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Founder Mentor Guide

Mentor notes · Start an LLC

How to Start an LLC: Lessons for All 50 States (2026)

Every state's formation process, one walkthrough each, with the state filing fee shown under its name.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

Pick a state

1Alabama$236 up-front fee to form · no yearly filing at allTop call: AL Registered Agent.org2Alaska$250 up-front fee to form · Biennial report $100Top call: Mainstay Filing3Arizona$50 up-front fee to form · no yearly filing at allTop call: Mainstay Filing4Arkansas$45 up-front fee to form · Yearly report $150Top call: Arkansas Registered Agent.co5California$70 up-front fee to form · Statement of Information $20Top call: Mainstay Filing6Colorado$50 up-front fee to form · Periodic report $25Top call: Mainstay Filing7Connecticut$120 up-front fee to form · Annual report $80Top call: Connecticut Registered Agent.co8Delaware$110 up-front fee to form · Annual LLC Tax $400Top call: Mainstay Filing9Florida$125 up-front fee to form · Annual report $138.75Top call: Mainstay Filing10Georgia$110 up-front fee to form · Annual registration $60Top call: Mainstay Filing11Hawaii$51 up-front fee to form · Yearly report $12.50Top call: Mainstay Filing12Idaho$100 up-front fee to form · Annual report freeTop call: Idaho Registered Agent.co13Illinois$150 up-front fee to form · Yearly report $75Top call: IL Registered Agent.org14Indiana$95 up-front fee to form · Business entity report $32Top call: Indiana Registered Agent.co15Iowa$50 up-front fee to form · Biennial report $30Top call: IA Registered Agent.org16Kansas$85 up-front fee to form · Information report $90Top call: Mainstay Filing17Kentucky$40 up-front fee to form · Annual report $15Top call: Kentucky Registered Agent.co18Louisiana$125 up-front fee to form · Annual report $35Top call: LA Registered Agent.org19Maine$175 up-front fee to form · Annual report $85Top call: Mainstay Filing20Maryland$100 up-front fee to form · Business Entity Annual Report $300Top call: Maryland Registered Agent.co21Massachusetts$500 up-front fee to form · Yearly report $500Top call: Mainstay Filing22Michigan$50 up-front fee to form · Annual statement $25Top call: Mainstay Filing23Minnesota$155 up-front fee to form · Annual renewal freeTop call: Mainstay Filing24Mississippi$50 up-front fee to form · Annual report freeTop call: Registered Agent MS.org25Missouri$50 up-front fee to form · no yearly filing at allTop call: Mainstay Filing26Montana$35 up-front fee to form · Annual report $20Top call: Registered Agent MT.org27Nebraska$100 up-front fee to form · Biennial report $25Top call: NE Registered Agent.org28Nevada$425 up-front fee to form · Yearly report $350Top call: Registered Agent NV.org29New Hampshire$100 up-front fee to form · Annual report $100Top call: Mainstay Filing30New Jersey$100 up-front fee to form · Annual report $75Top call: New Jersey Registered Agent.co31New Mexico$50 up-front fee to form · no yearly filing at allTop call: NM Registered Agent.org32New York$200 up-front fee to form · Biennial statement $9Top call: Mainstay Filing33North Carolina$125 up-front fee to form · Annual report $200Top call: North Carolina Registered Agent.co34North Dakota$135 up-front fee to form · Annual report $50Top call: Mainstay Filing35Ohio$99 up-front fee to form · no yearly filing at allTop call: OH Registered Agent.org36Oklahoma$100 up-front fee to form · Annual certificate $25Top call: Mainstay Filing37Oregon$100 up-front fee to form · Annual report $100Top call: Mainstay Filing38Pennsylvania$125 up-front fee to form · Annual report $7Top call: Mainstay Filing39Rhode Island$150 up-front fee to form · Yearly report $50Top call: RI Registered Agent.org40South Carolina$110 up-front fee to form · no yearly filing at allTop call: SC Registered Agent.org41South Dakota$150 up-front fee to form · Annual report $55Top call: Mainstay Filing42Tennessee$300 up-front fee to form · Annual report $300Top call: Mainstay Filing43Texas$300 up-front fee to form · Yearly report freeTop call: Texas Registered Agent.ai44Utah$59 up-front fee to form · Annual Report/Renewal $18Top call: Mainstay Filing45Vermont$155 up-front fee to form · Annual report $45Top call: VT Registered Agent.org46Virginia$100 up-front fee to form · Annual Registration Fee $50Top call: VA Registered Agent.org47Washington$200 up-front fee to form · Annual report $70Top call: Mainstay Filing48West Virginia$100 up-front fee to form · Annual report $25Top call: Mainstay Filing49Wisconsin$130 up-front fee to form · Annual report $25Top call: Mainstay Filing50Wyoming$100 up-front fee to form · Annual report $60Top call: Mainstay Filing

Working in more than one state?

Mainstay Filing tops the national LLC service list. View the list.

Where each number comes from

  1. Alabama: alison.legislature.state.al.us, last viewed October 2026
  2. Alaska: akleg.gov, last viewed August 2026
  3. Arizona: azcc.gov, last viewed October 2026
  4. Arkansas: sos.arkansas.gov, last viewed October 2026
  5. California: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, last viewed August 2026
  6. Colorado: coloradosos.gov, last viewed October 2026
  7. Connecticut: business.ct.gov, last viewed October 2026
  8. Delaware: delcode.delaware.gov, last viewed October 2026
  9. Florida: flsenate.gov, last viewed October 2026
  10. Georgia: sos.ga.gov, last viewed October 2026
  11. Hawaii: cca.hawaii.gov, last viewed October 2026
  12. Idaho: legislature.idaho.gov, last viewed October 2026
  13. Illinois: ilsos.gov, last viewed October 2026
  14. Indiana: forms.in.gov, last viewed August 2026
  15. Iowa: legis.iowa.gov, last viewed October 2026
  16. Kansas: sos.ks.gov, last viewed October 2026
  17. Kentucky: sos.ky.gov, last viewed October 2026
  18. Louisiana: static.sos.la.gov, last viewed October 2026
  19. Maine: legislature.maine.gov, last viewed October 2026
  20. Maryland: egov.maryland.gov, last viewed October 2026
  21. Massachusetts: sec.state.ma.us, last viewed October 2026
  22. Michigan: legislature.mi.gov, last viewed September 2026
  23. Minnesota: revisor.mn.gov, last viewed October 2026
  24. Mississippi: sos.ms.gov, last viewed August 2026
  25. Missouri: sos.mo.gov, last viewed October 2026
  26. Montana: sosmt.gov, last viewed October 2026
  27. Nebraska: nebraskalegislature.gov, last viewed October 2026
  28. Nevada: leg.state.nv.us, last viewed October 2026
  29. New Hampshire: gc.nh.gov, last viewed October 2026
  30. New Jersey: pub.njleg.gov, last viewed October 2026
  31. New Mexico: nmonesource.com, last viewed October 2026
  32. New York: dos.ny.gov, last viewed October 2026
  33. North Carolina: sosnc.gov, last viewed October 2026
  34. North Dakota: sos.nd.gov, last viewed October 2026
  35. Ohio: codes.ohio.gov, last viewed October 2026
  36. Oklahoma: sos.ok.gov, last viewed October 2026
  37. Oregon: sos.oregon.gov, last viewed October 2026
  38. Pennsylvania: pa.gov, last viewed October 2026
  39. Rhode Island: docs.sos.ri.gov, last viewed October 2026
  40. South Carolina: scstatehouse.gov, last viewed October 2026
  41. South Dakota: sdlegislature.gov, last viewed October 2026
  42. Tennessee: sos.tn.gov, last viewed October 2026
  43. Texas: sos.texas.gov, last viewed October 2026
  44. Utah: commerce.utah.gov, last viewed October 2026
  45. Vermont: legislature.vermont.gov, last viewed October 2026
  46. Virginia: law.lis.virginia.gov, last viewed October 2026
  47. Washington: sos.wa.gov, last viewed October 2026
  48. West Virginia: sos.wv.gov, last viewed October 2026
  49. Wisconsin: dfi.wi.gov, last viewed October 2026
  50. Wyoming: wyobiz.wyo.gov, last viewed October 2026