we scored the Arizona picks

edged out on work taken off your desk, which counts for 32%.

With no report to bundle, the margin over AZ Registered Agent.org is slim.

What founders ask

What does Arizona charge to form an LLC?

The state's fee is $50. Bring in a service and add $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Articles of Organization (Form L010) creates the company, and the Arizona Corporation Commission is who gets it.

Is a statutory agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Arizona require each year?

The state wants no recurring report.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners can file by paying the $50 fee as long as they appoint a statutory agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Go with Mainstay Filing: one fee of $199 each year pays for formation and the statutory agent and for the EIN application too. Then AZ Registered Agent.org and Arizona Registered Agent.co.

Where we got the facts

  1. For Ariz, open azleg.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  2. For Arizona formation fee: Filing fee, official source, open azcc.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  3. For Arizona registered agent statute, open azleg.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  4. We opened Mainstay Filing's Arizona service page on November 13, 2026 for the prices
  5. We opened AZ Registered Agent.org's pricing page on November 13, 2026 for the prices
  6. We opened Arizona Registered Agent.co's pricing page on November 13, 2026 for the prices