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20 states · 5-year total

What does an LLC
cost in your state?

Forming an LLC in California costs $800/year for ever. Forming it in Wyoming costs $60/year. The five-year cost gap between high and low states is over $3,500 before you even start operating. This calculator stacks filing fee + annual state fee + registered agent service across 20 states over a 1-10 year horizon.

your state & setup

Formation state

$800 annual franchise tax minimum

Horizon (years)

5 years

RA service fee/yr

California llc cost

$4,695

total cost over 5 years

year 1: $995

cost breakdown

One-time formation filing fee$70
Annual state fee × 5$4,000
Registered agent × 5 yr$625
TOTAL · 5 years$4,695

State filing fees verified against each state Secretary of State website, April 2026. Registered agent fees from competitive market ($99-$200 typical). California, Massachusetts, New York post highest total cost; Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Pennsylvania lowest. NY publication requirement adds $1K-$2K in NYC.

Updated 2026-04-27