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Founder Mentor Guide

Mentor notes 1 · Utah

Utah LLC Formation Walkthrough (2026): 7 Stages and the 3 Best LLC Services

Ranked for 2026, the services worth your call for forming an LLC in Utah are Mainstay Filing ($199), Utah Registered Agent.co ($199) and UT Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Expect 7 stages and a $59 state fee, then $18 for the Annual Report/Renewal.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

The short version

Charge at the state office
$59
We pulled this from commerce.utah.gov in October 2026
Annual Report/Renewal
$18 a year
The state words the deadline like this: last day of the entity's anniversary month
State fees over three years
$95
Filing plus the repeating state fees
Walkthrough stages
7
Each one explained

By the end you will know

  • How forming an LLC works in Utah
  • How to meet the registered agent rule
  • The state filing that repeats
  • Our recommendations, with reasons

If you would rather hand it off

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 no annual report to worry about

Best overall$199 yearly plus the $59 state fee

In Utah, Mainstay Filing leads the list: the one yearly fee, $199, takes three jobs off your plate: filing, registered agent and annual report.

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

The Annual Report/Renewal is part of the job, and Utah's $18 fee is billed to you at cost.

What you get

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • Registered agent all year long
  • Annual report filed for you
  • The EIN application comes with it
  • The official fee, nothing added

What works

  • $199 a year for filing, agent and report
  • $199 every year
  • It prepares your EIN application as well

What to watch

  • $100 a year more than Utah Registered Agent.co at renewal
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Utah Registered Agent.co: best for a no-frills formation

Local choice$199 in year one, $99 after

Utah Registered Agent.co is a solid second: $199 to get going, agent service for year one included, then $99 each year.

You still send in the Annual Report/Renewal every year.

What you get

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • A $199 formation fee
  • Year-one agent service costs nothing more
  • $99 a year after that

What to watch

  • The price leaves out the Annual Report/Renewal
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit Utah Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. UT Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that never leave Utah

Local choice$199 in year one, $99 after

UT Registered Agent.org is a solid third: $199 to get going, agent service for year one included, then $99 each year.

You still send in the Annual Report/Renewal every year.

Utah Registered Agent.co and this service cost the same.

What you get

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • Year-one agent service costs nothing more
  • $99 a year after that
  • A $199 formation fee

What to watch

  • The price leaves out the Annual Report/Renewal
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit UT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Scores and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Utah Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Utah Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3UT Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit UT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
What each company posted on November 13, 2026. No row folds in the $59 state fee.

Formation in order

  1. Stage 1

    Settle on the company name

    Look your name up on the Utah register at the Utah Secretary of State. It takes a few minutes and spares you a rejected filing.

    Pick a second choice now.

  2. Stage 2

    Name your registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A commercial registered agent listed with the state, a noncommercial agent (an individual or entity), or the holder of a named position in the company.

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Utah. A P.O. box can follow the street address but cannot replace it.

    You can hire whichever recommended service you like for this.

    Check it yourself: We pulled this from le.utah.gov in October 2026

  3. Stage 3

    Who does the paperwork?

    Doing it yourself costs just the $59 state fee. A service adds $199 and takes over the forms; our ranking shows who we would phone.

  4. Stage 4

    The paper to file is the Certificate of Organization

    What you need: the Certificate of Organization, a check or card for $59, and the Utah Secretary of State as the address. For the curious, see Utah Code § 48-3a-201. By the office's own account, expect Most filings immediately; manual review 5 to 7 business days.

    Check it yourself: We pulled this from commerce.utah.gov in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    Order a federal tax ID for the LLC

    With approval in your hands, request an EIN so the LLC can open accounts under its own name. The Mainstay Filing yearly price already covers this stage.

  6. Stage 6

    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.

  7. Stage 7

    Prepare for next year

    The filing that returns on schedule is the Annual Report/Renewal ($18, every year, by last day of the entity's anniversary month). A late one carries $10.

    Check it yourself: We pulled this from corporations.utah.gov in August 2026

Costs, stage by stage

EntryPaid toPrice
Formation feePaid to the state$59
Annual Report/RenewalPaid to the state$18 every year
Late filingPaid to the state$10
A filing service (optional)Service$199 for year one
Three years of state feesPaid to the state$95
The state rows come from Utah's published fee schedules (the pages we opened are listed under the table), and each service row comes from that company's own price. Across three years the state row counts the filing, the report in year two, the report in year three and any minimum tax.

Why Mainstay Filing is first

Work taken off your desk makes up 32% of the score, and that is where pulled ahead in Utah.

Taking the Annual Report/Renewal off your hands tipped the score toward the package.

Utah questions

What does Utah charge to form an LLC?

The official schedule says $59. Bring in a service and add $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The paper you want is the Certificate of Organization; the Utah Secretary of State receives it.

Is a registered agent required?

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

How long does Utah take to process the filing?

Stated processing time: Most filings immediately; manual review 5 to 7 business days.

What does Utah require each year?

Send in the Annual Report/Renewal every year; it costs $18 and the deadline is last day of the entity's anniversary month.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Permitted. You pay $59, do the filing and line up a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Phone Mainstay Filing, because $199 a year hands you the formation, a registered agent and the annual report, with renewal at $199. After that come Utah Registered Agent.co and UT Registered Agent.org.

Where we got the facts

  1. Our Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code notes lean on corporations.utah.gov as of August 2026.
  2. Our Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code notes lean on corporations.utah.gov as of August 2026.
  3. Our Utah report due date notes lean on le.utah.gov as of August 2026.
  4. Our Utah Code § 48-3a-201 notes lean on le.utah.gov as of August 2026.
  5. Our Utah formation fee: Filing fee, official source notes lean on commerce.utah.gov as of October 2026.
  6. Our Utah registered agent statute notes lean on le.utah.gov as of October 2026.
  7. Our Processing and expedite, official source notes lean on businessregistration.utah.gov as of October 2026.
  8. Mainstay Filing Utah service page; prices copied November 13, 2026
  9. Utah Registered Agent.co pricing page; prices copied November 13, 2026
  10. UT Registered Agent.org pricing page; prices copied November 13, 2026