What it really costs to form an LLC or corporation in your state, year one and beyond
| State | LLC Filing Fee | LLC Annual / Franchise | Corp Filing Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $200 | $0 | $200 |
| Alaska | $250 | $50 | $250 |
| Arizona | $50 | $0 | $60 |
| Arkansas | $45 | $150 | $50 |
| California | $70 | $820 | $100 |
| Colorado | $50 | $25 | $50 |
| Connecticut | $120 | $80 | $250 |
| Delaware | $110 | $300 | $109 |
| District of Columbia | $99 | $150 | $99 |
| Florida | $125 | $138.75 | $78.75 |
| Georgia | $100 | $50 | $100 |
| Hawaii | $50 | $15 | $50 |
| Idaho | $100 | $0 | $100 |
| Illinois | $150 | $75 | $175 |
| Indiana | $100 | $25 | $100 |
| Iowa | $50 | $15 | $50 |
| Kansas | $160 | $50 | $90 |
| Kentucky | $40 | $15 | $50 |
| Louisiana | $100 | $35 | $75 |
| Maine | $175 | $85 | $145 |
| Maryland | $100 | $300 | $120 |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500 | $275 |
| Michigan | $50 | $25 | $60 |
| Minnesota | $155 | $0 | $155 |
| Mississippi | $50 | $0 | $50 |
| Missouri | $50 | $0 | $58 |
| Montana | $35 | $20 | $35 |
| Nebraska | $100 | $13 | $60 |
| Nevada | $425 | $350 | $725 |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100 | $100 |
| New Jersey | $125 | $75 | $125 |
| New Mexico | $50 | $0 | $100 |
| New York | $200 | $4.50 | $125 |
| North Carolina | $125 | $200 | $125 |
| North Dakota | $135 | $50 | $100 |
| Ohio | $99 | $0 | $99 |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $25 | $50 |
| Oregon | $100 | $100 | $100 |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $7 | $125 |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50 | $230 |
| South Carolina | $110 | $0 | $135 |
| South Dakota | $150 | $50 | $150 |
| Tennessee | $300 | $300 | $100 |
| Texas | $300 | $0 | $300 |
| Utah | $54 | $18 | $54 |
| Vermont | $125 | $35 | $125 |
| Virginia | $100 | $50 | $75 |
| Washington | $200 | $70 | $200 |
| West Virginia | $100 | $25 | $100 |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $25 | $100 |
| Wyoming | $100 | $60 | $100 |
Figures are 2025 state fee schedules. Fees change with state legislative sessions. Figures are published 2025 schedules; confirm with your Secretary of State before filing.
Forming an LLC or corporation has one unavoidable cost: the state filing fee. Everything else is optional, and that's where budgets quietly double. This calculator adds up the real numbers for all 50 states plus DC so you can see year-one cost, ongoing annual cost, and a five-year total before you file anything.
The state filing fee for your entity type, your formation route (file it yourself for $0, use an online service for about $150, or hire an attorney for roughly $1,000), a registered agent service at $125 a year, a $40 operating agreement template (writing your own is free), and expedited filing where states offer it. For New York LLCs it also adds the newspaper publication requirement, which averages about $1,000. It doesn't cover business licenses, permits, or taxes on what you earn.
Year-one total = filing fee + formation route + extras + New York publication where it applies. Ongoing annual cost = your state's annual report or franchise minimum, plus the registered agent if you keep one. The five-year total is year one plus four years of ongoing cost. States that bill every two years, like New York's $9 biennial statement, are shown as annual equivalents ($4.50 a year).
Pick your state and entity type, choose how you'll file, and tick only the extras you actually want. Two traps worth knowing. First, an EIN is free from the IRS and takes minutes online, so any service charging $50 or more for one is reselling a free thing. Second, formation bundles lean on recurring upsells, especially registered agent service that auto-renews at $125 to $300 a year. You can be your own agent at no cost in every state if you have an in-state street address.
A California LLC, filed yourself, with a $125-a-year registered agent: $70 filing fee + $125 agent = $195 in year one. Ongoing cost is $945 a year, which is the $800 minimum franchise tax plus the $20 Statement of Information plus the $125 agent. Five-year total: $195 + 4 × $945 = $3,975. The same do-it-yourself setup in Wyoming with no agent runs $100 to file and $60 a year, or $340 over five years.
State filing fees run from $35 in Montana to $500 in Massachusetts, and most states charge $50 to $200. That's the only required cost if you file yourself. Add roughly $150 for an online formation service or $1,000 and up for an attorney, plus annual fees that range from $0 to California's $800 minimum franchise tax.
Montana at $35, Kentucky at $40, and Arkansas at $45 have the lowest filing fees. For ongoing cost, Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, and Ohio charge no annual report fee at all. But if you live and work elsewhere, your home state is almost always cheaper overall, because forming out of state means registering and paying in both.
Sometimes. A service charging around $150 fills in the same form you could file yourself in 20 minutes, so you're buying convenience, not access. Watch the bundles: registered agent service that auto-renews at $125 to $300 a year, and fees for an EIN, which the IRS issues for free. If the paperwork intimidates you, it's cheap insurance. Otherwise file it yourself.
California charges every LLC an $800 minimum franchise tax each year, even with zero revenue, plus a $20 Statement of Information. The filing fee itself is only $70. Over five years a California LLC costs about $3,350 in state fees alone, versus $340 in Wyoming.
Every state requires one, but it doesn't have to be a paid service. You can act as your own agent for free if you have a street address in the state and you're available during business hours. Paid services run about $100 to $300 a year, with $125 typical, and make sense if you value privacy or work odd hours.