Why Filing Fees Matter (But Not as Much as You Think)
State filing fees are one of the first costs you'll encounter when forming an LLC. They range from as low as $35 in Montana to as high as $500 in Massachusetts. While it's natural to want to minimize costs, the filing fee should not be the primary factor in deciding where to form your LLC.
As we explain in our guide to choosing the best state for your LLC, you should almost always form in the state where you live and do business. Forming in a cheaper state to save $50 on the filing fee — only to pay $200+ for foreign registration in your home state — doesn't make financial sense.
That said, knowing your state's fees helps you budget accurately and avoid surprises. Here's the complete breakdown.
The Cheapest and Most Expensive States
The 5 cheapest states to file an LLC:
- New York — $25 (but see the publication requirement below)
- Montana — $35
- Kentucky — $40
- Arkansas — $45
- Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah — $50
The 5 most expensive states to file an LLC:
- Massachusetts — $500
- Tennessee — $300
- Texas — $300
- Alaska — $250
- Washington — $200
Note that New York appears cheapest at just $25 — but it has a unique publication requirement that can add $500 to $2,000+ to your total cost. More on that below.
LLC Filing Fees: All 50 States
Here's the complete list of LLC formation filing fees for every state. These are the fees charged by the state itself — if you use a formation service, their service fee will be in addition to these amounts.
| State | Filing Fee | State | Filing Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $100 | Montana | $35 |
| Alaska | $250 | Nebraska | $102 |
| Arizona | $50 | Nevada | $150 |
| Arkansas | $45 | New Hampshire | $100 |
| California | $70 | New Jersey | $125 |
| Colorado | $50 | New Mexico | $50 |
| Connecticut | $120 | New York | $25 + pub. req. |
| Delaware | $90 | North Carolina | $125 |
| Florida | $125 | North Dakota | $125 |
| Georgia | $100 | Ohio | $99 |
| Hawaii | $50 | Oklahoma | $100 |
| Idaho | $100 | Oregon | $50 |
| Illinois | $150 | Pennsylvania | $125 |
| Indiana | $100 | Rhode Island | $150 |
| Iowa | $50 | South Carolina | $110 |
| Kansas | $165 | South Dakota | $150 |
| Kentucky | $40 | Tennessee | $300 |
| Louisiana | $72.50 | Texas | $300 |
| Maine | $175 | Utah | $50 |
| Maryland | $100 | Vermont | $125 |
| Massachusetts | $500 | Virginia | $100 |
| Michigan | $50 | Washington | $200 |
| Minnesota | $155 | West Virginia | $100 |
| Mississippi | $50 | Wisconsin | $130 |
| Missouri | $50 | Wyoming | $100 |
Note: Fees are subject to change. Always verify the current fee with your state's Secretary of State website before filing.
New York's Publication Requirement: The Hidden Cost
New York deserves special attention. While the state's LLC filing fee is just $25 — the lowest in the country — New York requires all newly formed LLCs to publish a notice of formation in two newspapers (one daily and one weekly) for six consecutive weeks in the county where the LLC is located.
The cost of this publication requirement varies dramatically by county. In New York City (Manhattan), publication can cost $1,500 to $2,000 or more. In upstate counties, it might be as low as $200 to $500. The average across the state is roughly $500 to $1,000.
After publication, you must file a Certificate of Publication with the state, which costs an additional $50. If you fail to complete the publication requirement within 120 days of formation, your LLC's authority to conduct business in New York can be suspended.
This makes New York one of the most expensive states for LLC formation in practice, despite having the lowest filing fee on paper. If you're forming a New York LLC, budget for this additional cost and factor it into your planning.
Annual Fees and Ongoing Costs
The filing fee is just the beginning. Most states also charge annual or biennial fees to keep your LLC in good standing. These come in the form of annual reports, franchise taxes, or both.
Some notable annual fees to be aware of:
- California charges a minimum $800 annual franchise tax — one of the highest in the country. This applies even if your LLC earns zero revenue.
- Delaware charges a $300 annual franchise tax for LLCs, regardless of income.
- Wyoming has one of the lowest annual report fees at $60 (or more if your Wyoming assets exceed a certain threshold).
- Ohio and New Mexico have no annual report requirement and no annual fees for LLCs.
- Illinois charges $75 per year for its annual report.
- New York requires a biennial statement filing for $9.
When comparing the true cost of forming an LLC in different states, always look at both the one-time filing fee and the recurring annual costs. A state with a low filing fee but a high annual franchise tax (like California) can be much more expensive in the long run than a state with a higher filing fee but no annual tax.
Making Your Decision
Here's the key takeaway: form your LLC where you actually operate your business, not where the fees are cheapest. The money you might save on a filing fee will almost certainly be lost to foreign registration costs, dual registered agent fees, and the headache of maintaining compliance in multiple states.
Once you know your state's fee, the next question is whether to file yourself or use a formation service. Filing yourself is straightforward in most states — you'll fill out a form and pay the fee online. Using a formation service like ZenBusiness or Northwest adds a service fee but saves you time and ensures everything is filed correctly. Many services offer $0 formation packages where you only pay the state fee.
Not sure which formation service is right for you? Take our free quiz to get a personalized recommendation, or read our step-by-step LLC formation guide to walk through the entire process.
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