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Pennsylvania state guide · Formation

How to form a
Pennsylvania LLC

Forming a Pennsylvania LLC is a filing, not a ceremony. Here is the actual process — what gets submitted to the PA Bureau of Corporations, how long approval takes, and what arrives in your inbox when it's done.

Filing agencyPA Bureau of Corporations
State filing fee$125
Typical approval5–10 business days
Annual report$7 · due Sep 30

The filing, in plain English

A Pennsylvania LLC is created when the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations accepts your Certificate of Organization and issues a certificate. Everything else — the EIN, the operating agreement, the bank account — happens around that central act. Our $299 flat service walks through all of it; you pay the Pennsylvania filing fee of $125 separately, directly to the state.

Most founders forming a single-member Pennsylvania LLC are done in 5–10 business days of standard processing time. Multi-member filings take about the same; the additional complexity lives in the operating agreement, not at the state.

Pennsylvania note

Pennsylvania replaced its Decennial Report with an annual report in 2025. Beginning with 2025, every Pennsylvania LLC files a $7 annual report due by September 30. Failure to file eventually leads to administrative dissolution, though the state provides a six-month grace window before taking action.

The six steps we take

  1. I.

    Confirm your name is available

    We check your chosen LLC name against the PA Bureau of Corporations database before anything is submitted. If the first choice is taken, we call before filing — we do not submit a filing you did not authorize.

  2. II.

    Draft the Certificate of Organization

    A formation specialist prepares the Articles to Pennsylvania's exact format, with your members, registered agent, principal office address, and effective date.

  3. III.

    Submit electronically

    Filed through the PA Bureau of Corporations's online system. Your Pennsylvania registered agent of record is our Harrisburg office for the first year.

  4. IV.

    Pennsylvania approves the LLC

    Approval typically arrives in 5–10 business days. We watch the queue daily and forward the stamped certificate the moment it clears.

  5. V.

    We obtain the EIN

    Once the LLC is approved, we file SS-4 with the IRS to get your Employer Identification Number — the federal tax ID you need to open a business bank account.

  6. VI.

    We deliver the bank-ready packet

    Stamped certificate, EIN letter, custom operating agreement drafted to your ownership structure, and your registered agent confirmation. You sign the operating agreement and open the account.

What you need to have ready

Before we file, we need a handful of decisions from you. None of them are heavy, but we have to confirm each one on the reservation call:

  • A Pennsylvania LLC name — ending in "LLC," "L.L.C.," or "Limited Liability Company," distinguishable from other Pennsylvania entities.
  • A principal office address — home, commercial, or mail-forwarding. Becomes part of the public record.
  • Members — the individuals or entities that own the LLC. Pennsylvania allows single-member LLCs.
  • Management structure — member-managed (most common) or manager-managed. We draft the operating agreement to match.
  • An effective date — either immediately on approval, or a future date if you want a January 1 start for tax reasons.

What's included in the $299 flat fee

State filingCertificate of Organization, by a formation specialist
EIN includedFederal tax ID, issued by the IRS after approval
Operating agreementDrafted to your ownership structure — not a template
Registered agentOne year included in Pennsylvania, Harrisburg on file

The $299 is a flat service fee for everything on our side. Pennsylvania's state filing fee of $125 is paid directly to the PA Bureau of Corporations and is the same whether you file with us or on your own. There are no upsells — no basic, plus, or premium tiers. One price, four things.

Ready to form in Pennsylvania?

$299 flat, plus Pennsylvania's $125 state fee.

Reservation takes three minutes. A formation specialist in Harrisburg handles the rest.

Start your Pennsylvania filing