What does the LLC fee calculator include?

It adds your selected state's official filing fee to Northwest Registered Agent's published pricing: $39 for formation and registered agent service that is free the first year and $125 per year afterward. It shows your year-1 total and 3-year total. It does not include ongoing state annual report or franchise fees, which vary by state.

LLC State Fee & Registered Agent Calculator

Q: Is the registered agent really free the first year?

Yes. When you form an LLC through Northwest's $39 formation package, registered agent service is included free for the first year. It then renews at $125 per year, which is what the calculator uses for years two and three.

Use this free calculator to estimate what it really costs to start and maintain an LLC. Pick your state to instantly combine the official state filing fee with Northwest Registered Agent's $39 formation fee and registered agent pricing, so you can see your year-1 and 3-year totals before you file.

1. Choose your state

How the calculator works

Every LLC has one unavoidable cost: the state filing fee you pay when you submit your Articles of Organization. That fee is set by each state and is the same no matter who you file with. On top of it, most founders use a formation service and a registered agent. This tool uses the state fees published in our own per-state guides and pairs them with Northwest Registered Agent's current, publicly listed pricing:

State filing fee - a one-time payment to your state, verified against our state-by-state guides.
Northwest formation service - $39, a one-time fee.
Registered agent - free the first year with formation, then $125 per year on renewal.

The year-1 total is the state filing fee plus Northwest's $39 formation (registered agent is free in year one). The 3-year total adds two years of registered agent renewal ($125 × 2).

What the totals do not include

To keep the numbers accurate and comparable across every state, the totals cover formation and registered agent only. They exclude ongoing state obligations such as annual report fees and franchise taxes, which differ widely, from $0 in a few states to several hundred dollars in others. You can find those figures in each state's guide and in our annual LLC compliance requirements by state resource. For a deeper breakdown of every cost category, see our complete LLC formation cost guide.

Why we recommend Northwest

After comparing the major formation companies, Northwest Registered Agent is our top-rated pick for its $39 formation fee, included first-year registered agent service, and privacy-first approach. Read the full breakdown in our Northwest Registered Agent review or see how it stacks up in our best online LLC formation service comparison.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to form an LLC?

The main cost is your state's one-time filing fee, which ranges from about $35 to $500 depending on where you form. On top of that you may pay a formation service (Northwest charges $39) and registered agent service (Northwest includes the first year free with formation, then $125 per year).

Is the registered agent really free the first year?

Yes. When you form through Northwest's $39 package, registered agent service is included free for the first year, then renews at $125 per year, which is what the calculator uses for years two and three.

Are these fees current?

State filing fees are current as of 2026 and taken from our per-state guides, but states do change their fees from time to time. Always confirm the latest figure with your Secretary of State before filing.