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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Lesson 1 · Arizona

How to Start an LLC in Arizona (2026): a 8-Step Lesson and the 3 Best LLC Services

The graded picks for setting up an LLC in Arizona this year (2026) are Mainstay Filing ($199), Arizona Registered Agent.co ($199) and AZ Registered Agent.org ($199), best grade first. Expect 8 steps and a $50 state fee.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

Before you begin

What the state charges$50The official page is azcc.gov, last confirmed in October 2026
Yearly reportNoneNo recurring report
What the state collects in three years$50Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Steps in this lesson8Each one explained

Lesson goals

  • Where to file in Arizona and what the fee is
  • How to meet the statutory agent rule
  • What comes after formation
  • How the graded picks compare

Our graded picks for Arizona

Three-year cost and the number of steps a price takes off your list weigh the most; the grading page lists all five criteria.
Highest mark

1. Mainstay Filing: best for first-time founders

$199 a year plus the state fee

Mainstay Filing gets our top grade for Arizona: $199 a year pays for forming the LLC and keeping a statutory agent, including the EIN application.

You pay $200 more than at Arizona Registered Agent.co over three years and do less of the paperwork yourself.

What the price covers

  • Your formation filing is prepared and submitted
  • Statutory agent for twelve months
  • The EIN application
  • State fee added at cost

Marks in its favor

  • It files the EIN application for you
  • The same $199 every year
  • One yearly price of $199

Where it loses points

  • $100 a year more than Arizona Registered Agent.co's renewal
  • Arizona has no report for it to file
Local choice

2. Arizona Registered Agent.co: best for Arizona LLCs on a tight budget

$199 to start, $99 a year from year two

Arizona Registered Agent.co is a sound second choice because formation costs $199 beyond the state fee, and the agent renews at $99.

What the price covers

  • Filing with the state
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • The first agent year is included
  • $99 a year after that
  • $199 above the state fee

Where it loses points

  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Local choice

3. AZ Registered Agent.org: best for founders who prepare their own reports

$199 to start, $99 a year from year two

AZ Registered Agent.org is a sound third choice because formation costs $199 beyond the state fee, and the agent renews at $99.

It costs exactly what Arizona Registered Agent.co does.

What the price covers

  • Filing with the state
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • $99 a year after that
  • The first agent year is included
  • $199 above the state fee

Where it loses points

  • The EIN application costs $99 extra

Prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Arizona Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Arizona Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3AZ Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit AZ Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as posted on November 13, 2026. No row includes the $50 state fee.

How to form your Arizona LLC

  1. Step
    1

    Settle on a name

    Look up the name on the Arizona business register at the Arizona Corporation Commission first.

    Jot down two backup names before you search.

  2. Step
    2

    Choose a statutory agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An Arizona resident, or a corporation or LLC formed in Arizona or authorized to do business there. The appointment takes effect only once the agent accepts it in writing.

    The address has to be a place of business or residence in Arizona with a street address. A P.O. box can be listed only as a separate Arizona mailing address.

    You can hire any of the graded services for this job.

    Where this comes from: The official page is azleg.gov, last confirmed in October 2026

  3. Step
    3

    Pick how you will file

    Without a service you pay $50. With one of our graded picks you pay $199 more and skip the forms.

  4. Step
    4

    Deliver the Articles of Organization

    The Articles of Organization (Form L010) is what you prepare for the Arizona Corporation Commission, and the filing fee that goes with it is $50, as Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 29-3201 provides.

    Where this comes from: The official page is azcc.gov, last confirmed in October 2026

  5. Step
    5

    The additional Arizona step

    • Publication: a notice runs three times within 60 days unless the statutory agent is in a county of more than 800,000 people, where the Commission posts it instead.
  6. Step
    6

    Obtain an EIN

    Your EIN comes from the IRS rather than from Arizona. Apply once the state has approved the filing, then give the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing covers this step too.

  7. Step
    7

    Agree on the ground rules in writing

    Even if you are the only owner, a written operating agreement kept with the company records is a good idea for a Arizona LLC.

  8. Step
    8

    Stay in good standing in Arizona

    With no recurring report here, the one standing duty is a current statutory agent.

Arizona costs by step

Cost itemGoes toCost
The formation stepPaid to the state$50
Service fees (optional)The provider$199 up front
State fees for three yearsPaid to the state$50
State fees come from the official sources listed in the references. For three years we count the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where it applies.

Why Mainstay Filing comes first

edged ahead of on homework the price handles, which counts for 33%.

Steps handled decided it, though only narrowly.

Questions students ask

What does it cost to form an LLC in Arizona?

The state's fee is $50. A service from our graded list adds $199 in year one.

Which form creates the LLC?

Step 4 of this lesson shows how to complete the Articles of Organization (Form L010) and where to send it: the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Is a statutory agent required?

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

What does Arizona require each year?

No yearly LLC report is required.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing stops you from doing it yourself: the state wants $50, and you must also name a statutory agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing first, then Arizona Registered Agent.co and AZ Registered Agent.org; Mainstay Filing leads on homework the price handles.

More lessons

Class references

  1. Class reference on Ariz: azleg.gov (the state's own page), reread in August 2026 for this lesson.
  2. Class reference on Arizona formation fee: Filing fee, official source: azcc.gov (the state's own page), reread in October 2026 for this lesson.
  3. Class reference on Arizona registered agent statute: azleg.gov (the state's own page), reread in October 2026 for this lesson.
  4. On November 13, 2026 we read the Arizona service page of Mainstay Filing
  5. On November 13, 2026 we read the pricing page of Arizona Registered Agent.co
  6. On November 13, 2026 we read the pricing page of AZ Registered Agent.org