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Founder ClassroomLearn the LLC paperwork for your state.

Lesson 1 · New York

How to Start an LLC in New York (2026): 8 Steps and the 3 Best LLC Services

Lesson answer for New York in 2026: if you want help with starting an LLC, use New York Registered Agent.ai ($199), NY Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. Then the lesson: 8 steps, with a $200 state filing fee and the biennial statement every two years.

The Founder Classroom teaching team ·

Lesson at a glance

Fee to file
$200Source: dos.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026
Biennial statement
$9 every 2 yearsNext one due during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years
State total, years 1 to 3
$209Filing plus the recurring state fees
Steps in this lesson
8Each one explained

You will learn

  • How the New York formation filing works
  • Who can be your agent for service of process
  • How to stay in good standing
  • Our picks and the reasoning

Teacher's pick

If you want help with the filing

Ranked by our grading rubric, which puts steps handled and three-year cost first.
Top pick

1. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for founders staying in New York

$199 in year one, $99 after

New York Registered Agent.ai gets the top grade here. Why: $199 plus the state fee with the first agent year included, then $99 a year.

Cost settles it: over three years it is less than Mainstay Filing.

The biennial statement is not part of its price.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • First year of agent service

What we like

  • Formation fee $199
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • Agent included for year one

Watch out for

  • Does not file the biennial statement
  • EIN help is $99 more
Visit New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
New York specialist

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

$199 in year one, $99 after

NY Registered Agent.org ranks second: $199 plus the state fee with the first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The biennial statement is not part of its price.

Same published prices as New York Registered Agent.ai.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • First year of agent service

What we like

  • Agent included for year one
  • Formation fee $199
  • $99 yearly from year two

Watch out for

  • Does not file the biennial statement
  • EIN help is $99 more
Visit NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Bundled upkeep

3. Mainstay Filing: best for first-time founders who want it handled

$199 yearly, renewing at $199

Mainstay Filing is a solid third choice: you pay $199 a year and the biennial statement is filed for you along with the agent service.

Over three years it costs $200 more than New York Registered Agent.ai, and cost carries 30% of our grade.

That covers the biennial statement too; the state's $9 is billed at cost.

What you get

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Biennial statement filed each cycle
  • EIN application
  • No markup on the state fee

What we like

  • Does the EIN application
  • Renews at $199
  • $199 yearly, all in one

Watch out for

  • Renews $100 higher than New York Registered Agent.ai
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices at a glance

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1New York Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Visit New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2NY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read from each company's pricing on November 12, 2026. Plus the $200 state fee in each case.

Step-by-step lesson

  1. Step 1: Choose a name and check it is free

    Your first homework: search the state's business records for the name you want. The New York Secretary of State keeps that list.

    TipPick a spare name too, in case the first is taken.

  2. Step 2: Appoint an agent for service of process

    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.

    TipAny of the services in our picks fills this role.

    Official source: Source: nysenate.gov, confirmed October 2026

  3. Step 3: Choose between doing it yourself and a service

    The state fee ($200) is the same either way; a service adds $199. See the picks.

  4. Step 4: Send in the Articles of Organization

    Fill in the Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f) and send it to the New York Secretary of State with the $200 fee (NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203).

    Official source: Source: dos.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026

  5. Step 5: Do not skip this New York rule

    • 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.

    Official source: Source: tax.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026

  6. Step 6: Get an EIN from the IRS

    Next, the federal side: an EIN from the IRS, applied for after the New York approval. This step is included with Mainstay Filing.

  7. Step 7: Agree the house rules in writing

    Put ownership and decision rules into an operating agreement and keep it with the company papers.

  8. Step 8: Stay in good standing with New York

    Each cycle, New York expects the biennial statement with $9, by during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years.

    Official source: Source: dos.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026

Step-by-step costs

WhatPaid toAmount
Formation filingPaid to the state$200
Biennial statementPaid to the state$9 every two years
A service, if you use oneService company$199 in year one
State fees for three yearsPaid to the state$209
Every state figure links to its source under References; service prices come from each company's site.

Why this order

On three-year cost, which carries 30%, New York Registered Agent.ai scored above NY Registered Agent.org.

Three years of New York Registered Agent.ai cost $397, which leaves $200 in your pocket compared with Mainstay Filing.

Quick answers

What does it cost to form an LLC in New York?

$200 to the state. Service fees among our picks: $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The state's form is the Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f) (submitted to the New York Secretary of State).

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?

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

Can I form the LLC without a service?

You can: send the filing and the $200 fee yourself, and you still need an agent for service of process.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

New York Registered Agent.ai first, then NY Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing; New York Registered Agent.ai leads on three-year cost.

More lessons

Official references

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