Skip to content
LLC 101 Guide

Section 1 · New York

Starting an LLC in New York (2026): 8 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

Our 2026 New York picks for setting up an LLC, strongest to weakest, are Mainstay Filing ($199), New York Registered Agent.ai ($199) and NY Registered Agent.org ($199). By the numbers: 8 tasks, $200 to file, $9 for the biennial statement.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Unit overview

State filing fee
$200
Source: dos.ny.gov, read in October 2026
Biennial statement
$9 every 2 years
Deadline: during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years
State fees over three years
$209
Filing plus the repeating state fees
How many tasks
8
One by one

By the end you will know

  • What New York charges to form an LLC and who takes the filing
  • What the agent rule says
  • What you file every year after that
  • How the picks stack up

New York: our recommended services

Five published criteria decide the order; read them on how we grade.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with very little homework

Highest grade$199 a year that renews at $199

Mainstay Filing comes out first, and the reason is that $199 a year hands over three assignments at once: the filing, the agent for service of process and the biennial statement.

New York Registered Agent.ai is $200 lower across three years; this service still ranks higher because it does more of the work.

The biennial statement is part of the service, and the $9 state fee is passed through.

What the price covers

  • Formation filing prepared and sent
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Biennial statement filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee at cost

What works

  • $199 yearly with everything in it
  • The EIN task is part of the package
  • No jump at renewal ($199)

What to weigh

  • A yearly premium of $100 over New York Registered Agent.ai
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for New York LLCs on a shoestring

Focused on New YorkFormation $199, renewal $99 yearly

Pick number 2 is New York Registered Agent.ai, where $199 gets you started and the agent costs nothing in year one; from year two it is $99.

The biennial statement falls outside the price.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $99 a year after that
  • $199 above the state fee
  • A free first agent year

What to weigh

  • The biennial statement remains your responsibility
  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Visit New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. NY Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that stay in New York

Focused on New YorkFormation $199, renewal $99 yearly

Pick number 3 is NY Registered Agent.org, where $199 gets you started and the agent costs nothing in year one; from year two it is $99.

The biennial statement falls outside the price.

New York Registered Agent.ai and this service cost the same.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $99 a year after that
  • $199 above the state fee
  • A free first agent year

What to weigh

  • The biennial statement remains your responsibility
  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Visit NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Grades and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2New York Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Visit New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3NY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices come from each company's own site, opened November 13, 2026. None of the rows includes the $200 state fee.

The unit, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Make sure nobody else has the name

    Do the name search at the New York Secretary of State first and the rest of the unit goes smoothly in New York.

    If the first name fails, you want another ready.

  2. Task 2

    Pick your agent for service of process

    The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional. If one is designated: a person who lives in New York or has a business address there, an LLC formed or authorized in New York, or a corporation formed or authorized in New York.

    New York has no registered-office requirement. The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC and mails a copy of any papers served to the address the company has on file. A designated registered agent's street address goes on the filing.

    Hire any one of the recommended services for this task.

    Source: Source: nysenate.gov, read in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Decide who submits the filing

    Filing on your own costs just the $200 state fee. A service adds $199 and handles the forms; the ranking shows which to choose.

  4. Task 4

    Prepare and sign the Articles of Organization

    The Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f) is the paper that forms the LLC. It goes to the New York Secretary of State, and the fee is $200 (NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203).

    Source: Source: dos.ny.gov, read in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    New York adds a special step

    • Publication: within 120 days, a notice runs for six weeks in two county newspapers (the papers set their own charges), then a Certificate of Publication is filed for $50.
    • Tax Department LLC fee (Form IT-204-LL): $25 a year for a single-member LLC with New York-source income; partnership LLCs pay more.

    Source: Source: tax.ny.gov, read in October 2026

  6. Task 6

    Request your EIN

    With approval in hand, the IRS can issue the LLC a federal tax ID, and a business bank account depends on it. If you hire Mainstay Filing, the EIN application is taken care of.

  7. Task 7

    Put the ownership rules on paper

    An operating agreement says who owns the New York LLC and how decisions get made. It stays in your records and is not sent to the state.

  8. Task 8

    Handle New York's recurring filing

    Once every two years the LLC sends in the biennial statement with $9; it is due during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years.

    Source: Source: dos.ny.gov, read in October 2026

Costs, task by task

ItemWho gets paidAmount
Formation feeThe state$200
Biennial statementThe state$9 every two years
Optional serviceThe service$199 in year one
State fees for the first three yearsThe state$209
To get the three-year state number we add up the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax, and we keep service fees separate.

The reasoning behind the order

Assignments the price completes makes up 31% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in New York.

New York wants the biennial statement every two years, so a price that files it beat a lower price that leaves it to you.

New York questions

What does a New York LLC cost to start?

Expect $200 to file. Our recommended services bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Look for the Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f); the New York Secretary of State is where it goes.

Is an agent for service of process required?

The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional.

What does New York require each year?

Calendar note on the biennial statement: $9, filed every two years, timing as the state words it: during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. You pay the state $200 when you file, and the LLC still needs an agent for service of process.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing is first, New York Registered Agent.ai and NY Registered Agent.org follow, and Mainstay Filing wins on assignments the price completes.

Reading list and sources

  1. Hand-in notes for New York Department of State, Division of Corporations. Each statement rests on dos.ny.gov, last opened August 2026.
  2. Hand-in notes for New York Department of State, Division of Corporations. Each statement rests on filing.dos.ny.gov, last opened August 2026.
  3. Hand-in notes for New York report due date. Each statement rests on nysenate.gov, last opened August 2026.
  4. Hand-in notes for NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203. Each statement rests on nysenate.gov, last opened August 2026.
  5. Hand-in notes for New York formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Each statement rests on dos.ny.gov, last opened October 2026.
  6. Hand-in notes for New York registered agent statute. Each statement rests on nysenate.gov, last opened October 2026.
  7. Hand-in notes for New York other cost: Publication, official source. Each statement rests on nysenate.gov, last opened October 2026.
  8. Hand-in notes for New York other cost: Certificate of Publication, official. Each statement rests on dos.ny.gov, last opened October 2026.
  9. Hand-in notes for New York other cost: Tax Department LLC fee. Each statement rests on tax.ny.gov, last opened October 2026.
  10. We opened the New York service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026
  11. We opened the pricing page at New York Registered Agent.ai on November 13, 2026
  12. We opened the pricing page at NY Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026