LLC for Beginners › Pennsylvania
Forming an LLC in Pennsylvania for the first time
The Pennsylvania filing fee is $125. For a beginner the best service is Mainstay Filing: $199 a year covers the filing, agent, EIN application and the annual report, so year 1 comes to $324.
- Official sources, checked October 20, 2026
Your Pennsylvania checklist
- File the Certificate of Organization (DSCB:15-8821). $125 to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State.
- Registered agent. Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent. Mainstay Filing includes it.
- EIN. Free from the IRS; included in the application Mainstay Filing prepares.
- Operating agreement. Write one even for a single owner. No upcharge at Mainstay Filing.
- Annual report. Annual Report, every year, $7. Due: September 30.
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year + $125 state fee
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report filed every year it is due where the state requires one
- Compliance reminders and stored documents
Price from the Mainstay Filing pricing and FAQ pages, checked October 21, 2026. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
Total for the first three years
$736 with Mainstay Filing, state fees included. Others: Northwest Registered Agent $428; ZenBusiness $636; Bizee $437; LegalZoom $886 (these totals leave out any charge for filing the annual report).
Questions
What is the best LLC service for a beginner in Pennsylvania?
Mainstay Filing. First year $324 including the $125 Pennsylvania filing fee; $206 in year 2.
Can a beginner file an LLC in Pennsylvania without a service?
Yes: file the Certificate of Organization (DSCB:15-8821) with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State for $125. Office required registered 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.
Sources
- 15 Pa.C.S. § 8821 (formation of limited liability company and certificate of organization); filing fee $125 per the Department of State fee schedule (15 Pa.C.S. § 153) (multira state research spine): www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/types-of-filings-and-registrations/pennsylvania-limited-liability-company, checked August 12, 2026
- Pennsylvania formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/fees-and-payments, checked October 1, 2026
- Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations (multira state research spine): www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/types-of-filings-and-registrations/annual-reports, checked August 12, 2026
- Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations (multira state research spine): www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dos/resources/business/forms/15-146%20annual%20report%20final%2012.4.2024%20with%20watermark.pdf, checked August 12, 2026
- Pennsylvania registered agent statute (15 Pa.C.S. § 8825): www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/15/00.088..HTM, checked October 20, 2026