LLC Filing Fees by State 2026 (Cheapest $35, Most Expensive $500)
Cheapest US state to file an LLC in 2026: Montana at $35. Most expensive: Massachusetts at $500. Median across all 51 jurisdictions: $100. Filing fee is paid once at formation, then never again. The recurring cost story, annual report fees and franchise tax, is what actually drives 5-year LLC cost. Don't optimize on filing fee alone.
All 51 jurisdictions, sorted cheapest filing fee first
Filing fee = the one-time charge from the state Secretary of State to register the Articles of Organization (or Certificate of Formation, depending on state). Every state charges one. None waive it for any reason, not for veterans, not for nonprofits, not for first-time founders. The fee is set by statute and applies equally to every applicant.
- $35
Montana
$35 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~5 business days
Source: biz.sosmt.gov · verified 2026-05-16
- $40
Kentucky
$40 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: sos.ky.gov · verified 2026-05-29
- $45
Arkansas
$45 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~3 business days
Source: www.sos.arkansas.gov · verified 2026-05-28
- $50
- $50
Colorado
$50 for the Articles of Organization (online only) · expedite available for +$50 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: www.coloradosos.gov · verified 2026-05-28
- $50
Iowa
$50 for the Certificate of Organization · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: sos.iowa.gov · verified 2026-05-15
- $50
Michigan
$50 for the Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700) · expedite available for +$50 · processing: ~10 business days
Source: www.michigan.gov · verified 2026-05-30
- $50
Mississippi
$50 for the Certificate of Formation · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: www.sos.ms.gov · verified 2026-05-16
- $50
Missouri
$50 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: www.sos.mo.gov · verified 2026-05-30
- $50
New Mexico
$50 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~14 business days
Source: www.sos.nm.gov · verified 2026-05-31
- $51
Hawaii
$51 for the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1) · expedite available for +$25 · processing: ~3 business days
Source: cca.hawaii.gov · verified 2026-05-29
- $59
Utah
$59 for the Certificate of Organization · expedite available for +$75 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: corporations.utah.gov · verified 2026-06-01
- $70
California
$70 for the Form LLC-1 (Articles of Organization) · expedite available for +$350 · processing: ~21 business days
Source: www.sos.ca.gov · verified 2026-05-28
- $75
Nevada
$75 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$125 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: www.nvsos.gov · verified 2026-05-31
- $85
Kansas
$85 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~0 business days
Source: www.sos.ks.gov · verified 2026-05-29
- $90
Delaware
$90 for the Certificate of Formation · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~14 business days
Source: corp.delaware.gov · verified 2026-05-28
- $95
Indiana
$95 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: www.in.gov · verified 2026-05-29
- $99
District of Columbia
$99 for the Articles of Organization (Form DLC-1) · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~5 business days
Source: dlcp.dc.gov · verified 2026-04-28
- $99
Ohio
$99 for the Form 533A (Articles of Organization) · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~5 business days
Source: www.ohiosos.gov · verified 2026-04-28
- $100
Georgia
$100 for the Articles of Organization (online) · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~7 business days
Source: sos.ga.gov · verified 2026-04-28
- $100
Idaho
$100 for the Certificate of Organization · expedite available for +$40 · processing: ~20 business days
Source: sosbiz.idaho.gov · verified 2026-05-29
- $100
Louisiana
$100 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$30 · processing: ~3 business days
Source: www.sos.la.gov · verified 2026-05-30
- $100
Maryland
$100 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$50 · processing: ~20 business days
Source: egov.maryland.gov · verified 2026-05-30
- $100
Nebraska
$100 for the Certificate of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~3 business days
Source: sos.nebraska.gov · verified 2026-05-31
- $100
Oregon
$100 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: sos.oregon.gov · verified 2026-06-01
- $100
Virginia
$100 for the Form LLC-1011 (Articles of Organization) · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~7 business days
Source: www.scc.virginia.gov · verified 2026-05-25
- $100
West Virginia
$100 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$25 · processing: ~5 business days
Source: business4wv.gov · verified 2026-05-25
- $100
Wyoming
$100 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$50 · processing: ~14 business days
Source: sos.wyo.gov · verified 2026-05-26
- $102
New Hampshire
$102 for the Form LLC-1 Certificate of Formation · expedite available for +$125 · processing: ~7 business days
Source: quickstart.sos.nh.gov · verified 2026-05-16
- $104
Oklahoma
$104 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$25 · processing: ~3 business days
Source: www.sos.ok.gov · verified 2026-05-17
- $110
South Carolina
$110 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: sos.sc.gov · verified 2026-04-28
- $120
Connecticut
$120 for the Certificate of Organization · expedite available for +$50 · processing: ~2 business days
Source: business.ct.gov · verified 2026-05-28
- $125
Florida
$125 for the Articles of Organization (Sunbiz) · expedite available for +$52.5 · processing: ~5 business days
Source: dos.fl.gov · verified 2026-05-29
- $125
New Jersey
$125 for the Certificate of Formation · expedite available for +$25 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: www.nj.gov · verified 2026-04-28
- $125
North Carolina
$125 for the Articles of Organization (Form L-01) · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~7 business days
Source: www.sosnc.gov · verified 2026-05-31
- $125
Pennsylvania
$125 for the Certificate of Organization · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~7 business days
Source: www.dos.pa.gov · verified 2026-06-01
- $130
Wisconsin
$130 for the Articles of Organization (Form 502) · expedite available for +$25 · processing: ~0 business days
Source: dfi.wi.gov · verified 2026-05-26
- $135
North Dakota
$135 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~5 business days
Source: sos.nd.gov · verified 2026-05-31
- $150
Illinois
$150 for the Form LLC-5.5 (Articles of Organization) · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~10 business days
Source: www.ilsos.gov · verified 2026-05-15
- $150
South Dakota
$150 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~0 business days
Source: sdsos.gov · verified 2026-06-01
- $155
Minnesota
$155 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~2 business days
Source: www.sos.state.mn.us · verified 2026-05-30
- $155
Vermont
$155 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: sos.vermont.gov · verified 2026-05-02
- $156
Rhode Island
$156 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: sos.ri.gov · verified 2026-06-01
- $175
Maine
$175 for the Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6) · expedite available for +$50 · processing: ~35 business days
Source: www.maine.gov · verified 2026-05-30
- $180
Washington
$180 for the Certificate of Formation (online) · expedite available for +$50 · processing: ~5 business days
Source: sos.wa.gov · verified 2026-05-25
- $200
Alabama
$200 for the Certificate of Formation · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~1 business days
Source: www.sos.alabama.gov · verified 2026-04-28
- $200
New York
$200 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$25 · processing: ~7 business days
Source: dos.ny.gov · verified 2026-05-17
- $250
Alaska
$250 for the Articles of Organization (Form 08-484) · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~0 business days
Source: www.commerce.alaska.gov · verified 2026-05-28
- $300
Tennessee
$300 for the Articles of Organization · expedite available for +$0 · processing: ~0 business days
Source: sos.tn.gov · verified 2026-06-01
- $300
Texas
$300 for the Form 205 (Certificate of Formation) · expedite available for +$25 · processing: ~7 business days
Source: www.sos.state.tx.us · verified 2026-06-01
- $500
Massachusetts
$500 for the Certificate of Organization · expedite available for +$100 · processing: ~5 business days
Source: www.sec.state.ma.us · verified 2026-04-28
Filing fee is the wrong number to optimize on
Picking a state based on filing fee alone is a common mistake. Montana's $35 filing fee is genuinely cheap, but if Montana requires no annual report (it doesn't), no franchise tax (it doesn't), the 5-year ownership cost is also cheap. Massachusetts at $500 filing is 2.5× more painful in year one AND has a $500 annual report ($2,500 over 5 years), making it the most expensive state on every dimension.
California's $70 filing fee looks attractive until the $800/yr franchise tax kicks in, which adds $4,000 over 5 years and dwarfs everything else. The right number to evaluate is the 5-year ownership total, which combines all three line items. See the cheapest LLC states 2026 listicle, ranked by 5-year cost not filing fee.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest state to file an LLC in 2026?
Montana at $35 for the Articles of Organization. The next cheapest are Kentucky ($40) and Arkansas ($45). Note: low filing fee doesn't always mean low total cost, annual report fees and franchise taxes matter more for 5-year cost.
What is the most expensive state to file an LLC?
Massachusetts at $500 for the Certificate of Organization. Massachusetts also charges a $500 annual report, making it the most expensive state for both initial filing and recurring maintenance. Most other states with high filing fees ($300+) are Texas, Tennessee, and Nevada.
What's the median LLC filing fee?
$100 (Virginia sits at the median in 2026). About half of US states charge $100 or less; the other half charge $100-$500. The mean is slightly higher than the median because Massachusetts and Tennessee pull the average up.
Is the filing fee a one-time cost?
Yes. The filing fee is paid once when you submit the Articles of Organization (or Certificate of Formation, depending on state) and never again unless you dissolve and re-form the LLC. The recurring costs are annual report fees and franchise taxes, which are separate.
Can I get a discount on the LLC filing fee?
No. The state filing fee is set by statute and applies equally to every applicant. Formation services like ZenBusiness or Bizee don't lower the state fee, they may charge $0 for their service, but you still pay the state's fee on top. Watch for service tiers that pretend to bundle the fee into a "free" headline.
Why does Massachusetts charge so much?
Massachusetts SOC fee structure prioritizes funding the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office through formation revenue rather than general state taxes. The $500 fee is consistent across LLCs, corporations, and most entity types. There's no political movement to lower it; it's been at this level for over a decade.
Continue researching
Related listicles ranked by different cost dimensions: cheapest by 5-year total · cheapest annual report · franchise tax states · fastest processing.