LLC Formation in Pennsylvania (2026): 7 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services
Our 2026 marks for starting an LLC in Pennsylvania: Mainstay Filing ($199), PA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co ($199), highest first. 7 moves, $125 to the state, then the annual report every year.
Five published criteria set the order; read them on how we score.
Best overall$199/yr and the $125 state fee
1. Mainstay Filing: best for a annual report that someone else files
Mainstay Filing gets the top mark in Pennsylvania: the founder pays $199 a year and skips three separate vendors for filing, registered agent and annual report.
PA Registered Agent.org is $200 cheaper over three years; this one still places higher because it does more of the work.
You will not touch the annual report; the $7 state fee is simply passed through.
Inside the price
Formation filing, prepared and sent
Registered office all year
Annual report filed on time
EIN application included
State fee at cost
In its favor
No bump at renewal ($199)
$199/yr for the whole bundle
EIN application included
Against it
PA Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less
Local option$199 plus fees, then $99 yearly
2. PA Registered Agent.org: best for Pennsylvania LLCs on a tight budget
PA Registered Agent.org lands second: $199 up front and no agent fee in year one; $99 a year from year two.
Make time for the annual report every year; it is not in the price.
Inside the price
The filing is made for you
Agent service for year one
In its favor
$199 plus the state fee
No agent fee in year one
Agent renews at $99
Against it
The annual report stays with you
A $99 add-on for the EIN
Local option$199 plus fees, then $99 yearly
3. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: best for a low agent renewal
Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co lands third: $199 up front and no agent fee in year one; $99 a year from year two.
Make time for the annual report every year; it is not in the price.
Pulled from each company's pricing page on November 13, 2026. Each row still needs Pennsylvania's $125 fee.
The primer, move by move
Move 1
Name the company
Name search comes first. Use the records at the Pennsylvania Secretary of State.
Show up with a second name.
Move 2
Put a registered agent in place
Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent. Pennsylvania does not require a registered agent. Every LLC keeps a registered office instead: an actual street address in Pennsylvania, or a Commercial Registered Office Provider named in its place by a company without a Pennsylvania address.
The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Pennsylvania. A P.O. box alone is not accepted.
Any service we rank here can serve as your registered agent.
Where this comes from: Official page: legis.state.pa.us (October 2026)
Move 3
File yourself or pay a service
$125 goes to the state regardless. A service costs $199 extra; the ranking shows who to use.
Move 4
Finish and lodge the Certificate of Organization
This is the filing that creates the company: the Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821), sent to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State with $125 (15 Pa.C.S. § 8821).
Where this comes from: Official page: pa.gov (October 2026)
Move 5
Request an Employer Identification Number
After approval, the IRS can give the LLC a federal tax ID, and the business bank account hinges on it. Mainstay Filing's yearly price covers this application.
Move 6
Sign an operating agreement
The operating agreement says who owns the Pennsylvania LLC and how decisions get made. Keep it with your records; the state never sees it.
Move 7
Handle Pennsylvania's recurring filing
Calendar the annual report: $7, every year, due September 30.
Where this comes from: Official page: pa.gov (October 2026)
The cost of this primer
What
Recipient
Cost
Filing the LLC
The state
$125
Annual report
The state
$7 every year
Paid help
Service company
$199 up front
State fees, years one to three
The state
$139
Filing plus the reports in years two and three plus any minimum tax: that is the state's three-year total. Sources are listed below.
Why Mainstay Filing is first
To-dos the price takes off you decided first place in Pennsylvania. It is 38% of the mark; the rest is founder outlay over three years, year-two price, fit with the state's rules and pricing you can read at once.
Handling the annual report tipped the mark toward the bundle.
Pennsylvania quick answers
What does Pennsylvania charge for a new LLC?
Pennsylvania bills $125. A service adds $199 the first year.
Which form creates the LLC?
Once the Pennsylvania Secretary of State accepts the Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821), the LLC exists.
Is a registered agent required?
Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent.
What does Pennsylvania require each year?
File the annual report every year, $7; deadline September 30.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
Yes. Pay the state $125 at filing; the LLC still needs a registered agent.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Mainstay Filing, PA Registered Agent.org and Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co, best mark first.