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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Session 1 · Pennsylvania

How to Start an LLC in Pennsylvania (2026): a 7-Step Lesson and the 3 Best LLC Services

Here is who we would send a new founder to for setting up an LLC in Pennsylvania in 2026: Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and PA Registered Agent.org ($199), in grade order. Expect 7 steps and a $125 state fee, followed by the annual report every year.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

This lesson at a glance

State filing fee$125The official page is pa.gov, last confirmed in October 2026
Annual report$7 a yearThe state words the due date this way: September 30
State total for years 1 to 3$139Filing plus recurring state fees
Steps in this lesson7In order

By the end you will know

  • The Pennsylvania filing, what it costs and where it goes
  • The registered agent requirement
  • The recurring state filing
  • How the graded picks compare

Who we would hire in Pennsylvania

Five weighted criteria from how we grade set the order, and three-year cost and steps handled count most.
First choice

1. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: best for founders staying in Pennsylvania

$199 plus state fee, then $99/year

First in the class in Pennsylvania is Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: $199 gets you started with a free first agent year, and $99 each year from year two.

On three-year cost it beats Mainstay Filing, which is a big part of our grading.

Set aside time for the annual report every year, since the price does not include it.

What the price covers

  • Your Pennsylvania formation is prepared and filed
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • The first agent year is included
  • A low $99 renewal
  • $199 and the state fee

Where it loses points

  • It does not file the annual report
  • It charges $99 for the EIN step
Upkeep included

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one bill for filing and upkeep

$199 a year, with $324 covering the state fee

For number 2 we picked Mainstay Filing: $199 a year hands off the formation, the registered agent role and the annual report to someone else.

Over three years it costs $200 more than Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co, and cost makes up 32% of the grade.

That includes the annual report, with the state's $7 billed at cost.

What the price covers

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • Registered office for twelve months
  • Annual report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application
  • State fee added at cost

Marks in its favor

  • Renews at $199
  • One yearly price of $199, with the annual report included
  • The EIN application is included

Where it loses points

  • A $100 yearly premium over Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co
Pennsylvania focus

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

$199 plus state fee, then $99/year

PA Registered Agent.org is a sound third choice because $199 gets you started with a free first agent year, and $99 each year from year two.

Set aside time for the annual report every year, since the price does not include it.

Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co and this service charge the same.

What the price covers

  • Your Pennsylvania formation is prepared and filed
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • The first agent year is included
  • $199 and the state fee
  • A low $99 renewal

Where it loses points

  • It does not file the annual report
  • It charges $99 for the EIN step

The 3 graded picks compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Pennsylvania Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3PA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit PA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. The state fee ($125) is not counted.

Starting an LLC in Pennsylvania, one step at a time

  1. Step
    1

    Choose the LLC's name

    Use the business search at the Pennsylvania Secretary of State to see whether another Pennsylvania company already holds your name; a clash can get the filing sent back.

    Have a spare name ready.

  2. Step
    2

    Decide who your registered agent will be

    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 in our graded list can be your registered agent.

    Where this comes from: The official page is legis.state.pa.us, last confirmed in October 2026

  3. Step
    3

    Pick how you will file

    Filing directly costs only the $125 state fee. A service adds $199 but handles the forms. See the graded list.

  4. Step
    4

    Prepare and file the Certificate of Organization

    When the Pennsylvania Secretary of State accepts the Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821) together with $125 (15 Pa.C.S. § 8821), the LLC exists.

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

  5. Step
    5

    Apply for an EIN

    Wait for the state to approve the LLC, then request the EIN from the IRS. Mainstay Filing treats the EIN application as part of the package.

  6. Step
    6

    Write an operating agreement

    Write down ownership and decision rules in an operating agreement. It is an internal paper and no part of the Pennsylvania filing.

  7. Step
    7

    Stay in good standing in Pennsylvania

    Once a year the LLC files the annual report and pays $7; the due date is September 30.

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

Pennsylvania costs by step

LinePaid toTotal
The formation stepPaid to the state$125
Annual reportPaid to the state$7 every year
Optional serviceService$199 in the first year
State total over three yearsPaid to the state$139
Official Pennsylvania fees, cited below. The three-year line adds the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

How we graded the Pennsylvania picks

Tuition over three years carries 32% of the report card, and that is where pulled ahead in Pennsylvania.

Paying Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co for three years adds up to $397, which is $200 below the Mainstay Filing total.

Questions students ask

What will I pay to set up an LLC with Pennsylvania?

The official fee is $125. If you hire a service, add $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Step 4 of this lesson shows how to complete the Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821) and where to send it: the Pennsylvania Secretary of State.

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?

Keep an eye on the annual report: $7, every year, September 30.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners can send the paperwork themselves with the $125 fee, provided they appoint a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

We would pick Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co, because formation costs $199 beyond the state fee, and the agent renews at $99. After that, Mainstay Filing and PA Registered Agent.org.

See also

Class references

  1. Source for Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and: pa.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  2. Source for Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and: pa.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  3. Source for 15 Pa.C.S. § 8821: pa.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  4. Source for Pennsylvania formation fee: Filing fee, official source: pa.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  5. Source for Pennsylvania registered agent statute: legis.state.pa.us, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  6. On November 13, 2026 we read the pricing page of Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co
  7. On November 13, 2026 we read the Pennsylvania service page of Mainstay Filing
  8. On November 13, 2026 we read the pricing page of PA Registered Agent.org