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Class 1 · Pennsylvania

How to Start an LLC in Pennsylvania (2026): 7 Steps and the 3 Best LLC Services

Lesson answer for Pennsylvania in 2026: if you want help with starting an LLC, use Mainstay Filing ($199), Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co ($199) and PA Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. After the picks come 7 short steps; the state's own charge to file is $125.

The Founder Classroom teaching team ·

Key facts

State filing fee
$125Official: pa.gov, October 2026
Annual report
$7 a yearComes due September 30
Three-year state cost
$139Excludes service fees
How many steps
7Each one explained

In this lesson

  • What Pennsylvania charges to form an LLC and where to file
  • How to meet the registered agent rule
  • What comes after formation
  • The services we recommend

Teacher's pick

Our picks for Pennsylvania

Graded with our rubric: three-year cost 30%, lesson steps handled 35%, then renewal, state fit and clear pricing.
Start here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a hands-off first year

Annual price $199 · renewal price $199 · state fee extra

Our pick for Pennsylvania is Mainstay Filing: you pay $199 a year and the annual report is filed for you along with the agent service.

You pay $200 more over three years than with Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co, for less paperwork on your side.

That covers the annual report too; the state's $7 is billed at cost.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • Registered office for the full year
  • Annual report filed each cycle
  • EIN application
  • State fee at cost

What we like

  • $199 yearly, all in one
  • EIN application included
  • Renewal holds at $199

Watch out for

  • Costs $100 more per year from year two
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
In-state service

2. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: best for a low-cost Pennsylvania start

$199 in year one, $99 after

Second place goes to Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: $199 up front with a free first agent year, $99 yearly from year two.

Budget time for the annual report every year; it is not in the price.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • First year of agent service

What we like

  • Formation fee $199
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • Free first agent year

Watch out for

  • Annual report filing not included
  • EIN help is $99 more
Visit Pennsylvania Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
In-state service

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

$199 in year one, $99 after

Third place goes to PA Registered Agent.org: $199 up front with a free first agent year, $99 yearly from year two.

Budget time for the annual report every year; it is not in the price.

On price it ties with Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • First year of agent service

What we like

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • Formation fee $199
  • Free first agent year

Watch out for

  • Annual report filing not included
  • EIN help is $99 more
Visit PA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our Pennsylvania picks compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Pennsylvania Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3PA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit PA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Published prices, read November 12, 2026. Every row excludes the $125 state fee.

Forming the LLC, in order

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

    Before you file, look the name up in the business records at the Pennsylvania Secretary of State; a name already in use can send the filing back.

    TipHave a second choice ready.

  2. Step 2: Choose who will be the registered agent

    Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent. Pennsylvania does not require a registered agent. Every LLC keeps a registered office instead: an actual street address in Pennsylvania, or a Commercial Registered Office Provider named in its place by a company without a Pennsylvania address.

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Pennsylvania. A P.O. box alone is not accepted.

    TipEvery service in our picks can act as your registered agent.

    Official source: Official: legis.state.pa.us, October 2026

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

    You can do this on your own for $125, or hand it to a service we picked for $199 on top.

  4. Step 4: Complete and file the Certificate of Organization

    This filing creates the company: the Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821), $125, sent to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State.

    Official source: Official: pa.gov, October 2026

  5. Step 5: Get your EIN

    Wait for the state's approval, then get the EIN from the IRS. You need it to open accounts in the LLC's name. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of its price.

  6. Step 6: Sign an operating agreement

    The operating agreement is your company's rule book: ownership, votes, what happens if an owner leaves. You keep it; you do not file it.

  7. Step 7: Plan for year two and beyond

    After year one the main job is the annual report ($7, every year, by September 30).

    Official source: Official: pa.gov, October 2026

Step-by-step costs

Cost itemPayeeAmount
Filing the LLCState office$125
Annual reportState office$7 every year
Service fees (optional)The service$199 in year one
Three years of state feesState office$139
State amounts come from Pennsylvania's official schedules (see References). The three-year state line adds the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax.

Behind the ranking

Mainstay Filing beat Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co on lesson steps handled, our 35% criterion.

Handling the annual report beat the lower price on our weights.

Pennsylvania questions

What does it cost to form an LLC in Pennsylvania?

Filing costs $125. Our picks charge $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

It is called the Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821), and it goes to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent.

What does Pennsylvania require each year?

The annual report: $7, every year, due September 30.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes, by filing yourself for $125 and naming a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing: formation, registered agent service and the annual report sit under one $199 yearly price. After it, Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co and PA Registered Agent.org.

More lessons

Reading list: official sources

  1. pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and. Confirmed August 2026.
  2. pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and. Confirmed August 2026.
  3. pa.gov. 15 Pa.C.S. § 8821. Confirmed August 2026.
  4. pa.gov. Pennsylvania formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Confirmed October 2026.
  5. legis.state.pa.us. Pennsylvania registered agent statute. Confirmed October 2026.
  6. Mainstay Filing, Pennsylvania service page (read November 12, 2026)
  7. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co, pricing page (read November 12, 2026)
  8. PA Registered Agent.org, pricing page (read November 12, 2026)