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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 1 · Wisconsin

Starting an LLC in Wisconsin (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

Our 2026 Wisconsin picks for setting up an LLC, strongest to weakest, are Mainstay Filing ($199), Wisconsin Registered Agent.co ($199) and WI Registered Agent.org ($199). 7 tasks make up the unit; the state's own price tag is $130, and the annual report adds $25.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Need-to-know facts

Fee to form
$130
dfi.wi.gov (page read October 2026)
Annual report
$25 a year
Deadline wording: end of the calendar quarter containing the LLC's anniversary date
State cost, years 1 to 3
$180
Without any service fee
Tasks in this unit
7
One by one

You will leave able to

  • The Wisconsin formation paper, its price and where it goes
  • Who can be the registered agent
  • What you file every year after that
  • The services at the top of the class

Who we would hire in Wisconsin

Cost over three years leads, then assignments completed, renewal price, Wisconsin fit and plain pricing (grading page).

Top of the class

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

Highest grade$199 yearly plus the $130 state fee

Mainstay Filing comes out first, and the reason is that one price, $199 a year, pays for the filing, the registered agent and the annual report, and it stays at $199 when you renew.

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

You never file the annual report yourself, and only the $25 state fee is added.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee billed at cost

What works

  • It prepares the EIN application too
  • $199 when you renew
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report

What to weigh

  • $100 a year more than Wisconsin Registered Agent.co at renewal
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Wisconsin Registered Agent.co: best for owners who stay in Wisconsin

In-state service$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Wisconsin Registered Agent.co takes second place: a $199 formation fee, followed by $99 yearly for the agent.

Filing the annual report every year is your own homework.

What the price covers

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • A free first agent year
  • The agent renews at $99
  • $199 and the state fee

What to weigh

  • The annual report remains your responsibility
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit Wisconsin Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. WI Registered Agent.org: best for owners who file their own reports

In-state service$199 and fees, then $99 each year

WI Registered Agent.org takes third place: a $199 formation fee, followed by $99 yearly for the agent.

Filing the annual report every year is your own homework.

Wisconsin Registered Agent.co and this service cost the same.

What the price covers

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 and the state fee
  • A free first agent year
  • The agent renews at $99

What to weigh

  • The annual report remains your responsibility
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit WI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

A comparison of the services

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Wisconsin Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Wisconsin Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3WI Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit WI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. Add the $130 state fee to every row.

Setting up an LLC in Wisconsin, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Name the company

    the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) keeps the records. Search them now, because in Wisconsin a name that is taken can send the filing back.

    A spare name saves a repeat trip if the first is gone.

  2. Task 2

    Get a registered agent in place

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Wisconsin resident, or a business entity formed in Wisconsin or authorized there, whose business office is the registered office. The agent needs an email address and has to consent.

    The address has to be an actual physical location with a street address in Wisconsin, not solely a P.O. box, mailbox service or answering service.

    The services we rank all supply a registered agent.

    Source: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov (page read October 2026)

  3. Task 3

    Compare doing it alone with paying for help

    You can file yourself for $130, or pay $199 more for a service. Our recommended services sit at the top of this unit.

  4. Task 4

    Fill out and send in the Articles of Organization - Limited Liability Company

    The Articles of Organization - Limited Liability Company (Form 502) is the paper that forms the LLC. It goes to the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), and the fee is $130 (Wis. Stat. § 183.0201).

    Source: dfi.wi.gov (page read October 2026)

  5. Task 5

    Order the LLC's federal tax number

    The IRS hands out EINs, not Wisconsin. Apply once the state approves you, then give the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing does this step for you at no added charge.

  6. Task 6

    Write an operating agreement

    Think of the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. Keep it with the company records; the state never asks for it.

  7. Task 7

    Get ready for year two and beyond

    To stay active, send the annual report every year ($25) by end of the calendar quarter containing the LLC's anniversary date. Late filings bring $25.

    Source: dfi.wi.gov (page read August 2026)

The bill

ItemPaid toAmount
The formation taskPaid to the state$130
Annual reportPaid to the state$25 every year
Missing the deadlinePaid to the state$25
Service fees (optional)Your service$199 at the start
State fees for the first three yearsPaid to the state$180
State fees were read from the official pages named in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where there is one.

How we ordered the Wisconsin picks

pulled ahead of on assignments the price completes, a criterion worth 31%.

Taking over the annual report tipped the grade toward the bundle.

Check your Wisconsin answers

What is the Wisconsin state fee for a new LLC?

Wisconsin bills $130. Put $199 on top if a service does the filing.

Which form creates the LLC?

Wisconsin treats the LLC as formed when the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) accepts the Articles of Organization - Limited Liability Company (Form 502).

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Wisconsin require each year?

What repeats is the annual report ($25, every year, due end of the calendar quarter containing the LLC's anniversary date).

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. You pay the state $130 when you file, and the LLC still needs a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Go with Mainstay Filing: $199 a year hands over three assignments at once: the filing, the registered agent and the annual report. Then Wisconsin Registered Agent.co and WI Registered Agent.org.

Reading list and sources

  1. Further reading on Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate: our unit draws on dfi.wi.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  2. Further reading on Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate: our unit draws on dfi.wi.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  3. Further reading on Wisconsin report due date: our unit draws on docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  4. Further reading on Wis: our unit draws on dfi.wi.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  5. Further reading on Wisconsin formation fee: Filing fee, official source: our unit draws on dfi.wi.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  6. Further reading on Wisconsin registered agent statute: our unit draws on docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  7. Mainstay Filing Wisconsin service page, opened November 13, 2026
  8. Wisconsin Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  9. WI Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026