Starting a small business should not mean living on government websites for a week.
Filing the LLC with your state is only the first piece. You also need someone who can receive legal mail in that state. You often need a free tax ID from the IRS. You want a simple agreement on paper. Later, your state may ask for a yearly report. Miss a step and you can stall a bank account, a lease, or a client contract.
If you want that setup handled for you — not a scavenger hunt across secretary-of-state portals — use the buttons below. This page is the done-for-you path. The fee tables and DIY how-tos stay linked at the bottom if you change your mind.
Get my LLC set up with ZenBusiness
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Free government options (like the IRS EIN page) are still linked when those are the better first step.
What “set up” usually includes
Most first-time owners need the same handful of jobs done. None of this is legal advice for your trade or your state. It is the usual checklist.
- File the LLC with your state — creates the company on paper.
- Name a registered agent — someone with a street address in that state who receives official mail and lawsuits.
- Get an EIN when you need one — banks and payroll often ask for this tax ID. The IRS application is free.
- Write a simple operating agreement — your own rulebook. Banks often ask for it.
- Stay in good standing — yearly or every-other-year reports in most states. BOI is a separate federal rule that only applies in some cases.
- Get paid — cards or invoices so customers can pay you.
- Licenses — only if your city or trade requires them. Separate from forming the LLC.
Two easy ways to buy help
Stay with one company. Many people use ZenBusiness to file the LLC and keep a registered agent. If federal BOI filing still applies to you, they can handle that too. One account. One set of emails. We do not push their banking, website, or bookkeeping add-ons here — this page is about getting formed and staying current.
Use different companies for different jobs. File with ZenBusiness (or LegalZoom if you already like them). Use LegalZoom when you mainly need a registered agent, EIN help, or help with the yearly state report. Use Square to take payments. Use 1-800Accountant for books or tax help. Use our free operating agreement tool. This fits if you only need help with one piece.
What to do, in order
Step 1 — File the LLC
Someone fills out Articles (or a Certificate) of Organization and sends them to your state. You get notified when it is approved. Many plans include the first year of registered agent service.
Form your LLC with ZenBusiness
Compare plans
Step 2 — Keep a registered agent on file
Almost every state wants a registered agent with a real street address in that state. A service puts their address on the public record and forwards mail to you, so your home address does not have to sit on the filing as the agent.
Get a registered agent — ZenBusiness
LegalZoom registered agent
Step 3 — Get an EIN (tax ID)
Banks and payroll often ask for an Employer Identification Number. You can get one free from the IRS online. Pay for help only if you want someone else to handle the paperwork.
EIN help via LegalZoom
Free IRS EIN application
Step 4 — Write an operating agreement
This is your LLC’s internal rulebook. Most states do not file it with the secretary of state, but banks often want one. Start free.
Use our free LLC operating agreement generator (Word and PDF, no signup).
Step 5 — Stay current with the state
Filing once is not the end. Most states want a report every year or every two years. Some also have a franchise or privilege tax. A service can remind you and file when it is due.
Annual report help — LegalZoom
Step 6 — BOI filing (only if it still applies to you)
Beneficial Ownership Information is a federal FinCEN rule. It is not your state yearly report. The rules have changed. As of our Florida LLC review in September 2026, FinCEN’s current approach exempts many U.S.-created companies from the older reporting requirement. Do not assume you must file. Check FinCEN’s current BOI page first. If a report still applies, a service can file it.
ZenBusiness BOI filing (if it applies)
· FinCEN BOI information
Step 7 — Get paid
Once the LLC exists, most service businesses need a way to take cards or send invoices.
Step 8 — Books and tax help
Bookkeeping is separate from filing with the state. If you want CPA-style help, talk to 1-800Accountant.
Step 9 — Licenses (only if your work needs them)
Trade licenses (cleaning, daycare, food truck, HVAC, salon, and the like) come from local or state boards. They are not the same as forming the LLC. Check your industry or state guide for what your trade needs. Formation companies sometimes sell license reports — optional helpers, not a substitute for the agency rules.
Common questions
Do I need a registered agent if I form through a service?
Yes in almost every state. The agent is a legal requirement, not a sales extra. Many formation packages include the first year. After that you renew or change the agent on file with the state.
Can I get an EIN for free?
Yes. The IRS online application is free if you have a valid taxpayer ID. Paid EIN help is for convenience only.
What is the difference between forming the LLC and staying compliant?
Forming creates the company. Staying compliant is everything afterward — yearly reports, franchise or privilege taxes where they apply, a current registered agent, and any federal reports that still apply to you.
Will one company do everything?
One company can often handle filing the LLC, the registered agent, and BOI if you still need it. Payments, books, and trade licenses usually still involve other tools or government offices.
When does BOI apply?
Only when FinCEN’s current rule says your company must file. That is federal, not a state form. As of September 2026 notes on our Florida LLC page, many U.S.-created companies are treated as exempt under FinCEN’s updated approach. Check FinCEN before you pay anyone to file.
Prefer to file pieces yourself?
That is fine. Use these when you want the DIY route — after you have decided which pieces you will handle alone:
- LLC cost by state — what the state charges
- LLC processing times by state — how long filings take
- Free LLC operating agreement generator
- State how-to example (Florida) — change the state in the URL for yours