Study the paperwork

The LLC lab for every state

This lab records the paperwork behind an LLC, state by state, with each fact cited and a short list of services.

Sheet updated November 13, 2026 · Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff

What the lab covers

A compact series on forming an LLC, with a separate sheet for every state.

Who qualifies as agent, which address passes and how the appointment is recorded.

A plain-procedure record of foreign registration, state by state.

1
Select a name
Check the state register before filing.
2
Name an agent
The LLC's official recipient of legal papers.
3
File the formation document
Fees differ considerably from one state to the next.
4
Apply for an EIN
A federal number, not a state one.
5
Prepare an operating agreement
Worthwhile even with a single owner.
6
Prepare for year two
Your state's sheet gives the dates.

How results are produced

Measured cost over three years (36%): The total a service bills across years one, two and three, taken from its posted first-year and renewal prices.
Procedures the price performs (28%): The number of lab procedures the price carries out: filing the formation or the registration, holding the registered agent role, submitting the repeating state report and applying for the EIN.
Reading at year two (12%): The price from year two onward and whether it differs from year one.
Fit with the state protocol (14%): How well the plan matches the state protocol: report timing, late penalties, the agent address rule and the chance of a second state.
Price legibility (10%): Whether the complete price can be read before buying, with the state fee itemized apart at the amount the state sets.