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Founder Primer

LLC paperwork, boiled down for founders.

Primer 1 · Idaho

LLC Formation in Idaho (2026): 7 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services

Short answer for Idaho, 2026: use Mainstay Filing ($199), Idaho Registered Agent.co ($199) and ID Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked best to worst, if you want help starting an LLC. 7 moves, $100 to the state, then the annual report every year.
From the Founder Primer desk

Start here

Fee to form
$100
Per legislature.idaho.gov, as of October 2026
Annual report
No fee
Mark it: last day of the entity's anniversary month
State cost, years 1 to 3
$100
Service fees excluded
Moves in this primer
7
Each one explained

What you get

  • Where and how a Idaho LLC is filed
  • The registered agent requirement
  • What you file every year after
  • How the picks compare

Who we would hire in Idaho

Three-year cost and to-dos cleared weigh the most. How we score lists all five criteria.

Top mark $199 first year, $199 renewal, state fee extra

1. Mainstay Filing: best for dropping the annual report paperwork

In Idaho, Mainstay Filing is number one: one bill of $199 a year clears three to-dos (filing, registered agent, annual report).

Three years run $200 higher than Idaho Registered Agent.co, and more of the work gets done.

The annual report is filed for you, with no state fee.

Inside the price
  • The filing is made for you
  • Registered agent all year
  • Annual report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • State fee passed through at cost
In its favor
  • $199/yr for the whole bundle
  • The EIN step is in the price
  • Renewal stays at $199
Against it
  • $100 a year over Idaho Registered Agent.co at renewal
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local option $199 plus fees, then $99 yearly

2. Idaho Registered Agent.co: best for a low-cost Idaho start

Number 2 is Idaho Registered Agent.co, where $199 to file, then $99 a year to keep the agent.

The annual report is outside the price.

Inside the price
  • The Idaho formation, prepared and sent
  • Agent service for year one
In its favor
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent covered for year one
  • Then $99 a year
Against it
  • The annual report is not in the price
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit Idaho Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local option $199 plus fees, then $99 yearly

3. ID Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that stay in Idaho

Number 3 is ID Registered Agent.org, where $199 to file, then $99 a year to keep the agent.

The annual report is outside the price.

It lists the same prices as Idaho Registered Agent.co.

Inside the price
  • The Idaho formation, prepared and sent
  • Agent service for year one
In its favor
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Then $99 a year
  • Agent covered for year one
Against it
  • The annual report is not in the price
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit ID Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All prices in one table

# Service First year From year two Three-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199 $199/yr $597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Idaho Registered Agent.co $199 $99/yr $397 Visit Idaho Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 ID Registered Agent.org $199 $99/yr $397 Visit ID Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Posted prices, read November 13, 2026. The $100 state fee is not in these figures.

Starting a Idaho LLC, move by move

  1. Move 1

    Name the company

    A taken name can get the Idaho filing bounced. Run the business search at the Idaho Secretary of State before you do anything else.

    Have a backup ready.

  2. Move 2

    Put a registered agent in place

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An Idaho resident, or a business entity authorized to do business in Idaho. An assumed business name (DBA) cannot serve.

    The address has to be a physical street address in Idaho. P.O. boxes and commercial mailboxes are not accepted.

    Any service we rank here can serve as your registered agent.

    Where this comes from: Per legislature.idaho.gov, as of October 2026

  3. Move 3

    File yourself or pay a service

    $100 goes to the state regardless. A service costs $199 extra; the ranking shows who to use.

  4. Move 4

    Finish and lodge the Certificate of Organization Limited Liability Company

    Send the Certificate of Organization Limited Liability Company and $100 to the Idaho Secretary of State. Legal basis: Idaho Code § 30-25-201. That brings the LLC into being. Official turnaround: About 7 to 10 days.

    Where this comes from: Per legislature.idaho.gov, as of October 2026

  5. Move 5

    Request an Employer Identification Number

    Approval first. Then the IRS. Hire Mainstay Filing and the EIN application is handled.

  6. Move 6

    Put ownership rules in writing

    The operating agreement is the owners' rulebook. The company keeps it; the state does not ask for it.

  7. Move 7

    Stay in good standing in Idaho

    Calendar the annual report: no fee, every year, due last day of the entity's anniversary month.

    Where this comes from: Per legislature.idaho.gov, as of October 2026

What each move costs in Idaho

Cost item Goes to Total
The formation move State office $100
Annual report State office No fee
Paid help Service $199 for year one
State fees, years one to three State office $100

State amounts are Idaho's official fees (sources below); service prices come from each company's site. Three years of state cost is the filing, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

How we ordered the Idaho picks

edged out on to-dos the price takes off you, worth 38%.

Idaho wants the annual report every year, so a price that files it beat a lower one that leaves it to you.

Common questions

What does it cost to file an LLC in Idaho?

The state fee is $100. Services we rank charge $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Once the Idaho Secretary of State accepts the Certificate of Organization Limited Liability Company, the LLC exists.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

How long does Idaho take to process the filing?

Count on About 7 to 10 days.

What does Idaho require each year?

Every year the LLC files the annual report: no fee, due last day of the entity's anniversary month.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. Pay the state $100 at filing; the LLC still needs a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, Idaho Registered Agent.co and ID Registered Agent.org, best mark first.

Related primers

Sources, so you can check us

  1. Proof for Idaho yearly filing: Annual report: due date, official: the claims lean on legislature.idaho.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
  2. Proof for Idaho Code § 30-25-201: the claims lean on legislature.idaho.gov, which we last read in August 2026. Open it and compare.
  3. Proof for Idaho formation fee: Filing fee, official source: the claims lean on sos.idaho.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
  4. Proof for Idaho formation fee: Filing fee, official source: the claims lean on legislature.idaho.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
  5. Proof for Idaho registered agent statute: the claims lean on legislature.idaho.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
  6. Proof for Processing, official source: the claims lean on sos.idaho.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
  7. The Idaho service page from Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
  8. The pricing page from Idaho Registered Agent.co, November 13, 2026
  9. The pricing page from ID Registered Agent.org, November 13, 2026