{
  "slug": "llc-formation-cost-by-state",
  "title": "LLC Formation Cost by State Calculator",
  "heading": "LLC Formation Cost Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/llc-formation-cost-by-state",
  "summary": "Total state filing fee, registered agent, and ongoing annual costs to form an LLC.",
  "description": "LLC formation costs vary enormously by state: the one-time state filing fee ranges from $35 in Kentucky to $500 in Massachusetts, and several states layer on ongoing costs that dwarf the initial fee, like California's $800 annual franchise tax regardless of income, or Delaware's $300 annual franchise tax plus registered agent requirement for out-of-state owners. Add a registered agent service if you don't have a physical address in the formation state ($100-$300/year), an operating agreement if drafted by an attorney rather than a template ($200-$800), and any required publication costs (New York and a few other states require newspaper publication of formation notice, which can run $500-$1,500 in expensive counties). This calculator totals year-one cost and ongoing annual cost so you can compare forming in your home state versus a popular alternative like Delaware or Wyoming.",
  "formula": "Year one = state filing fee + registered agent + operating agreement + publication (if required). Ongoing = annual report fee + franchise tax + registered agent renewal.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=llc-formation-cost-by-state",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "filingFee",
      "label": "State LLC filing fee",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 125,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "registeredAgent",
      "label": "Registered agent (annual)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 150,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "operatingAgreement",
      "label": "Operating agreement drafting",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 300,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "publication",
      "label": "Publication requirement cost (0 if none)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "annualReportFee",
      "label": "Annual report fee",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 50,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "franchiseTax",
      "label": "Annual franchise tax (0 if none)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "yearOne",
      "label": "Year-one cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "annualOngoing",
      "label": "Ongoing annual cost (year 2+)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "fiveYearTotal",
      "label": "Total cost over 5 years",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "State LLC filing fee: 125 $",
      "Registered agent (annual): 150 $",
      "Operating agreement drafting: 300 $",
      "Publication requirement cost (0 if none): 0 $",
      "Annual report fee: 50 $",
      "Annual franchise tax (0 if none): 0 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Year-one cost: $575",
      "Ongoing annual cost (year 2+): $200",
      "Total cost over 5 years: $1,375"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter state llc filing fee ($).",
      "Enter registered agent (annual) ($).",
      "Enter operating agreement drafting ($).",
      "Enter publication requirement cost (0 if none) ($).",
      "Enter annual report fee ($).",
      "Enter annual franchise tax (0 if none) ($).",
      "Read your year-one cost on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "filingFee": 75,
        "registeredAgent": 90,
        "operatingAgreement": 175,
        "publication": 0,
        "annualReportFee": 30,
        "franchiseTax": 0
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "filingFee": 125,
        "registeredAgent": 150,
        "operatingAgreement": 300,
        "publication": 0,
        "annualReportFee": 50,
        "franchiseTax": 0
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "filingFee": 200,
        "registeredAgent": 240,
        "operatingAgreement": 475,
        "publication": 0,
        "annualReportFee": 80,
        "franchiseTax": 0
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Should I form my LLC in Delaware or Wyoming instead of my home state?",
      "a": "Only if you have a specific reason like outside investors who expect Delaware entities or genuine multi-state operations. If you operate and live in one state, forming elsewhere still requires registering as a 'foreign LLC' in your home state, meaning you pay two states' fees instead of one, which usually erases any advantage."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why do some states charge an annual franchise tax regardless of profit?",
      "a": "States like California treat the LLC's existence itself, not its income, as the taxable event, so the $800 minimum franchise tax applies even to an LLC that lost money or did no business that year. Factor this into whether an LLC structure makes sense for a low-revenue side project in those states."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do I need a registered agent if I have a business address?",
      "a": "You need a registered agent with a physical street address in the state of formation who's available during business hours to receive legal documents; if you personally have such an address and don't mind your name being public record, you can serve as your own agent for $0 instead of paying a service."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is an attorney-drafted operating agreement necessary?",
      "a": "For a single-member LLC with simple operations, a solid template is often sufficient. For multi-member LLCs with different capital contributions, profit splits, or buyout provisions, attorney drafting is worth the cost since a poorly drafted agreement causes expensive disputes later."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/corporation-formation-cost",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/trademark-filing-cost",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/patent-filing-cost"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — LLC Formation Cost by State Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/llc-formation-cost-by-state)"
}