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How to Start an LLC in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania modernized fast: 2-to-4-day processing, a $7 annual report that only began in 2025, and a genuine veteran fee waiver. The trap hides in the professions: LLCs in ten licensed fields are restricted professional companies owing $700 per member every April, a fee that surprises more than a few law and medical practices.

Filing fee
$125
Certificate of Organization; waived for qualifying veteran and reservist owned businesses
File at
Business Filing Services
the official state portal
Name reservation
$70, notably pricier than most states
optional in every state

The steps, Pennsylvania edition

  1. Clear the name

    Search the state's registry via Business Filing Services. The name needs a designator: company, limited, or limited liability company, or any abbreviation. Reservation, if you want it: $70, notably pricier than most states.

  2. Line up the registered agent

    An in-state street address that can receive legal papers during business hours; you can serve yourself or pay a service. The rules and tradeoffs are in our registered agent guide.

  3. File the formation document

    $125 (Certificate of Organization; waived for qualifying veteran and reservist owned businesses). Processing: The Department of State has sustained roughly 2 to 4 day processing for business registrations.

    Faster options:

    • Same day (in by 10 a.m.): $100
    • 3-hour (by 2 p.m.): $300
    • 1-hour (by 4 p.m.): $1,000 (in person)

  4. Get the EIN, free

    Minutes at irs.gov, no charge, no service needed.

  5. Adopt an operating agreement and open the bank account

    Not filed with the state, but banks ask for the agreement, and the separate account is what keeps the liability protection real. The general playbook is in our six-step guide.

  6. Calendar the recurring obligations

    The new annual report: $7, filed January 1 to September 30 each year, a requirement that only began in 2025. Administrative dissolution enforcement starts with reports due in 2027, so early sloppiness will start costing companies soon.

Pennsylvania taxes and recurring costs, straight

Restricted professional companies pay real money

LLCs practicing chiropractic, dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathy, podiatry, public accounting, psychology, or veterinary medicine owe a Certificate of Annual Registration by April 15: $700 per licensed Pennsylvania-resident member for 2026, with liens and penalties for skipping it.

For the raw fee lines next to every other state, see the 50-state cost table or run your numbers in the LLC cost calculator.

PA specifics most guides skip

Thinking about using a formation service?

Every service pays Pennsylvania's same state fees. We compare what they charge on top, and what the $0 tiers actually include.

See the comparison

Pennsylvania LLC questions, answered

What does a Pennsylvania LLC cost?

$125 to form (waived for qualifying veteran-owned businesses under Act 135), then the new $7 annual report each year between January 1 and September 30. Restricted professional companies add the per-member annual registration, $700 per member for 2026.

Is the PA annual report really new?

Yes. Pennsylvania replaced its old decennial filing with an annual report starting in 2025, at $7 for LLCs. Enforcement teeth arrive with reports due in 2027, when non-filers face administrative dissolution six months after the deadline.

What is a restricted professional company?

A Pennsylvania LLC practicing one of ten listed professions (law, medicine, dentistry, public accounting, and others). RPCs owe a Certificate of Annual Registration by April 15, at $700 per licensed Pennsylvania-resident member for 2026, with unpaid amounts becoming liens.

Does Pennsylvania waive LLC fees for veterans?

Yes. Act 135 of 2016 exempts qualifying veteran and reservist owned small businesses from business start-up fees, including the formation filing. The annual report is not covered by the waiver.

Other states: Arizona · California · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Texas

Sources

General educational information, not legal or tax advice. Fees, processing times, and rules change; the figures here were verified against official Pennsylvania sources in July 2026, and processing times especially move. Confirm with the state before filing, and consult a professional about your situation.