Free LLC cost calculator · all 50 states + DC

California LLC Cost Calculator

How much it costs to start and keep an LLC in California: every state fee, line by line, with official sources.

Reviewed by Alejandro Amador · State fees verified October 2026

Calculate your LLC costs

State

State fees verified October 2026 · official source

Quick fit check

Four taps for a recommendation based on your situation.

Where will you run the business?

Is someone there every business day, 9–5?

Who'll handle the yearly state filings?

When do you want to form it?

Show totals for

First year total

$929–$989

California LLC, with a formation service ·

Each year after: $935–$1,009
3-year total: $2,799–$3,007

California approves online filings in about 1–2 business days · rush: 24 hours for $350

#50 of 51 states for lowest first-year state fees

Our pick

Northwest Registered Agent

Answer the fit check for a recommendation based on your situation.

Northwest Registered Agent: $39 + state fees, a year of registered agent included ($39 more than filing yourself).

File with Northwest Compare with other services

Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Commissions don't change our numbers or picks.

What you get

Your home address off public records. They list their business address on your filings instead of yours, automatically.
1 year of registered agent included. Then $125/yr, a price they say they haven't raised in 20 years. Cancel online, no fee.
Lawsuits and state notices within the hour. Legal documents are scanned to your account within an hour (24 hours max on busy days).
Annual report reminders. They remind you before each deadline, and can file it for you for $100 + state fees (you can opt out).

3 more + fine print

✓ Real people, same-day email replies. A person answers calls and emails; they say all emails get a same-day reply.
✓ Business phone line, email and domain. A local-number phone line, an email inbox and a domain are included.
✓ Your data isn't sold. They state they don't sell customer data.
· EIN not included ($50 if you want them to get it; it's free from the IRS).
· Mail scanning covers 5 non-legal items a year, then $15 per document.
· Purchases are non-refundable after 90 days; state fees are never refunded.
Source: northwestregisteredagent.com, Oct 2026.

Changed recently: LLCs formed in 2026 owe California's $800 annual tax in year one (the old first-year exemption expired). Under SB 122, LLCs whose first tax year begins in 2027, 2028 or 2029 pay $400 in year one, then $800.

Your California LLC, done for you

Do it yourself

$890 first year

Pro: Lowest cost: state fees only
Con: You research and fill in the California forms
Con: Your home address goes on the public record
Con: You track annual reports and deadlines yourself

See everything filing yourself involves ↓Official California filing site

Have it done for you

from $929 first year

Only $39 more than doing it yourself, private address included

Pro: You answer a short questionnaire; they prepare and file
Pro: Their registered agent address, not your home

Northwest Registered Agent$929 yr 1 · $935/yr after
- · 1 year of registered agent included
- · Their address on the public record, not yours
File with Northwest
ZenBusiness$989 yr 1 · $1,009/yr after
- · $0 formation, submitted within 7–10 business days
- · 1 year of annual report filing
Go with ZenBusiness

Disclosure: affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never changes the numbers above. Service prices exclude add-ons and were checked Northwest northwestregisteredagent.com, Oct 2026; ZenBusiness zenbusiness.com, Oct 2026. Confirm at checkout.

What filing yourself in California actually involves

The state fee is the easy part. Here's everything else, and what a formation service takes off your plate.

1
Check your name is available
Easy
Yourself: Search the California business database and make sure the name follows state naming rules.
No rejected names
With a service: They check availability and naming rules before filing.
2
File your formation document ($70 state fee)
Some work
Yourself: Create an account on the California filing site, fill in the form and pay. If something's wrong it gets rejected and you refile.
Saves time, fewer mistakes
With a service: You answer a short questionnaire; they prepare and submit it.
3
Name a registered agent
Ongoing hassle
Yourself: List an address in the state where someone is available every business day to accept lawsuits and state notices. If it's your home, it becomes public.
Keeps your home address private
With a service: Their address goes on the public record; they receive legal mail and forward it to you.
4
Get an EIN from the IRS
Easy
Yourself: Free on irs.gov; the online form takes about 15 minutes.
Small convenience
With a service: Some plans include it, but it's free to do yourself.
5
Write an operating agreement
Some work
Yourself: Find a template and adapt it. Banks often ask for one when you open a business account.
Ready-made document
With a service: Included in some plans.
6
Every year: file on time to keep your LLC
Ongoing hassle
Yourself: Track each deadline yourself (Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every 2 years, by the end of the formation anniversary month). If you miss them: sOS and/or FTB suspension or forfeiture.
No missed deadlines
With a service: Deadline reminders, or the filing itself, depending on the plan.

California deadlines you'd be tracking

Annual report: Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every 2 years, by the end of the formation anniversary month. The filing window opens 6 months earlier.
First one due: Within 90 days after the Articles of Organization are filed.
Annual LLC tax $800 (FTB 3522): First year: by the 15th day of the 4th month after formation. After that, by the 15th day of the 4th month of each taxable year (April 15 for calendar-year LLCs).
LLC fee based on gross receipts (FTB 3536), if CA gross receipts are $250,000 or more: Estimated fee due by the 15th day of the 6th month of the taxable year (June 15 for calendar-year LLCs).
Form 568 LLC return: By the 15th day of the 3rd month after year-end (March 15) for multi-member LLCs. Single-member LLCs owned by an individual file by April 15.
If you're late: $250 penalty for a late Statement of Information (assessed by SOS, collected by FTB). Late Form 568: $18 per member per month, up to 12 months. Late payment: 5% plus 0.5% per month, up to 25%, plus interest.
If you ignore it: SOS and/or FTB suspension or forfeiture. A suspended LLC loses its right to do business, sue, or defend in court, and its name becomes available to others. The SOS pending-suspension notice gives 60 days to cure.

Checked against official state sources, October 2026. Source

Doing it yourself makes sense if…

· You don't mind your address on the public record
· Someone is at that address every business day
· You're comfortable with government forms
· You'll set reminders for every annual deadline

A service makes sense if…

· You work from home or rent, and want your address private
· You travel or aren't reliably available during business hours
· You'd rather not learn the state's forms and rules
· You want reminders so you never miss a filing

See Northwest's LLC service

Affiliate link; we may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Line item	Year 1	Per year after
State filing fee	$70	$0
Annual / periodic report Details Statement of Information (LLC-12) $20: initial due within 90 days of formation, then every two years (during the applicable filing period by formation month). $250 penalty for late filing (per Corp. Code; not re-confirmed this session).	$20	$10
Annual LLC Tax (FTB 3522) Details Due by 15th day of 4th month of the taxable year (first year: 4th month after SOS filing). First-year exemption applied only to tax years beginning 2021-2023 and has expired; new LLCs owe $800 for their first year. Owed every year until cancelled.	$800	$800
LLC Fee based on total income (FTB 3536) Details $0 if total CA income < $250,000; $900 for $250k-$499,999; $2,500 for $500k-$999,999; $6,000 for $1M-$4,999,999; $11,790 for $5M+. Estimated fee due by 15th day of 6th month of taxable year.	Varies	Varies
Formation service + registered agentoptional Details Northwest or ZenBusiness. Northwest: $39 formation, agent included year 1, then $125/yr; ZenBusiness: $0 formation, agent $99/yr, then $199/yr.	$39–$99	$125–$199
Total	$929–$989	$935–$1,009

"Varies" items depend on your income or ownership and aren't in the totals. Recurring fees are counted in year 1 to be safe; some states first bill in year 2. Biennial fees count as half per year; the 3-year total uses exact payment counts. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Ready to form your California LLC?

A formation service files it and keeps your home address off the public record. Affiliate links; we may earn a commission.

File with Northwest ZenBusiness

Compare states

Add up to two states to see them side by side with the same options.

Thinking of forming in another state?

If you operate in California but form elsewhere, you also register in California as a “foreign” LLC and pay both states every year.

Form inand operate in California

Form in California

$2,810–$3,709

3-year total

Form in Delaware

$4,425–$5,969

3-year total, both states

Forming in Delaware costs about $1,615–$2,260 more over 3 years, with no tax savings for a business that operates in California.

See the Delaware + California breakdown

Line item	Year 1	Per year after
Delaware: State filing fee	$110	$0
Delaware: Annual LLC Tax Details Raised from $300 to $400 by HB 400 (2026), effective for the 2026 tax year (first $400 payment due June 1, 2027; the June 1, 2026 payment for tax year 2025 was $300). Due June 1 for the prior year; $200 late penalty + 1.5%/month interest on tax and penalty.	$400	$400
Delaware: Formation service feeoptional	$0–$299	$0
Delaware: registered agent (required)	$100–$300	$100–$300
California: foreign registration	$70	$0
Delaware: certificate of good standing	$5–$50	$0
California: Annual / periodic report Details Statement of Information (LLC-12) $20: initial due within 90 days of formation, then every two years (during the applicable filing period by formation month). $250 penalty for late filing (per Corp. Code; not re-confirmed this session).	$20	$10
California: Annual LLC Tax (FTB 3522) Details Due by 15th day of 4th month of the taxable year (first year: 4th month after SOS filing). First-year exemption applied only to tax years beginning 2021-2023 and has expired; new LLCs owe $800 for their first year. Owed every year until cancelled.	$800	$800
California: LLC Fee based on total income (FTB 3536) Details $0 if total CA income < $250,000; $900 for $250k-$499,999; $2,500 for $500k-$999,999; $6,000 for $1M-$4,999,999; $11,790 for $5M+. Estimated fee due by 15th day of 6th month of taxable year.	Varies	Varies
California: registered agent serviceoptional	$100–$300	$100–$300

Includes a commercial registered agent in Delaware, since you won't have an address there. California also asks for a certificate of good standing from Delaware. Delaware or Wyoming mainly make sense for venture-funded startups or specific legal needs.

First-year cost by state

Filing yourself, state fees only. Click a state.

California: $890 first year · $810/yr after + income-based taxes

$0–$79
$80–$154
$155–$199
$200–$324
$325+

All 50 states and DC

Filing yourself and acting as your own registered agent. Click a column to sort. ● = fees changed in 2025–2026.


Arizona	$50	$50	$0	$50
Mississippi	$50	$50	$0	$50
Missouri	$50	$50	$0	$50
New Mexico	$50	$50	$0	$50
Kentucky	$40	$55	$15	$115
Montana●	$35	$55	$20	$135
Hawaii	$51	$66	$15	$126
Colorado	$50	$75	$25	$175
Michigan	$50	$75	$25	$175
Utah	$59	$77	$18	$149
Iowa	$50	$80	$15	$140
Ohio	$99	$99	$0	$99
Idaho	$100	$100	$0	$100
South Carolina	$110	$110	$0	$110
Oklahoma	$100	$125	$25	$225
West Virginia	$100	$125	$25	$225
Indiana	$95	$127	$16	$191
Pennsylvania	$125	$132	$7	$160
Virginia	$100	$150	$50	$350
Minnesota	$155	$155	$0	$155
Wisconsin	$130	$155	$25	$255
Louisiana●	$125	$160	$35	$300
Wyoming●	$100	$160	$60	$400
Georgia●	$110	$170	$60	$410
Kansas●	$85	$175	$45	$355
Nebraska	$100	$175	$13	$225
New Jersey●	$100	$175	$75+	$475
North Dakota	$135	$185	$50	$385
Arkansas	$45	$195	$150	$795
Alabama	$200	$200	$0+	$200
Connecticut	$120	$200	$80	$520
New Hampshire	$100	$200	$100+	$600
Oregon	$100	$200	$100	$600
Vermont	$155	$200	$45	$380
South Dakota	$150	$205	$55	$425
Illinois	$150	$225	$75	$525
Washington	$180	$250	$70	$530
Maine	$175	$260	$85	$600
Florida	$125	$264	$139	$819
Texas●	$300	$300	$0+	$300
North Carolina	$125	$325	$200	$1,125
District of Columbia	$99	$399	$150	$999
Alaska	$250	$400	$100	$800
Maryland	$100	$400	$300	$1,600
New York	$200	$409	$5+	$427
Nevada	$75	$425	$350+	$1,825
Delaware●	$110	$510	$400	$2,110
Rhode Island	$150	$600	$450	$2,400
Tennessee	$300	$700	$400+	$2,300
California●	$70	$890	$810+	$4,130
Massachusetts	$500	$1,000	$500	$3,000

+ = plus taxes that depend on income or ownership (see the state page).

California LLC fees explained

Filing directly with the state, a California LLC costs $890 in the first year and $810 a year after that, plus taxes that depend on your income or ownership. That's $715 more than the median state ($175), ranking #50 of 51 for lowest first-year cost.

Articles of organization: $70
Name reservation (optional): $10
Annual / periodic report: $20 every 2 years. Statement of Information (LLC-12) $20: initial due within 90 days of formation, then every two years (during the applicable filing period by formation month). $250 penalty for late filing (per Corp. Code; not re-confirmed this session).
Annual LLC Tax (FTB 3522): $800 per year. Due by 15th day of 4th month of the taxable year (first year: 4th month after SOS filing). First-year exemption applied only to tax years beginning 2021-2023 and has expired; new LLCs owe $800 for their first year. Owed every year until cancelled.
LLC Fee based on total income (FTB 3536): varies. $0 if total CA income < $250,000; $900 for $250k-$499,999; $2,500 for $500k-$999,999; $6,000 for $1M-$4,999,999; $11,790 for $5M+. Estimated fee due by 15th day of 6th month of taxable year.
Newspaper publication: not required
Expedited filing: 24-hour (Class C) $350 online/drop-off; Same-day (Class B) $750 online/drop-off; 4-hour (Class A) $500 Sacramento drop-off only after preclearance; 24-hour preclearance $500; $15 counter drop-off handling fee

Articles (LLC-1) $70 and SOI $20 confirmed on SOS form page; name reservation $10 (Gov. Code 12190; $10 extra handling if dropped off in person), 60-day hold. FTB pages block direct fetch; $800 tax and first-year-exemption window (2021-2023 only) confirmed via FTB form instruction snippets. Gross-receipts fee tiers per R&TC 17942 (confirmed via secondary sources this session).

Sources

Compiled October 2026. Formation and recurring fees confirmed on official state sources.

How this calculator works

State fees come from each state's Secretary of State (or equivalent) fee schedule, compiled in October 2026. Each state page lists the sources used. Where an official page couldn't be confirmed, the page says so.

Filing fee: the standard online fee for a domestic LLC's articles of organization (or certificate of formation).
Recurring state costs: annual or biennial reports, franchise or privilege taxes and required state licenses. They're counted in the first year to be conservative.
Publication: a few states require you to publish a notice in local newspapers. Cost varies by county, so it's shown as a range.
Services: prices come from the providers' own sites (Northwest Registered Agent, ZenBusiness), checked October 2026. Ranges span real offers, for example a $39 formation with a year of registered agent included versus a $0 formation plus a $199/yr agent.

Not included: federal and state income taxes, local business licenses, professional licenses and sales tax permits, which depend on your business and city.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay for an EIN?

No. An Employer Identification Number is free directly from the IRS. Services that charge for it are only filling in the form for you.

Can I be my own registered agent?

Usually yes, if you have a physical address in the state and are available during business hours. That address becomes part of the public record, which is why many owners use a service.

Should I form my LLC in Delaware or Wyoming instead?

For most small businesses, no. If you operate in your home state you'll typically have to register there as a foreign LLC anyway, paying both states' fees.