Form an LLC

How to Form an LLC — A State-by-State Guide

Forming an LLC is simple in principle and messy in practice. The legal mechanics are the same across every state — articles of organization, a registered agent, an EIN, an operating agreement — but every state layers in its own filing fee, processing window, publication rule, franchise tax regime, and compliance calendar. Miss one detail and your entity can be rejected, suspended, or hit with avoidable fees.

This guide walks the full formation process phase by phase: laying the groundwork, filing with the state, federal setup, governing documents, and ongoing compliance. Each state has a dedicated page with the specific fee, processing time, annual-report requirement, and official links you'll actually need — so you stop triangulating blog posts and start executing from a single source of truth.

What this guide covers

Each phase contains the specific, in-order steps that apply across every state — with state-specific amounts, deadlines, and official links layered in on the per-state pages.

How Life Mapt does this differently

Life Mapt turns all of this into a personalized, state-aware plan: a named-step checklist with deadlines, official links, operating-agreement guidance, and a compliance calendar you can track from day one through your first annual report.

State-by-state guides

Pick your state for the specific deadlines, fees, and official links that apply to you. Pages marked Verified have fully researched state-specific data; all other states include the same complete workflow with clear prompts for local verification.