Forming an LLC costs $35 in Montana and $520 in Massachusetts — and in some states the filing fee is the smallest part of the bill. Pick your state and this estimator shows the real state cost to form, the mandatory charges hiding behind the headline fee, what repeats every year, and your first-year total with the extras you choose.
Estimates only. State fees are the published 2026 state filing fees checked in November 2026, using the online filing figure where a state charges different online and paper rates. Fees change — several states changed theirs during 2026 — so confirm the current fee on your Secretary of State’s site before you file. Optional extras are market prices you can edit, not state fees. This tool is not legal or tax advice.
The filing fee is not the whole cost
Three patterns catch founders out. First, mandatory extras: Nevada's Articles cost $75, but the Initial List and State Business License you must file with them bring formation to $425 — the second-highest in the country. Second, taxes disguised as fees: California charges just $70 to form, then takes an $800 franchise tax every year; Delaware cut its formation fee to $110 in August 2026 but charges a $400 annual tax. Third, the annual report: Massachusetts charges $500 to $520 to form and the same again every single year, while Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas charge nothing for ongoing reports at all. Cheapest to form is Montana at $35; most expensive overall is Massachusetts by a wide margin.
Forming is step one, not the only step
After the state accepts your Articles, most businesses still need an EIN (free from the IRS — never pay a site that pretends otherwise), any local licences your trade and city require, and a decision about how the business is structured in the first place. Our guide to how much a business license costs covers the licence layer, and DBA vs LLC: which do you need explains when a simple DBA is enough and when it is not.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest state to form an LLC in? By state fees alone, Montana at $35, then Kentucky at $40 and Arkansas at $45 online. But forming in a cheap state does not help if your business operates somewhere else — you would still have to register as a foreign LLC in your home state and pay there too. Do I need a registered agent service? You need a registered agent with an address in the state; you can be your own if you live there and are available at that address during business hours. Services typically charge around $125 a year and keep your home address off the public record. Does the EIN cost money? No. An EIN is free from the IRS. Any charge for one is a third-party service fee. How current are these fees? They were checked against state fee schedules and cross-checked 2026 tables in November 2026; several states changed fees during 2026 alone, so confirm before you file.