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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Textbook chapter 1 · Arizona

Arizona LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 8 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

For forming an LLC in Arizona in 2026, this chapter recommends Arizona Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and AZ Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked from first to last. Definition to start: the filing fee is the $50 paid to Arizona. The 8 sections cover it.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Chapter summary

State filing fee $50 Source text at azcc.gov, October 2026
Annual filing None None to file
What the state collects over three years $50 Filing plus the recurring state fees
Section count 8 In sequence

Chapter objectives

  • Where and how a Arizona LLC is filed
  • What the agent rule says
  • What follows formation
  • The recommendations and their reasons

Recommended reading for Arizona

Ranked by the grading page: three-year cost (34%), paperwork completed (30%), second-year price, fit with Arizona rules and clarity of the price list.

1. Arizona Registered Agent.co: best for Arizona LLCs that watch every dollar

Best overall
Formation $199; renewal $99 annually

In Arizona, Arizona Registered Agent.co heads the list: a formation charge of $199 above state fees, and an agent renewal of $99.

Cost breaks the tie: three years here total less than at Mainstay Filing.

Price covers

  • The Arizona formation, prepared and submitted
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 a year after that
  • $199 above the state fee
  • Year-one agent service at no added cost

Limitations

  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit Arizona Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for first-time owners

Serves all states
$199 a year plus the state fee

Mainstay Filing is ranked second: formation together with a year of statutory agent service costs $199, EIN application included.

A three-year difference of $200 from Arizona Registered Agent.co sets its position.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • Statutory agent for the full year
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee billed at cost

Advantages

  • The EIN section is part of the package
  • A flat $199 each year
  • $199 every year

Limitations

  • After year one it costs $100 more annually
  • The bundle is worth a little less in this state
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. AZ Registered Agent.org: best for a local filer

Focused on Arizona
Formation $199; renewal $99 annually

AZ Registered Agent.org is ranked third: a formation charge of $199 above state fees, and an agent renewal of $99.

Arizona Registered Agent.co and this service cost the same.

Price covers

  • The Arizona formation, prepared and submitted
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • Year-one agent service at no added cost
  • $99 a year after that
  • $199 above the state fee

Limitations

  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit AZ Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Rankings and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Arizona Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Arizona Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 AZ Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit AZ Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices come from each company's own site, consulted November 13, 2026. Add the $50 state fee to every row.

Formation in sequence

  1. Section 1

    Choose a name that is available

    Name availability is decided by the Arizona Corporation Commission, so the search belongs at the front of the process.

    It helps to have a fallback name ready.

  2. Section 2

    Arrange the statutory agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An Arizona resident, or a corporation or LLC formed in Arizona or authorized to do business there. The appointment takes effect only once the agent accepts it in writing.

    The address has to be a place of business or residence in Arizona with a street address. A P.O. box can be listed only as a separate Arizona mailing address.

    Any service in the recommended reading provides a statutory agent.

    Reference: Source text at azleg.gov, October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Who prepares the filing

    Both routes pay $50 to the state. The services in the ranking charge $199 more and do the forms.

  4. Section 4

    Next comes the Articles of Organization

    This section is the legal act that creates the company: the Articles of Organization (Form L010) goes to the Arizona Corporation Commission, accompanied by $50 (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 29-3201).

    Reference: Source text at azcc.gov, October 2026

  5. Section 5

    A rule specific to Arizona

    • Publication: a notice runs three times within 60 days unless the statutory agent is in a county of more than 800,000 people, where the Commission posts it instead.
  6. Section 6

    Get the EIN

    Approval comes first and the IRS number second. With Mainstay Filing this section is completed for you.

  7. Section 7

    Record how the company will be run

    Ownership and management rules belong in the operating agreement, an internal record that is separate from the Arizona filing.

  8. Section 8

    Keep the LLC in good standing

    Nothing must be filed yearly in Arizona; the standing task is a current statutory agent.

The price list

Line itemGoes toPrice
Creating the LLC The state$50
Optional service The provider$199 in year one
Three years of state fees The state$50

The three-year state row is computed as the filing fee, plus the report in each of years two and three, plus any yearly minimum tax. Service fees have their own rows.

The reasoning behind the ranking

Tuition over three years decided first place in Arizona. It is 34% of the ranking, and the rest comes from chapters the price completes, second-year bill, fit for the state syllabus and clarity of the price list.

Add up years one to three with Arizona Registered Agent.co and the sum is $397; the same period at Mainstay Filing runs $200 higher.

Arizona questions

What does Arizona charge to form an LLC?

$50, paid to the state. On top of the state fee, the ranked services bill $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Section 4 explains how to complete the Articles of Organization (Form L010) and where it is sent: the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Is a statutory agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Arizona require each year?

No annual LLC report is required.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing prevents it. Arizona asks $50, and the LLC must name a statutory agent, which the owner can be or can hire out.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Arizona Registered Agent.co, because $199 on top of the state fee, with the first year of agent service included, then $99 a year. After it come Mainstay Filing and AZ Registered Agent.org.

Further reading

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Bibliography entry for the Ariz chapter: azleg.gov, consulted August 2026.
  2. Bibliography entry for the Arizona formation fee: Filing fee, official source chapter: azcc.gov, consulted October 2026.
  3. Bibliography entry for the Arizona registered agent statute chapter: azleg.gov, consulted October 2026.
  4. Prices quoted from the pricing page at Arizona Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  5. Prices quoted from the Arizona service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026
  6. Prices quoted from the pricing page at AZ Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026