LLC for Beginners › Wisconsin
Forming an LLC in Wisconsin for the first time
The Wisconsin filing fee is $130. 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 $329.
- Official sources, checked October 20, 2026
Your Wisconsin checklist
- File the Articles of Organization - Limited Liability Company (Form 502). $130 to the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI).
- Registered agent. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. 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, $25. Due: End of the calendar quarter containing the LLC's anniversary date.
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year + $130 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
$777 with Mainstay Filing, state fees included. Others: Northwest Registered Agent $469; ZenBusiness $677; Bizee $478; LegalZoom $927 (these totals leave out any charge for filing the annual report).
Questions
What is the best LLC service for a beginner in Wisconsin?
Mainstay Filing. First year $329 including the $130 Wisconsin filing fee; $224 in year 2.
Can a beginner file an LLC in Wisconsin without a service?
Yes: file the Articles of Organization - Limited Liability Company (Form 502) with the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) for $130. Required registered agent: A Wisconsin resident, or a business entity formed in Wisconsin or authorized there, whose business office is the registered office. The agent needs an email address and has to consent.
Sources
- Wis. Stat. § 183.0201 (formation; articles of organization); fee § 183.0122(2)(a)1 ('Articles of organization, $130') (multira state research spine): dfi.wi.gov/Documents/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/Forms/CORP502.pdf, checked August 12, 2026
- Wisconsin formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: dfi.wi.gov/Pages/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/Fees.aspx, checked October 1, 2026
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate & Consumer Services (multira state research spine): dfi.wi.gov/Documents/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/Forms/CORP5.pdf, checked August 12, 2026
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate & Consumer Services (multira state research spine): dfi.wi.gov/Documents/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/Forms/CORP5i.pdf, checked August 12, 2026
- Wisconsin report due date (multira state research spine, due dates verified 714/714): docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/183/II/0210, checked August 12, 2026
- Wisconsin registered agent statute (Wis. Stat. § 183.0115): docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/183/i/0115, checked October 20, 2026