Fee verified September 3, 2026. Always confirm on the California Secretary of State site before filing — fees change.
LLC cost in California
Forming an LLC in California costs $70 in state filing fees, plus $20 for the biennial report. Your realistic first-year state-fee total is $90 — before the state-specific item below.
California fee breakdown
| Articles of Organization (filing fee) | $70 |
| Report fee (Biennial (initial $20 due 90 days after formation)) | $20 |
| First-year state total | $90 |
| Registered agent (if hired) | $0 self-filed · $125-$249/yr service |
| EIN from the IRS | $0 (file the SS-4 yourself) |
California watch-out: $800 annual franchise tax applies after the first year, regardless of income
What you'd pay with a formation service
Northwest: $39 + $70 state fee = $109 year one, $125/yr agent from year two. ZenBusiness or Bizee: $0 + $70 = $70 year one, $199/yr agent after. The full comparison with tradeoffs lives in best LLC formation services.
Filing yourself in California
Go to the California Secretary of State's business filing portal, search your name for availability, and file the Articles of Organization online. Payment is by card, approval is typically days, and the EIN from irs.gov is free and instant. The national cost table shows how California compares, and the FormBench homepage has the calculator for your exact scenario.
This page is fee data, not legal advice. For anything entity-structure related, talk to an accountant or attorney.