How Much Does an LLC Cost in Pennsylvania

Written by: Mary Gerardine

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How Much Does an LLC Cost in Pennsylvania

The minimum Pennsylvania LLC Cost is $125, which covers the processing fee for filing your LLC formation document (known as the Certificate of Organization).

Having said that, the total cost of forming a Pennsylvania LLC will depend on several factors, including your personal preferences and business needs.

In our How Much Does an LLC Cost in Pennsylvania article, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about the different costs associated with launching and maintaining an LLC.

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LLC Cost in Pennsylvania

In the table below, you can find a summary of the main requirements of forming a Pennsylvania limited liability company (LLC) and their associated fees.

                                                         
RequirementFee
Certificate of Organization$125-$250+
Registered Agent Fee$0-$130+
LLC Name$0-$140
Operating Agreement$0+

Pennsylvania LLC Filing Fee ($125+)

All business owners looking to form an LLC in Pennsylvania must file specific formation documents with the Department of State.

For domestic entities this is the Certificate of Organization, while foreign entities are instead required to submit a Foreign Registration Statement.

If you choose to submit either of these documents by yourself, you’ll be required to pay one of the following registration fees:

  • Domestic Entities: $125
  • Foreign Entities: $250

However, if you choose to use an LLC formation service, the total cost will be a little higher as it will include a small service fee in addition to the state organization filing fee outlined above.

The typical cost of these LLC formation services can range significantly, but normally start from as low as $29, increasing if you decide to purchase any additional offerings (e.g., registered agent office, business number, etc.).

Note: For more details on the formation process, you can check out our Pennsylvania LLC Formation guide.

Pennsylvania Registered Agent ($0+)

As part of the process of filling out either your Pennsylvania LLC Certificate of Organization or Foreign Registration Statement, you’ll be required to appoint a registered office or commercial registered office provider.

This is a Pennsylvania resident or entity that you must assign to accept legal documents, as well as tax and governmental correspondence, on behalf of your LLC.

While you can act as your own registered agent at no cost, it’s often recommended to hire a professional service so you avoid any potential penalties or legal issues caused by non-compliance with state regulations; it can also ensure your personal information is kept off public records.

Even though the exact Pennsylvania registered agent fee you’ll be required to pay will depend on the specific provider you choose, this is typically around $130 per year.

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Alternatively, you can find some of the top recommendations for professional RA services in our Best Registered Agent Services of 2024 article.

Naming Your Pennsylvania LLC ($0-$140)

When forming your Pennsylvania LLC, you’ll be required to pick a suitable name that’s available to use.

While registering a name in itself has no cost, there are two potential costs to be aware of when naming your LLC.

Reserving Name

If you’ve already decided upon a name for your LLC but aren’t looking to form a business right now, you can reserve it in order to keep it safe for later use.

This can be done by filing a Name Reservation/Transfer of Reservation form with the Pennsylvania Department of State by mail or online.

Regardless of how you choose to file, submitting this form costs $70 and will keep your name safe for a period of 120 days. After this time, you’ll need to decide whether to renew this reservation (and pay another $70 filing fee) or proceed to create your LLC.

Note: We encourage you to check whether your desired LLC name is available for use by performing a Business Search on the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website.

When choosing a name for your LLC, it’s important to select one that corresponds to an available domain. This is because a matching domain ensures consistency between your LLC’s name and its online presence, which helps to strengthen its brand recognition and credibility.

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Doing Business As (DBA) Name

If you want to operate your Pennsylvania business under a name other than the one it’s currently legally registered as, you’ll need to obtain a Doing Business As (DBA) name — which is also known as a “fictitious name” in Pennsylvania.

In order to secure a DBA name for your Pennsylvania LLC, you will need to file a Registration of Fictitious Name with the Department of State, which costs $70.

Note: If you use a fictitious name without registering it, your LLC will be unable to use the courts to enforce any contracts entered into under this name. A $500 penalty may even be imposed in instances where you attempt to do this.

Pennsylvania LLC Operating Agreement ($0+)

While not mandatory, it’s good practice for Pennsylvania LLCs to have an operating agreement.

This document defines the roles and responsibilities of the members or managers in your LLC and will help prevent and solve any business disputes that may arise later on.

While you can opt to hire an online service or business attorney to draft this document for you (which typically costs at least a few hundred dollars), it’s actually quite straightforward to do it yourself at no extra cost.

It’s also important to note that this doesn’t actually need to be filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State — it’s purely an internal document.

Additional Pennsylvania LLC Formation Costs

On top of the more common fees outlined above, there are a number of potential additional formation costs that LLCs in Pennsylvania may encounter depending on their circumstances.

We’ve summarized some of these additional costs below:

Expedited Pennsylvania LLC Filing

The Pennsylvania Department of State typically processes documents within 15 business days after receipt.

If you want your LLC’s Certificate of Organization to be processed more quickly, you can choose to pay extra for the following expedited handling services:

  • Same day processing: $100 (received before 10:00 a.m. only)
  • Three hours processing: $300 (received before 2:00 p.m. only)
  • One hour processing: $1000 (received before 4:00 p.m. only)

These expedited handling services are only available for submissions made in-person; keep in mind that the fees are the same regardless of whether you’re filing as a domestic LLC or a foreign LLC.

Note: In order to request these faster processing times, you’ll need to fill out an Expedited Service Request form and submit it in person to the Department of State’s Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations Harrisburg office.

Local Business Licenses

In order to comply with the local-level regulations of your city and county, your business may be required to obtain some local business licenses.

While very few municipalities impose a general licensing requirement for businesses operating within their limits, your LLC might need a specific business license if it’s involved in certain activities.

For example, LLCs based in the city of Allentown are required to obtain a general business license costing $35, while the equivalent license in the city of Altoona costs $100 to obtain.

Note: To determine the local body you’ll need to get in contact with for more information on local registrations, permits, and licenses, you can use the PA Business One-Stop Shop’s Pennsylvania Municipal Statistics Contact Search page.

Certificate of Subsistence

A Certificate of Subsistence is a document demonstrating that your LLC is still active according to the records of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

It’s often required to open a business bank account, or by lenders in order to check that your LLC is properly registered and legally authorized to conduct business with the state.

To request this certificate from the Pennsylvania Department of State, you’ll need to submit a request through the PennFile system and pay a $40 fee.

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Cost to Maintain an LLC in Pennsylvania

In addition to the cost of forming an LLC in Pennsylvania, there are also several ongoing costs you’ll be responsible for paying each year.

We’ve outlined these recurring costs associated with maintaining a Pennsylvania LLC below.

Annual Report

Beginning in the calendar year of 2025, all LLCs — along with a number of other business entity types — will be required to file an annual report instead of the decennial report requirement that’s been in place up until now.

Both foreign and domestic LLCs must submit this annual report to the Department of State by September 30 each year, alongside a filing fee of $7.

Since this new annual report requirement is a recent change, a transition period will be in place until 2027 which will prevent penalties for not filing this document.

After this time, LLCs will be dissolved if they haven’t filed the report within six months of the due date.

Registered Agent Maintenance

If you decide to take advantage of a professional registered agent in order to handle your legal documents, you’ll be required to pay an annual fee in return for their services. This fee commonly ranges between $35 and $300 depending on the provider and features you select.

While you’re not required to use a professional registered agent service, it’s highly recommended for most small LLC owners.

Taxes

In addition to the federal tax obligations your LLC owes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), there are a variety of state-specific Pennsylvania business taxes you need to be aware of, including:

  • Sales tax
  • Employment taxes
  • Business privilege taxes
  • Property taxes

Additionally, there are various local taxes your LLC may need to pay depending on the municipality or county it’s based in, such as:

  • Sales and use taxes
  • Property tax

Pennsylvania vs Other States

While not as cheap as many of the other popular states when it comes to LLC formation, there are certainly worse options you could pick when it comes to choosing a cost-effective state in which to get your business up and running.

As an example, California is highly attractive to entrepreneurs due to its large economy and consumer base, but can be incredibly expensive — particularly when compared to Pennsylvania.

Moreover, instead of California’s initial startup fee of $70 and ongoing costs of $20 (and an additional $800 a year if you make more than $250,000 in revenue), LLC owners in Pennsylvania are only required to pay an initial startup fee of $125 and an ongoing fee of $7.

Ultimately, however, the best state to form your LLC will be one in which you plan to primarily operate your business from.

This is because this makes it far easier to stay legally compliant on a number of levels, including taxation, licensing, and filing requirements, as you’ll only need to deal with one state’s set of rules.

LLC Cost in Pennsylvania FAQ

How much is an LLC in Pennsylvania?

In general, the minimum it will cost you to form an LLC in Pennsylvania is $125, which is the filing fee for your Certificate of Organization. Having said that, it’s important to understand that your total cost can easily be double this or more depending on the optional extras you choose to pay for.

How long does it take to set up an LLC in PA?

Setting up an LLC in Pennsylvania usually takes between two and four weeks from the time you submit your Certificate of Organization. This is typically the amount of time the Department of State needs to process your Certificate of Organization after receiving it — though you can shorten this by paying extra and submitting an expedited service request form. For more information, you can have a look at our How to Start an LLC in Pennsylvania article.

What do you need for an LLC in PA?

In order to legally establish your LLC in Pennsylvania, you must submit a Certificate of Organization and Docketing Statement with the Department of State. However, you must also select a unique and available name, appoint a registered agent, and obtain any necessary business insurance. For more information on the cost of all this, see our How Much Does it Cost to Start an LLC article.

Do you have to renew your LLC every year in PA?

From 2025 onwards, all LLCs will be required to submit an annual report and pay a $7 filing fee in order to remain in good standing with the state. Failure to file this will result in administrative dissolution from 2027 onwards. For more information, you can have a look at our How Much Does an LLC Cost in Pennsylvania guide.

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