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How to start an LLC in New York

Every step to form your LLC in New York, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$200
Regular report
$9
What you file
Articles of Organization
Where
The New York Department of State

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in New York

Filing Articles of Organization with the New York Department of State$200
The regular report that keeps it in good standing$9
Newspaper noticeSee its step
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the New York Department of State's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    New York doesn't require a registered agent: your filing names the New York Secretary of State as your agent for legal papers and gives an address where the state mails them on. You can also name a registered agent if you want one.

  3. With the state

    File your Articles of Organization

    File them with the New York Department of State, online or by mail; the fee can be paid by card. The state's fee is $200. Once they're filed, your business exists, and you then have 120 days to publish notice of it (the next step).

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. With the state

    Publish notice of your LLC

    Within 120 days after your Articles of Organization are filed, publish a copy of them or a notice of the LLC's formation in two newspapers, chosen by the county clerk of the county where your LLC's office is, once a week for six weeks. Each newspaper gives you an affidavit of publication; file them with a Certificate of Publication at the Department of State, with a $50 fee. The newspapers charge for publishing. If you don't, the LLC's authority to do business is suspended.

    How to publish it (opens the official site)

  5. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  6. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Articles of Organization are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  7. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    If you'll sell taxable goods or services, register with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance for a Certificate of Authority to collect sales tax, online through New York Business Express. Employers also register with the New York State Department of Labor for unemployment insurance.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  8. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    Many businesses need a state license or permit; the Business Wizard on New York Business Express shows which apply to yours. Many counties, cities, towns and villages also require their own permits and licenses.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  9. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization and your EIN.

  10. With the state

    Put the biennial statement in your calendar

    Every two years, an LLC in New York files a biennial statement with the Department of State, during the calendar month its Articles of Organization were filed. The fee is $9, and you can file online. If it's late, the state's records show the LLC as past due, which can hold up some business transactions.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in New York

How much does it cost to start an LLC in New York?

The state's fee to file Articles of Organization is $200. To stay in good standing, it also files a regular report, which costs $9. It also asks for newspaper notice, which can cost more. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does New York require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. New York asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It costs $9, and the step below says when it's due and where to file it.

Can I form an LLC in New York myself?

Yes. You file Articles of Organization with the New York Department of State and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from New York's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

New York's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states