How Much Does an LLC Cost in 2026? Every State Compared
There are two numbers that matter and most guides blur them together: what you pay once to form the LLC, and what you pay every year to keep it. Filing fees run from $35 in Montana to $500 in Massachusetts. Ongoing costs run from nothing at all to California's $800 minimum franchise tax. A state can be cheap on one and expensive on the other.
All 51 jurisdictions, one table
Sort by filing fee or by ongoing cost. Click any state for its full guide.
| State | Filing fee | Ongoing cost |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $200 | $50+ Business Privilege Tax |
| Alaska | $250 | $100 every 2 years |
| Arizona | $50 | None |
| Arkansas | $45 | $150 Annual Franchise Tax Report |
| California | $70 | $800/yr franchise tax + $20 report every 2 yrs |
| Colorado | $50 | $25 periodic report |
| Connecticut | $120 | $80 |
| Delaware | $110 | $300 annual tax (no report) |
| Florida | $125 | $138.75 |
| Georgia | $100 | $50 |
| Hawaii | $50 | $15 |
| Idaho | $100 | $0 (report still required) |
| Illinois | $150 | $75 |
| Indiana | $95 | $31 every 2 years |
| Iowa | $50 | $30 every 2 years |
| Kansas | $160 | $50 |
| Kentucky | $40 | $15 |
| Louisiana | $100 | $30 |
| Maine | $175 | $85 |
| Maryland | $100 | $300 |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500 |
| Michigan | $50 | $25 |
| Minnesota | $155 | $0 (renewal still required) |
| Mississippi | $50 | $0 (report still required) |
| Missouri | $50 | None |
| Montana | $35 | $20 |
| Nebraska | $100 | $13 every 2 years |
| Nevada | $425 (all initial filings) | $350 |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100 |
| New Jersey | $125 | $75 |
| New Mexico | $50 | None |
| New York | $200 | $9 every 2 years |
| North Carolina | $125 | $200 |
| North Dakota | $135 | $50 |
| Ohio | $99 | None |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $25 |
| Oregon | $100 | $100 |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $7 |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50 |
| South Carolina | $110 | None |
| South Dakota | $150 | $50 |
| Tennessee | $300 minimum | $300 minimum |
| Texas | $300 | $0 (franchise report required) |
| Utah | $54 | $18 |
| Vermont | $125 | $35 |
| Virginia | $100 | $50 |
| Washington | $200 | $70 |
| Washington, D.C. | $99 | $300 every 2 years |
| West Virginia | $100 | $25 |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $25 |
| Wyoming | $100 | $60 min Annual Report license tax |
Ongoing costs shown as each state bills them; where a filing is biennial the table says so, and sorting normalises it to a yearly figure for comparison. Fees last reviewed September 2026 and change without notice, confirm with the state before filing.
The five cheapest states to form in
Ranked by filing fee alone. Note how differently they behave on the second column, this is exactly why the cheapest state to enter is not always the cheapest to stay in.
| State | Filing fee | Ongoing cost |
|---|---|---|
| Montana | $35 | $20 |
| Kentucky | $40 | $15 |
| Arkansas | $45 | $150 Annual Franchise Tax Report |
| Arizona | $50 | None |
| Colorado | $50 | $25 periodic report |
Arkansas is the clearest example: third-cheapest to form at $45, but its $150 annual franchise tax report makes it more expensive than Kentucky within the first year.
States with no ongoing state fee
5 states require no ongoing report and no ongoing fee for standard LLCs: Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina.
4 more require a filing but charge nothing for it: Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi, Texas. The distinction matters: a free filing you forget is still a filing you missed, and states can administratively dissolve an LLC for it.
The costs the fee tables don't show
Registered agent: $0 or roughly $100 to $200 a year
Every state requires one. It costs nothing if you use your own in-state address, but that address goes on the public record and you need to be reachable during business hours. Commercial services typically sit in the $100 to $200 range; prices vary by provider.
Report or tax? They are not the same thing Often confused
States bundle these differently and the wording matters:
- A periodic report updates your details with the state, sometimes with a fee attached (most states).
- An annual tax is owed with no report at all. Delaware is the clearest case: the Division of Corporations states that Delaware LLCs pay a $300 annual tax and are not required to file an Annual Report.
- Both, separately. California LLCs owe the $800 franchise tax to the Franchise Tax Board and file a $20 Statement of Information with the Secretary of State every two years.
- Both, combined into one filing. Wyoming files an Annual Report whose fee is the Annual Report License Tax ($60 minimum); Arkansas files a single Annual Franchise Tax Report at $150.
The $800 outlier: California
Every California LLC owes a minimum $800 annual franchise tax, profitable or not, and LLCs above $250,000 in California gross receipts owe an additional graduated fee. Forming in Nevada or Wyoming does not avoid it if you are actually doing business in California, the tax follows the activity, not the certificate.
Publication requirements
A few states make new LLCs publish newspaper notices, which can add anywhere from a modest fee to over a thousand dollars depending on county rates: New York, Arizona (waived in Maricopa and Pima counties) and Nebraska. Costs here are set by the newspapers, so treat any single published figure as an estimate and check local rates.
The federal BOI report 2026
Under FinCEN's March 2025 interim final rule, entities created in the United States and their beneficial owners are exempt from reporting beneficial ownership information to FinCEN. Foreign-formed entities registered to do business in a US state can still have obligations. This is an interim rule rather than settled final law, so check FinCEN's current position before relying on it, and be sceptical of any service charging you to file a BOI report for a US-formed LLC.
What you should not pay for
An EIN. The IRS issues them at no charge. Paying a service for convenience is a choice; paying because you believe the EIN itself costs money is not.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest state to form an LLC in 2026?
Montana has the lowest filing fee at $35, followed by Kentucky at $40 and Arkansas at $45. But a low filing fee is not the same as a low running cost: Arkansas charges a $150 annual franchise tax report, while Kentucky's annual report is $15. Judge a state on both numbers together.
Which states have no annual LLC fee?
Five states require no ongoing report or fee for standard LLCs: Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio and South Carolina. Four more require a filing but charge nothing for it: Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi and Texas. In those four, skipping the filing can still cost you the LLC even though the filing itself is free.
What is the most expensive state for an LLC?
Massachusetts has the highest combination of published fees, at $500 to form and $500 a year. California is costlier to run despite a $70 filing fee, because every California LLC owes a minimum $800 annual franchise tax to the Franchise Tax Board regardless of income.
Does forming in a cheap state save money if I live elsewhere?
Usually not. If you live and operate in another state, you generally have to register there as a foreign LLC as well, which means two sets of state fees and two registered agents. Whether a given activity requires foreign registration depends on that state's rules, so check before assuming either way.
Sources
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Fees last reviewed September 2026. State fees, deadlines and rules change; always confirm with the relevant state authority before filing. General information only, not legal or tax advice.