Make your New York business official. Have your LLC paperwork prepared and filed so you can focus on getting your business off the ground.
- Your business name checked before filing.
- Your formation paperwork prepared and submitted.
- Your formation documents together in an online account.
$0 service fee + $200 Articles filing fee
Filing service by ZenBusiness. Choose Starter for the $0 service fee. State follow-up charges and optional services and renewals are separate.
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Get the paperwork handled and your company underway
With ZenBusiness, you provide the details and its team handles the New York formation filing. You get electronic documents and customer support by phone, chat and email.
Use your approved LLC records to open a company bank account, organize your ownership agreement and do business under the company name. The state-specific costs and next steps below help you plan what comes after approval.
What it costs to start a New York LLC
A New York LLC costs $200 to file with New York Department of State, Division of Corporations. Most domestic LLCs must also complete newspaper publication under LLC Law §206 and file a Certificate of Publication ($50). Newspaper advertising fees vary by county—the newspaper charge depends on the county.
Start with the official filing office: New York Department of State, Division of Corporations. Government charges are separate from anything a formation company bills you.
| Expense | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Formation filing (Articles / Certificate) | $200 | Required when forming the LLC |
| Typical formation base | $200 | Excludes optional purchases |
| Newspaper publication (2 papers × 6 weeks) | County-specific (ask designated papers) | Most domestic LLCs within 120 days (LLC Law §206) |
| Certificate of Publication | $50 | With both newspaper affidavits to DOS |
| Biennial Statement | $9 | Every two years in anniversary month |
| NYS Tax & Finance LLC filing fee | Varies by NY-source gross income | Annual tax filing—confirm on tax.ny.gov |
Budget $200 for Articles, then get written newspaper quotes for your county before treating publication as a fixed number. Add $50 for the Certificate of Publication and $9 every two years for the Biennial Statement.
New York Tax & Finance imposes an annual LLC filing fee based on New York-source gross income. Confirm current brackets on tax.ny.gov—do not confuse that with the DOS $200 Articles fee.
Choose the services you want with your filing
Starter’s base formation service does not renew. Registered-agent service, an EIN service, an operating agreement and faster preparation are optional purchases.
The preselected website-builder trial renews at $15/month after 30 days; you can remove it at checkout. Optional Worry-Free Compliance is free for the first year and renews at $199/year. Registered-agent service is listed separately at $199/year; first-year promotions may differ.
Review the services and renewal terms in your order. Provider details checked October 14, 2026 against ZenBusiness’s formation plans.
How to start your New York LLC
Use your company details to get the formation paperwork prepared and submitted. Here is how the filing service works:
- Enter your business details. Choose New York, your company name and the information requested for the filing.
- Review your services and order. Select Starter for the $0 base service fee. ZenBusiness prepares and submits the formation document from your answers.
- Save your approved company records. Once the filing office accepts the paperwork, use the documents to finish your banking and business setup.
Your New York filing checklist and required next steps
- Check the name. Search the state business database and include a required LLC designator. Filing acceptance is not a trademark clearance.
- Gather addresses and agent consent. Have registered-agent details and principal-office information ready.
- Decide who manages the company. Confirm member-managed vs manager-managed as required on the formation form.
- File the formation document. Prefer New York Department of State — Form an LLC and pay $200 (plus any listed extras).
- Confirm acceptance. Save the filed document and receipt, then calendar recurring compliance.
Check your proposed name in the New York business search.
How long does approval take?
File Articles online/mail/fax/in person. Publication is a separate county/newspaper process after formation. A service’s preparation time is separate from New York’s review. ZenBusiness lists standard preparation at 7–10 business days before state processing; state review follows the service’s preparation.
Can I file directly with New York?
Yes. You can prepare and submit the filing yourself through the New York official LLC filing service. A formation service handles preparation and submission from the information you provide. The government charges and required follow-up steps above still apply.
Choose your New York registered agent
The LLC must designate the Secretary of State as agent for service of process and provide a process-mailing address. You may also appoint an optional registered agent. The county of the LLC’s office controls newspaper designation for publication.
Plan your address use before filing. State records are public. Ask which address fields the agent service covers. Supply accurate information in every field.
New York LLC publication and biennial statement
Publication (LLC Law §206): Within 120 days after Articles are effective, most domestic LLCs must publish once weekly for six successive weeks in two county-clerk-designated newspapers, then file the Certificate of Publication with affidavits and $50. Missing the deadline suspends authority to carry on business until cured. Request prices from the newspapers designated for your county. Biennial Statement: $9 every two years in the anniversary month. Members must adopt a written operating agreement (LLC Law §417); it is not filed with DOS.
Publication is the step that surprises many New York organizers. Start the county-clerk newspaper designation as soon as Articles are filed so the six-week run still fits inside the 120-day window. If your office county has limited designated papers, §206 allows contiguous-county newspapers when the county clerk has not designated a daily or weekly paper—confirm with the clerk rather than guessing.
Keep the published notice text identical to DOS records, including the LLC name spelling and filing date. After affidavits arrive, file the Certificate of Publication promptly. Theatrical production companies may qualify for an Arts & Cultural Affairs Law exemption—verify whether that exemption applies before skipping publication.
Get your New York LLC filing underway
Put the formation paperwork in ZenBusiness’s hands. Starter has a $0 service fee plus the applicable New York charges detailed above.
Continue to ZenBusiness to enter your details and review your order. Optional services and renewal details.
We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no additional cost to you.
Put your approved LLC to work
- Document how the LLC works. An operating agreement can set ownership, contributions, decision-making, distributions, and exit arrangements. New York’s filing office generally does not require you to file the agreement with the formation paperwork—keep it with your company records. For multiple owners, resolve disagreements before money or contracts are committed.Use the basic LLC operating agreement tool as a starting point.
- Get an EIN when needed. Form the entity first, then use the free IRS application if eligible. A paid EIN service handles the application for you. Save the confirmation for banking and tax records.
- Open your business bank account. Ask the bank for its document checklist and establish a bookkeeping process. Use the correct legal business name on applications and contracts; keep any trade-name registrations consistent.
- Complete taxes and operating approvals. LLC formation does not itself select S-corporation taxation or issue a professional license. The IRS explains LLC tax classifications. Identify the state and local requirements for your actual work before opening.
- Check the current BOI rule. As of this review, FinCEN exempts entities created in the United States from beneficial-ownership reporting. A newly created domestic LLC generally falls within that exemption. Consult FinCEN directly for the current rule.
Insurance guidance for your New York business
Match coverage to your services, employees, equipment and client contracts. Start with the relevant guide:
Continue with the New York business guide for the broader startup process.
New York’s annual LLC filing fee
A disregarded LLC with New York-source income, gain, loss, or deduction generally pays a $25 annual filing fee. A partnership-classified LLC pays $25 to $4,500 according to its preceding-year New York-source gross income. Form IT-204-LL is due by the 15th day of the third month after the tax year ends, and New York provides no extension for this filing.
An entity with none of the listed New York-source items and an LLC taxed as a corporation follow different filing rules. See the Tax Department annual filing-fee guidance and current IT-204-LL instructions.
New York LLC questions before you start
What is the cheapest way to form a New York LLC?
The state filing fee is $200 (New York Department of State, Division of Corporations). You can file directly or use ZenBusiness Starter, which offers a $0 formation service fee plus the same $200 state fee.
Is newspaper publication still required in New York?
Yes for most domestic LLCs. LLC Law §206 requires publication in two county-clerk-designated newspapers for six consecutive weeks, then a Certificate of Publication ($50) within 120 days. Newspaper advertising costs are set by those papers and vary by county.
Can I be my own New York registered agent?
The LLC must designate the Secretary of State as agent for service of process and provide a process-mailing address. You may also appoint an optional registered agent. The county of the LLC’s office controls newspaper designation for publication.
Does forming an LLC give me a New York business license?
Formation creates the entity with New York Department of State, Division of Corporations. Industry licenses and tax registrations are separate.
Can I get an EIN without buying a service?
Yes. The IRS issues EINs free. Form the LLC first, then use the IRS application if eligible.
This guide is for creating a new New York LLC. If you already have an LLC formed in another state, check New York’s foreign-entity registration requirements before creating a second company.
Page updated October 14, 2026. State-source review: September 14, 2026. ZenBusiness package terms checked October 14, 2026.
