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Founder ClassroomLearn the LLC paperwork for your state.

Lessons for founders

Learn to start an LLC in your state

Learn what your state asks for, one numbered step at a time, with every fact linked to the state.

· The Founder Classroom teaching team

Three courses, every state

Starting an LLC

From the name search to the first yearly report: the official form, fee and steps for each state.

50 lessonsGo to the lessons

Registered agents

How to appoint, and later change, a registered agent in each state.

50 lessonsGo to the lessons

Registering in another state

When an LLC from another state must register, which form to file and what it costs.

50 lessonsGo to the lessons

How starting an LLC works

  1. 1

    Find a free name

    Make sure no other company in the state holds it.

  2. 2

    Name a registered agent

    The official contact for legal papers.

  3. 3

    Send in the filing

    Each state has its own form and fee.

  4. 4

    Get your EIN

    From the IRS, once the state approves the LLC.

  5. 5

    Draft the agreement

    Ownership and decision rules, kept with your records.

  6. 6

    Plan for year two

    Reports, fees and any minimum tax, by state.

Across all states

LLC ServicesMainstay FilingTop pickRegistered AgentsMainstay FilingTop pickForeign Registration ServicesMainstay FilingTop pick

How picks are made

What we grade on

  1. Three-year cost (30%): What the service charges in years one, two and three, from its published first-year and renewal prices.
  2. Lesson steps handled (35%): How many of the lesson's steps the price does for you: the formation or registration filing, the registered agent, the recurring state report and the EIN application.
  3. Renewal price (10%): The price from year two onward and whether it matches year one.
  4. Fit with the state's steps (15%): How the plan matches that state's own steps: its report cadence and late fees, its agent address rule and whether the company may need a second state.
  5. Clear pricing for beginners (10%): Whether a first-time founder can see the full price before paying, with the state's fee listed separately and charged at cost.
Grading details

All 50 state lessons