If a lease, bank account, or insurance binder depends on your LLC existing this week, the fee is only half the story — Secretary of State (or ACC / DLCP / DFI) turnaround is the other half. This page compares domestic LLC Articles / Certificate of Formation processing for 2026 across 50 states and D.C.: online standard time, mail/paper time, and whether a published expedite path exists. It is not a fee schedule and not a “best state to form” opinion piece.
Published online midpoints
17
of 51 jurisdictions
Fastest online midpoint
~0.5d
AL class (immediate / minutes)
Slowest online midpoint
~35d
Maryland (non-expedited)
Expedite published (Y)
26
jurisdictions
Distinct from: the sibling LLC cost by state (2026) table (fees ≠ turnaround);
state LLC how-to narratives; and “best state to form” opinion rankings.
Use the cost page for what you pay the filing office; use this page for how long the filing office says it takes.
Related: business formation statistics,
best states to start a business,
and the LLC operating agreement template after the state accepts Articles.
state LLC how-to narratives; and “best state to form” opinion rankings.
Use the cost page for what you pay the filing office; use this page for how long the filing office says it takes.
Related: business formation statistics,
best states to start a business,
and the LLC operating agreement template after the state accepts Articles.
Download CSV (51 jurisdictions)
Key findings (2026-09-22 ET)
- Fastest online class (published midpoints): Alabama (~0.5 day midpoint) — Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, South Dakota and similar “immediate / minutes / auto-accept” portals cluster near same-day when the filing is complete.
- Slowest published online midpoint: Maryland (~35 day midpoint). Maryland SDAT states non-expedited filings are reviewed in the second calendar month after submission (~6–8 weeks). Pay the expedite/rush tiers if you need a bankable entity sooner.
- Slowest published mail midpoint in this set: Maryland (~40 day midpoint) (plus transit). Georgia lists about 15 business days for mail; Alaska form materials cite 10–15 business days.
- Expedite coverage: 26 of 51 jurisdictions publish a fee-based expedite (or rush) path for formation filings. Where SOS publishes “expedited” without a day count, the table marks Y and notes “fee-based; time not published” rather than inventing days.
- Live backlog boards matter more than static blogs: California SOS and Florida Sunbiz publish “currently reviewing filings received on…” dates (scraped 2026-09-22). Those are rolling queues, not permanent SLAs — re-check before you promise a landlord a date.
- Caveats: Seasonal backlog, incomplete filings, statutory-agent acceptance (AZ), and county newspaper publication (AZ/NE/NY) can add calendar time after SOS acceptance. Foreign qualification, name reservation alone, and annual reports are out of scope.
50-state + D.C. LLC processing table (2026)
Times prefer official SOS / ACC / DLCP portal language or live processing-date boards. Ranges are preserved; midpoints are for the map only. Click a state name for the formation how-to. Sibling fee comparison: LLC cost by state.
| # | State | Online standard time | Mail / paper time | Expedite? | Expedite time | Expedite fee note | Source / as-of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | Same-day / near-immediate (online) | Slower than online (fixed SLA not published) | N | — | No separate SOS expedite fee schedule highlighted on fee PDF | 2026-09-22 | SBL AL LLC guide: Alabama Interactive often same-day/near-immediate; mail slower. |
| 2 | Alaska | Immediate (online) | 10–15 business days (form materials) | N | — | No separate expedite fee on Forms by Event table for Articles | 2026-09-22 | SBL AK LLC guide citing form materials for mail; online intended for immediate processing. |
| 3 | Arizona | Check ACC current processing dates (often ~9–16 business days non-expedited) | Similar to online once received (plus mail time) | Y | Expedite often ~2–5 business days; accelerated next-day/same-day/2-hour tiers | +$35 expedite common; accelerated $100/$200/$400 tiers (confirm portal) | 2026-09-22 | ACC publishes rolling processing times (PDF/board). Do not treat LLCU 14–16 as fixed forev |
| 4 | Arkansas | Not published as fixed SLA (online generally faster) | Not published as fixed SLA | N | — | No separate expedited fee column on domestic LLC forms table researched | 2026-09-22 | SBL AR guide: fees page does not publish a single fixed SLA. Secondary aggregators claim r |
| 5 | California | ~2–4 business days backlog (board: reviewing 09/18/2026 as of 09/22) | ~5 business days backlog (board: reviewing 09/15/2026 as of 09/22) | Y | 24-hour; Same-day; 4-hour (drop-off) | 24-Hour $350; Same-Day $750; 4-Hour $500 drop-off only (Service Options) | 2026-09-22 | SOS Current Processing Dates board (LLC Formations). Peak season lengthens queues. Confirm |
| 6 | Colorado | Generally completes after payment (online) | Paper expedite listed; prefer online | Y | Fee-based; time not published as fixed day-count for all filings | Expedited service $150 on fee schedule (confirm applicability) | 2026-09-22 | SBL CO guide: online filings generally complete after payment. LLCU claims immediate / no |
| 7 | Connecticut | Most filings automatically accepted (Business.CT.gov) | Slower; online expedite not available on paper | Y | Fee-based when offered; no fixed day-count promise on fee pages | $50 per transaction online only when offered | 2026-09-22 | SBL CT guide citing Business.CT.gov automatic acceptance language. |
| 8 | Delaware | Standard timing varies; use expedite tiers for published cutoffs | Standard timing varies (plus mail) | Y | 1-hour / 2-hour / Same-day / Next-day (cutoff rules) | 1-hr $1,000; 2-hr $500; same-day ~$100–$200; next-day ~$50–$100 (plus filing fee) | 2026-09-22 | Division Expedited Services page publishes tiers; standard day-count not fixed. Busy seaso |
| 9 | District of Columbia | About 5 business days (non-expedited online) | Slower than online | Y | 3-day / 1-day | $50 (3-day); $100 (1-day); walk-in = mandatory same-day expedite | 2026-09-22 | SBL DC guide citing DLCP FAQ ~5 business days non-expedited online. |
| 10 | Florida | ~4–5 business days backlog (board: online new entities 09/15–16 as of 09/22) | ~6 business days backlog (board: mail new entities 09/14 as of 09/22) | U | — | Confirm current Sunbiz options; board is primary timing signal | 2026-09-22 | Sunbiz Document Processing Dates updated 09/22/26. Backlog-derived estimate, not a guarant |
| 11 | Georgia | About 7 business days (standard online) | About 15 business days | Y | 2 business days / same business day (before noon) / 1-hour (mail/in-person paths) | +$100 / +$250 / +$1,000 expedite add-ons (georgia.gov) | 2026-09-22 | SBL GA guide citing georgia.gov listed day counts. |
| 12 | Hawaii | Fixed day-count SLA not published on fee page researched | Not published as fixed SLA | Y | Fee-based; faster turnaround when purchased (day count not fixed on fee page) | Expedited review (Articles) +$25 | 2026-09-22 | SBL HI guide: no fixed day-count SLA for regular online; expedite +$25. |
| 13 | Idaho | Approximately 7–10 days from filing (check processed-through dates) | Similar once received (prefer SOSBiz online) | Y | Paper expedite / same-day language on forms | Paper expedite +$40 / same-day +$100 (confirm current form instructions) | 2026-09-22 | SBL ID guide citing SOS business forms page ~7–10 days. |
| 14 | Illinois | Approximately 10 business days (standard online $150 path) | Slower than online | Y | 24-hour service | $250 total for 24-hour ($150 + $100) per online instructions | 2026-09-22 | SBL IL guide citing ILSOS online instructions. |
| 15 | Indiana | Most items processed quickly (no published day-count SLA) | Paper available; slower than online | N | — | No standard SOS expedite fee schedule identified | 2026-09-22 | SBL IN guide: processes most items quickly; no typical expediting fees. |
| 16 | Iowa | Review after submission; no guaranteed day-count SLA published | Not published as fixed SLA | U | — | No official Certificate expedite fee confirmed on forms/fees page | 2026-09-22 | SBL IA guide: Fast Track help describes review but avoids inventing times. |
| 17 | Kansas | Within minutes (online Form DL) | Longer than online (fixed SLA not published) | N | — | No separate SOS expedite ladder on Form DL | 2026-09-22 | SBL KS guide: online Form DL processing within minutes. |
| 18 | Kentucky | Online FastTrack / One Stop (often quick; fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | U | — | Confirm current One Stop options | 2026-09-22 | SBL KY guide does not publish a fixed day-count SLA. Left blank rather than copy secondary |
| 19 | Louisiana | geauxBIZ online (fixed SLA not published on researched pages) | Not published as fixed SLA | Y | 24-hour / priority (2–4 hour) when offered | Expedite 24-hour ~$30–$35; priority higher (confirm geauxBIZ) | 2026-09-22 | Expedite fees appear on SBL LA fee tables; standard day-count not fixed in researched SOS |
| 20 | Maine | Depends on queue unless expedite purchased | Depends on mail/queue volume | Y | 24-hour / same-day (confirm cutoffs) | 24-hour +$50; same-day +$100 (confirm with Corporations) | 2026-09-22 | SBL ME guide. LLCU “NO ONLINE” claim treated as outdated/unverified — portal paths exist; |
| 21 | Maryland | Non-expedited: reviewed in 2nd calendar month after submission (~6–8 weeks) | Non-expedited hard copy: within ~8 weeks of receipt | Y | Expedited 7–14 business days (not before 7th); Rush same-day/3-hour options | +$50 expedited; Rush online +$325 (before 2:30pm → within 3 hours); paper rush +$425 | 2026-09-22 | SDAT Business Express Processing Times + Articles PDF. Expedited LLC Articles backlog boar |
| 22 | Massachusetts | Online often 1–2 business days class (confirm Mass.gov / Corp Div) | Similar once received | U | — | Confirm current Corporations Division schedule | 2026-09-22 | Commonly cited 1–2 business days online; treat as soft without a live SLA board fetch this |
| 23 | Michigan | Often processed quickly online (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | U | — | Confirm LARA options | 2026-09-22 | SBL MI guide: often quick online; no fixed day-count SLA. |
| 24 | Minnesota | Typically faster than mail (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | U | — | Confirm MBLS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL MN guide avoids inventing day counts. |
| 25 | Mississippi | Depends on SOS online system (fixed SLA not published) | Confirm current portal policy | U | — | Confirm SOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL MS guide. Blank > secondary ranges. |
| 26 | Missouri | Typically faster than paper (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | U | — | Confirm SOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL MO guide. Blank > secondary ranges. |
| 27 | Montana | Standard timing not fixed; paid rush tiers published | Confirm whether paper path still offered | Y | 24-hour / 1-hour | 24-Hour Processing Fee $20; 1-Hour Processing Fee $100 (SOS fee page) | 2026-09-22 | Verified expedite fees on sosmt.gov fee page 2026-09-22. Standard day-count left blank. |
| 28 | Nebraska | eDelivery PDF upload (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | U | — | Confirm SOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL NE guide. Publication is separate after formation. |
| 29 | Nevada | About 1 business day (SilverFlume online, typical) | Slower than online | Y | 24-hour / 2-hour / 1-hour | 24-hour $125; 2-hour $500; 1-hour $1,000 (LLC fee schedule) | 2026-09-22 | SBL NV guide citing SilverFlume ~1 business day + fee-schedule expedite tiers. |
| 30 | New Hampshire | QuickStart typically faster than mail (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | U | — | Confirm SOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL NH guide. Blank > secondary ranges. |
| 31 | New Jersey | Online timing varies (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | Y | Fee-based; time not published as fixed day-count on researched pages | Expedite/same-day options may be available for added fees depending on channel | 2026-09-22 | SBL NJ guide. |
| 32 | New Mexico | SOS Enterprise online (fixed SLA not published) | Paper formation generally discontinued for new filings (confirm) | U | — | Confirm portal options | 2026-09-22 | SBL NM guide. |
| 33 | New York | Online often quick (fixed SLA not published) | Slower; plus separate publication clock | U | — | Confirm DOS options | 2026-09-22 | Formation timing ≠ publication (2 newspapers × 6 weeks). Blank standard days rather than i |
| 34 | North Carolina | Fixed SLA not published on researched pages | Same fee online or paper ($125); timing not fixed | Y | Fee-based; confirm current expedite tiers | Confirm current SOS expedite tiers before paying third-party rush | 2026-09-22 | SBL NC guide. |
| 35 | North Dakota | FirstStop online preferred (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | U | — | Confirm SOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL ND guide. |
| 36 | Ohio | Ohio Business Central (fixed SLA not published) | Form 610 mail available | Y | Level 1 / 2 / 3 (fee-based; time not fixed as single published day count) | +$100 / +$200 / +$300 (OAC 111:1-2-01) | 2026-09-22 | SBL OH guide fee table for expedite levels. |
| 37 | Oklahoma | Online preferred (fixed SLA not published) | Mail / in person available | Y | Same-day in-person when available | Same-day in-person +$25 | 2026-09-22 | SBL OK guide. |
| 38 | Oregon | Business Registry online preferred (fixed SLA not published) | Mail/fax accepted; often much slower | U | — | Confirm SOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL OR guide. Secondary aggregators claim multi-week mail — not copied as SOS SLA. |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | Business Filing Services online preferred (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | U | — | Confirm DOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL PA guide. LLCU “5–7 days” not verified as current SOS SLA this session. |
| 40 | Rhode Island | Online preferred (fixed SLA not published) | Paper Form 400 mail/in person | U | — | Confirm DOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL RI guide. |
| 41 | South Carolina | Business Entities Online (fixed SLA not published) | Mail Form F0006 available | U | — | Confirm SOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL SC guide. |
| 42 | South Dakota | Typically immediate after payment (online) | About 1–3 business days (paper average) | Y | Fee-based; time not separately published beyond standard speed | Expedited service (general) +$50 optional | 2026-09-22 | SBL SD guide: online typically immediate; paper averages ~1–3 business days. |
| 43 | Tennessee | Online usually faster than mail (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | U | — | Confirm SOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL TN guide. |
| 44 | Texas | Standard timing not fixed on Express page; use Texas Express for published tiers | Mail often much slower without expedite | Y | Standard expedite ~2–3 business days; Next-day; Same-day | Standard expedite $50; Next-day $500; Same-day $750 (plus $300 formation) | 2026-09-22 | Texas Express page + fee schedule. Standard non-expedite day-count left blank (secondary 1 |
| 45 | Utah | UtahID online preferred (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | Y | Fee-based; time not published as fixed day-count on researched pages | Expedited processing +$75 | 2026-09-22 | SBL UT guide fee table. |
| 46 | Vermont | Normally less than 1 business day (online) | About 7–10 business days | U | — | Confirm SOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL VT guide: online normally <1 business day; mail ~7–10. |
| 47 | Virginia | CIS online; standard timing not a single published day-count | Paper cannot be expedited | Y | Next-day / same-day online (cutoffs) | Online next-day +$50 or +$100; same-day higher (submit by listed cutoff); paper cannot expedite | 2026-09-22 | SBL VA guide citing CIS expedite tiers. |
| 48 | Washington | Staff-reviewed online (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | Y | Fee-based; confirm at checkout | Expedite often +$100 (confirm current fee schedule) | 2026-09-22 | SBL WA guide. |
| 49 | West Virginia | One Stop online preferred (fixed SLA not published) | Not published as fixed SLA | U | — | Confirm SOS options | 2026-09-22 | SBL WV guide. |
| 50 | Wisconsin | QuickStart online (fixed standard SLA not published) | Paper Form 502 available | Y | Next-business-day after receipt (expedite) | Expedited next-day processing +$100 | 2026-09-22 | SBL WI guide: expedite +$100 = next-business-day after receipt. |
| 51 | Wyoming | Online domestic filings often process quickly (fixed SLA not published) | SOS FAQ cites up to ~15 business days max for some mail | Y | Same-day / next-day (rarely needed for routine online) | Same-day $1,400 / next-day $700 (fee schedule) | 2026-09-22 | SBL WY guide citing SOS FAQ mail max ~15 business days; expedite rarely needed for routine |
How to read backlog boards (CA, FL, MD)
California: The SOS Current Processing Dates board (updated 2026-09-22) showed LLC formations online reviewing filings received 09/18/2026 and mail 09/15/2026 — roughly a few business days of backlog at scrape time. Paid 24-hour ($350) and same-day ($750) options are on the Service Options page.
Florida: Sunbiz Document Processing Dates (updated 09/22/26) showed new online business-entity filings at 09/15–16 and mail at 09/14 — about 4–6 business days of backlog, not a permanent 5-day SLA.
Maryland: SDAT Business Express Processing Times states non-expedited filings are reviewed in the second calendar month after submission; expedited review is 7–14 business days (not before the 7th); rush tiers exist for same-day / three-hour review.
What we excluded on purpose
- Foreign / out-of-state qualification filings
- Name reservation alone (without Articles)
- Annual / biennial reports and Statements of Information
- Registered-agent service “rush prep” (not SOS review time)
- County newspaper publication calendars after acceptance (AZ / NE / NY)
- Invented day counts from secondary aggregators when SOS published no SLA
Methodology
- Scrape / as-of: 2026-09-22–23 America/New_York.
- Primary: SOS / ACC / DLCP / DFI portals and processing-date boards. Spot-verified CA, FL, MD, DE expedite, TX Express, MT expedite fees, and SBL state LLC guides that already cite SOS day counts.
- Checklist only: LLC University’s “how long” table (verified Aug 3, 2026) used to see which states claim times — each claim was checked against SOS; unverified aggregator ranges were not copied into the day columns.
- Conflict rule: Prefer live SOS boards and fee/SLA pages over secondary blogs. Blank / “not published” beats fake precision. Business days vs calendar days follow the agency’s published wording.
- Map midpoints: Midpoint of a published range, or backlog-derived estimate from a live board; gray if none.
- Not legal advice. Re-check the live portal before you promise a landlord, lender, or insurer a date.
Related StartBusinessByState research
- LLC cost by state (2026) — filing fees, annual/biennial, publication, franchise flags
- Business formation statistics — application volume, not turnaround
- Best states to start a business — broader ranking, not a processing SLA
- Free LLC operating agreement generator — customize by state / management / members; download DOCX or PDF after SOS acceptance
Need a guided questionnaire after you pick a state? ZenBusiness Starter lists a $0 formation service fee plus official state charges — state processing time still controls when the LLC exists.
Waiting on the state either way — here’s the handled setup path.