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Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Experiment 1 · New York

Forming an LLC in New York (2026): 8 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services

Mainstay Filing ($199), New York Registered Agent.ai ($199) and NY Registered Agent.org ($199) measured best, in that order, for forming an LLC in New York in 2026. The sheet records 8 procedures and a $200 state fee, ending with the biennial statement.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

The short version

State fee to file
$200Reference dos.ny.gov, October 2026
Biennial statement
$9 every 2 yearsLog this date: during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years
State fees, three years
$209State charges only
Procedures on this sheet
8Listed below

After reading you will know

  • What New York charges to form an LLC and who takes delivery of the filing
  • Who may serve as the agent for service of process
  • What must be filed each year after formation
  • How the readings compare

Best reading

Services that measured best in New York

Measured on the method page: three-year cost (36%), procedures performed (28%), renewal, fit with New York's protocol and price legibility.
Best overall

1. Mainstay Filing: best for the biennial statement filed on the owner's behalf

$199 annually, state fee extra ($399 at checkout)

Mainstay Filing reads highest, and the reason is that at $199 a year it completes three procedures (filing, agent for service of process, biennial statement) under one charge.

The premium over New York Registered Agent.ai across three years is $200, which the 28% weight on procedures performed outweighs.

Each biennial statement is filed by the service; the only addition is the state's $9.

What the price performs

  • Formation filing, prepared and submitted
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Biennial statement filed on schedule
  • EIN application included
  • No markup on the state fee

Measured strengths

  • Renews at $199
  • $199 yearly, all included
  • It submits the EIN application

Measured limits

  • Every year after the first it costs $100 extra
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
New York focus

2. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for a budget formation

$199 plus fees; $99 yearly after

In second position is New York Registered Agent.ai, where $199 at the start, no agent fee in year one, then $99 yearly.

Time must be allowed for the biennial statement every two years, since the price omits it.

What the price performs

  • The filing is performed for you
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • A low $99 renewal
  • A formation fee of $199
  • Agent service for year one costs nothing extra

Measured limits

  • No biennial statement service is offered
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
New York focus

3. NY Registered Agent.org: best for a local filer

$199 plus fees; $99 yearly after

In third position is NY Registered Agent.org, where $199 at the start, no agent fee in year one, then $99 yearly.

Time must be allowed for the biennial statement every two years, since the price omits it.

It costs exactly what New York Registered Agent.ai costs.

What the price performs

  • The filing is performed for you
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • A low $99 renewal
  • A formation fee of $199
  • Agent service for year one costs nothing extra

Measured limits

  • No biennial statement service is offered
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The New York results compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2New York Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Visit New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3NY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices are recorded from each company's own site on November 13, 2026. Each row also requires the $200 state fee.

The procedures

  1. Procedure 1: Settle on a name

    the New York Secretary of State keeps the register. Search it first, since a taken name in New York can send the filing back.

    TipCarry a second name into the search.

  2. Procedure 2: Place an agent for service of process on record

    The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional. If one is designated: a person who lives in New York or has a business address there, an LLC formed or authorized in New York, or a corporation formed or authorized in New York.

    New York has no registered-office requirement. The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC and mails a copy of any papers served to the address the company has on file. A designated registered agent's street address goes on the filing.

    TipThe agent for service of process role is part of each ranked service.

    Specimen: Reference nysenate.gov, October 2026

  3. Procedure 3: Compare filing alone with engaging a service

    Filing alone costs the $200 state fee and nothing else. A service adds $199 and prepares the forms; the ranking gives the order.

  4. Procedure 4: Complete and lodge the Articles of Organization

    Deliver the Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f) and $200 to the New York Secretary of State; the authority is NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203. That filing forms the LLC.

    Specimen: Reference dos.ny.gov, October 2026

  5. Procedure 5: One further New York requirement

    • Publication: within 120 days, a notice runs for six weeks in two county newspapers (the papers set their own charges), then a Certificate of Publication is filed for $50.
    • Tax Department LLC fee (Form IT-204-LL): $25 a year for a single-member LLC with New York-source income; partnership LLCs pay more.

    Specimen: Reference tax.ny.gov, October 2026

  6. Procedure 6: Complete the EIN application

    After New York approves the LLC, an application to the IRS yields an Employer Identification Number, which banks and payroll providers require. The yearly price at Mainstay Filing covers this application.

  7. Procedure 7: Document the owners' agreement

    Owners sign it to fix shares, votes and what follows a departure. It is a private document and is not filed.

  8. Procedure 8: Log the recurring deadlines

    Log the biennial statement: $9, every two years, deadline during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years.

    Specimen: Reference dos.ny.gov, October 2026

New York costs by procedure

Cost itemPaid toAmount
Formation filingThe state$200
Biennial statementThe state$9 every two years
Help from a serviceThe provider$199 up front
State fees, years one to threeThe state$209
Filing fee plus two later reports plus any minimum tax gives the state's three-year total. The specimens below name the page behind each amount.

The reasoning behind the ranking

The deciding criterion was procedures the price performs, worth 28% of the reading.

New York requires the biennial statement every two years, so a price that performs it outscored a lower price that leaves it to the owner.

New York questions

What is the cost of registering an LLC with New York?

The official fee is $200. Service fees among the ranked services run $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f) is the instrument, and the New York Secretary of State receives it.

Is an agent for service of process required?

The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional.

What does New York require each year?

New York calls for the biennial statement every two years, at $9 with the deadline stated as during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

It is permitted: New York asks $200, and an agent for service of process must also be named.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, New York Registered Agent.ai and NY Registered Agent.org, in descending order of reading.

See also

Specimens and records

  1. New York Department of State, Division of Corporations: primary record at dos.ny.gov, last observed August 2026.
  2. New York Department of State, Division of Corporations: primary record at filing.dos.ny.gov, last observed August 2026.
  3. New York report due date: primary record at nysenate.gov, last observed August 2026.
  4. NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203: primary record at nysenate.gov, last observed August 2026.
  5. New York formation fee: Filing fee, official source: primary record at dos.ny.gov, last observed October 2026.
  6. New York registered agent statute: primary record at nysenate.gov, last observed October 2026.
  7. New York other cost: Publication, official source: primary record at nysenate.gov, last observed October 2026.
  8. New York other cost: Certificate of Publication, official: primary record at dos.ny.gov, last observed October 2026.
  9. New York other cost: Tax Department LLC fee: primary record at tax.ny.gov, last observed October 2026.
  10. Recorded November 13, 2026 from the New York service page of Mainstay Filing
  11. Recorded November 13, 2026 from the pricing page of New York Registered Agent.ai
  12. Recorded November 13, 2026 from the pricing page of NY Registered Agent.org