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Founder ClassroomLearn the LLC paperwork for your state.

Module 1 · Vermont

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

The short answer for starting an LLC in Vermont this year (2026): Mainstay Filing ($199), Vermont Registered Agent.co ($199) and VT Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Then the lesson: 7 steps, with a $155 state filing fee and the annual report every year.

The Founder Classroom teaching team ·

Quick facts for this lesson

Filing fee
$155legislature.vermont.gov (October 2026)
Annual report
$45 a yearReport due within 3 months after the end of the LLC's fiscal year on record
State fees, first three years
$245Before any service fees
How many steps
7In order

By the end you will know

  • Where and how to file in Vermont
  • Who can be your registered agent
  • The yearly upkeep
  • How our picks compare

Teacher's pick

Our picks for Vermont

How we graded: five criteria, with three-year cost and steps handled counting most.
First choice

1. Mainstay Filing: best for skipping the annual report paperwork

$199 a year plus the state fee ($354 at checkout)

Mainstay Filing gets the top grade here. Why: you pay $199 a year and the annual report is filed for you along with the agent service.

Vermont Registered Agent.co is $200 less across three years; covering more lesson steps outweighs the gap on our rubric.

It also files the annual report for you; Vermont's $45 fee is charged at cost.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report filed each cycle
  • EIN application
  • Official fee at cost

What we like

  • Flat $199 a year
  • Does the EIN application
  • Renews at $199

Watch out for

  • Renews $100 higher than Vermont Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local choice

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

Formation $199 · renewal $99 a year

Vermont Registered Agent.co is a solid second choice: formation at $199 over the state fee, then a $99 agent renewal.

The annual report stays on your to-do list every year.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • First year of agent service

What we like

  • Year one of agent service in the price
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Then $99 a year

Watch out for

  • No annual report service
  • $99 add-on for the EIN application
Visit Vermont Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local choice

3. VT Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that stay in Vermont

Formation $199 · renewal $99 a year

VT Registered Agent.org is a solid third choice: formation at $199 over the state fee, then a $99 agent renewal.

The annual report stays on your to-do list every year.

On price it ties with Vermont Registered Agent.co.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • First year of agent service

What we like

  • Then $99 a year
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Year one of agent service in the price

Watch out for

  • No annual report service
  • $99 add-on for the EIN application
Visit VT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our Vermont picks compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Vermont Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Vermont Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3VT Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit VT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read from each company's pricing on November 12, 2026. Every row excludes the $155 state fee.

Step-by-step lesson

  1. Step 1: Settle on a name

    Search the register kept by the Vermont Secretary of State first. If the name is taken, choose another before you file.

    TipKeep a backup name handy.

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

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An individual, or a business registered and active with the Secretary of State other than the company itself, with a street and mailing address in Vermont.

    The address has to be a street address in Vermont. P.O. boxes and virtual addresses are not accepted.

    TipAny of the services in our picks fills this role.

    Official source: legislature.vermont.gov (October 2026)

  3. Step 3: File it yourself, or hire it out

    If you file yourself, budget $155. If a service files, add $199; our picks are ranked above.

  4. Step 4: Send in the Articles of Organization

    Fill in the Articles of Organization and send it to the Vermont Secretary of State with the $155 fee.

    Official source: legislature.vermont.gov (October 2026)

  5. Step 5: Apply for an EIN

    After the Vermont approval, the IRS issues an EIN, the number banks and payroll use for the LLC. Mainstay Filing handles this application in its package.

  6. Step 6: Draft the operating agreement

    An operating agreement is internal. Sign it, keep it with the records, and the state never needs a copy.

  7. Step 7: Mark the yearly deadlines

    Each year, Vermont expects the annual report with $45, by within 3 months after the end of the LLC's fiscal year on record.

    Official source: sos.vermont.gov (October 2026)

Vermont costs by step

ItemPaid toPrice
Formation filingThe state$155
Annual reportThe state$45 every year
Filing service (optional)Service company$199 up front
State total over three yearsThe state$245
Every state figure links to its source under References; service prices come from each company's site.

How the grade worked out

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

The annual report step tipped the grade toward the bundle.

Common questions

What does it cost to form an LLC in Vermont?

Vermont charges $155. Our picks charge $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

You submit the Articles of Organization to the Vermont Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Vermont require each year?

The annual report: $45, every year, due within 3 months after the end of the LLC's fiscal year on record.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

You can: send the filing and the $155 fee yourself, and you still need a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

We'd go with Mainstay Filing, because formation, registered agent service and the annual report sit under one $199 yearly price. Then Vermont Registered Agent.co and VT Registered Agent.org.

See also

Where these facts come from

  1. Vermont Secretary of State fee schedule, Annual Report, published at sos.vermont.gov, as of October 2026
  2. Vermont report due date, published at legislature.vermont.gov, as of August 2026
  3. Vermont formation fee: Filing fee, official source, published at legislature.vermont.gov, as of October 2026
  4. Vermont registered agent statute, published at legislature.vermont.gov, as of October 2026
  5. Mainstay Filing Vermont service page: prices as shown November 12, 2026
  6. Vermont Registered Agent.co pricing page: prices as shown November 12, 2026
  7. VT Registered Agent.org pricing page: prices as shown November 12, 2026