The filing
Pennsylvania creates an LLC when the Pennsylvania Secretary of State accepts the Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821). The state fee is $125[2]. The filing lists a registered office, an actual street address in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania does not require a registered agent.
To have it handled in Pennsylvania, Mainstay Filing charges $199 a year plus the $125 state fee at cost[1].
- State filing fee
- $125
- Form
- Form DSCB:15-8821
- Filed with
- Pennsylvania Secretary of State
- Registered agent required
- No; a registered office is required
- Periodic report
- Yearly, $7
- Other states’ fees
- 30 lower, 16 higher
Updated October 29, 2026. State fees from official sources.
How the filing works in Pennsylvania
The order below is the order most filers follow. The state filing is the only step with a Pennsylvania fee attached.
- Search the register. Before filing, look the name up on the Pennsylvania Secretary of State site[3]. A name too close to an existing Pennsylvania entity will be rejected.
- Give a registered office. Pennsylvania does not require a registered agent. Every LLC keeps a registered office instead: an actual street address in Pennsylvania, or a Commercial Registered Office Provider named in its place by a company without a Pennsylvania address.[4] The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Pennsylvania. A P.O. box alone is not accepted.
- File the Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821). Submit it to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State with the $125 fee[2].
- Draft the operating agreement. This internal document covers ownership, voting and what happens if a member leaves. It is kept with the company, not filed.
- Request an EIN. This federal tax number comes from the IRS, not from Pennsylvania, and most banks ask for it before opening an account.
- Calendar the first Annual Report. It is filed every year with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations for $7[5]. It is due September 30[5].
Two ways to file
With Mainstay Filing, the Pennsylvania filing is prepared and submitted for you. Its price is $199 a year plus the state's $125[1], and that yearly price also covers the registered office, the EIN application and every Annual Report.
Owners can submit the Pennsylvania filing themselves at pa.gov/agencies/dos. The fee is $125 whoever files.
The Form DSCB:15-8821 filing
Pennsylvania calls its formation filing the Certificate of Organization, numbered DSCB:15-8821. The Pennsylvania Secretary of State accepts it[2].
The governing text:
One or more persons may act as organizers to form a limited liability company by delivering to the department for filing a certificate of organization.
15 Pa.C.S. § 8821 (formation of limited liability company and certificate of organization)[2].
Acceptance puts the company on the Pennsylvania register. Anything listed on the filing, such as the registered office address, becomes part of the public record.
The fee, in context
Pennsylvania's $125 filing fee is above the 50-state median of $100: 30 states charge less and 16 charge more.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $125 | [2] pa.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Annual Report | $7 every year | [5] pa.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Filing service, Mainstay Filing | $199 a year plus state fees | [1] Mainstay Filing, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Registered office service (if hired) | $149 a year at Mainstay Filing; $89 to $596 first year elsewhere | 7 other services' published prices, updated October 29, 2026 |
Only the state fee is required. Using your own Pennsylvania address as the registered office costs nothing in state fees.
| State | LLC filing fee | Periodic report |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $110 | $400 yearly |
| Maryland | $100 | $300 yearly |
| New Jersey | $100 | $75 yearly |
| New York | $200 | $9 every 2 yrs |
| Ohio | $99 | None |
| West Virginia | $100 | $25 yearly |
Same source set as above, one statute or fee schedule per state, verified August 12, 2026.
New business filings in Pennsylvania
The Census Bureau counted 161,275 applications for new employer ID numbers tied to Pennsylvania business addresses in 2025, the 9th most of any state. That count is up 57% from 102,750 in 2019.
An application is a request for an EIN, not a state LLC filing. The Census series counts every legal form, so it measures start-up activity rather than Pennsylvania LLC formations.
Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Pennsylvania?
The state fee is $125 for the Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821)[2]. After that, the Annual Report costs $7 every year.
Does a Pennsylvania LLC need a registered agent?
The filing lists a registered office, an actual street address in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania does not require a registered agent. Owners can list their own Pennsylvania street address as the registered office. A company without a Pennsylvania address can name a Commercial Registered Office Provider instead.
Can a service file the Pennsylvania LLC for me?
Yes. Mainstay Filing prepares and files Pennsylvania LLCs for $199 a year plus the $125 state fee[1]. That also covers its registered office service, the EIN application and the Annual Report, at the same price each year.
Who files the formation document in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Secretary of State. Its website: www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- 15 Pa.C.S. § 8821 (formation of limited liability company and certificate of organization); filing fee $125 per the Department of State fee schedule (15 Pa.C.S. § 153). www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/types-of-filings-and-registrations/pennsylvania-. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Pennsylvania Secretary of State. www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- 15 Pa.C.S. § 8825 (registered office); 15 Pa.C.S. § 109 (Commercial Registered Office Provider alternative). www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/15/00.088..HTM. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations: Annual Report rules and fee. www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/types-of-filings-and-registrations/annual-report. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.