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Biz Formation Academy

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

Chapter 1 · Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 7 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

In 2026 the services this chapter recommends for forming an LLC in Pennsylvania are PA Registered Agent.org ($199), Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), best first. Formation in Pennsylvania comes to 7 sections and a $125 state fee, plus $7 for the annual report.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

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Fee to form $125 pa.gov, as published October 2026
Annual report $7 a year Due date as the state words it: September 30
What the state collects over three years $139 State charges only
Chapter sections 7 Each one explained

After this chapter you will understand

  • Where and how a Pennsylvania LLC is filed
  • Who may serve as a registered agent
  • How to remain in good standing
  • Which services are recommended and why

Recommended reading for Pennsylvania

The order rests on five weighted criteria described under how we grade, with three-year cost and paperwork completed on top.

1. PA Registered Agent.org: best for an economical Pennsylvania start

Recommended first
$199 at the start and $99 a year after year one

PA Registered Agent.org is ranked first in Pennsylvania: the filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

Mainstay Filing costs more across three years, so this service takes first place.

Set aside time for the annual report every year; the price omits it.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 above the state fee
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • No agent fee in year one

Limitations

  • The annual report is left for the owner to file
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit PA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: best for a local filer

In-state service
$199 at the start and $99 a year after year one

Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co takes second position; the filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

Set aside time for the annual report every year; the price omits it.

It publishes the same prices as PA Registered Agent.org.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 above the state fee
  • No agent fee in year one

Limitations

  • The annual report is left for the owner to file
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Mainstay Filing: best for no annual report to prepare

Serves all states
$199 a year, renewing at $199

Third place is held by Mainstay Filing, since a yearly fee of $199 pays for the formation, the registered agent and the annual report, and the second year is $199 again.

PA Registered Agent.org is $200 lower across three years, which keeps this service out of first place.

The annual report is handled too, with Pennsylvania's $7 added at cost.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • Registered office for the full year
  • Annual report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee billed at cost

Advantages

  • $199 every year
  • The EIN application is filed for you
  • $199 annually, all inclusive

Limitations

  • $100 a year more than PA Registered Agent.org at renewal
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All prices in one table

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

Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. No row includes the $125 state fee.

The sections

  1. Section 1

    Confirm the name is not taken

    Check the name against the Pennsylvania register kept by the Pennsylvania Secretary of State; this avoids a rejected filing.

    Keep a second choice on hand.

  2. Section 2

    Designate the registered agent

    Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent. 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.

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Pennsylvania. A P.O. box alone is not accepted.

    Providing the registered agent is part of what each recommended service sells.

    Reference: legis.state.pa.us, as published October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Choose how the paperwork is prepared

    Without a service the charge is the state's $125. With a recommended service it grows by $199.

  4. Section 4

    The state wants the Certificate of Organization

    This section is the legal act that creates the company: the Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821) goes to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, accompanied by $125 (15 Pa.C.S. § 8821).

    Reference: pa.gov, as published October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Apply for a federal tax identification number

    Once Pennsylvania approves the filing, the LLC applies to the IRS for an Employer Identification Number, which banks and payroll services require. Mainstay Filing prepares the EIN application as part of its package.

  6. Section 6

    Record how the company will be run

    Think of the operating agreement as the owners' written rules. The company keeps it; the state does not ask for a copy.

  7. Section 7

    Record the recurring deadlines

    Every year the LLC files the annual report and pays $7; the deadline is September 30.

    Reference: pa.gov, as published October 2026

What each section costs in Pennsylvania

PurposeGoes toCost
Formation filing fee Government$125
Annual report Government$7 every year
Optional service The provider$199 for year one
Three years of state fees Government$139

The filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax make up the state's three-year total; the bibliography shows where each figure came from.

Why PA Registered Agent.org is first

Tuition over three years accounts for 34% of the ranking, and led on it in Pennsylvania.

By year three PA Registered Agent.org has cost $397, a saving of $200 next to Mainstay Filing.

What readers ask

Which fees does Pennsylvania charge when an LLC is formed?

Expect to pay $125 to file. $199 more buys someone who prepares the filing.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821) creates the company, and the Pennsylvania Secretary of State is the recipient.

Is a registered agent required?

Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent.

What does Pennsylvania require each year?

Each year the state expects the LLC's annual report, at $7, due September 30.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing prevents it. Pennsylvania asks $125, and the LLC must name a registered agent, which the owner can be or can hire out.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Choose PA Registered Agent.org: $199 to start with the first agent year paid, followed by $99 annually. Next are Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing.

Further reading

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Bibliography entry for the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and chapter: pa.gov, consulted August 2026.
  2. Bibliography entry for the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and chapter: pa.gov, consulted August 2026.
  3. Bibliography entry for the 15 Pa.C.S. § 8821 chapter: pa.gov, consulted August 2026.
  4. Bibliography entry for the Pennsylvania formation fee: Filing fee, official source chapter: pa.gov, consulted October 2026.
  5. Bibliography entry for the Pennsylvania registered agent statute chapter: legis.state.pa.us, consulted October 2026.
  6. PA Registered Agent.org, pricing page: consulted November 13, 2026
  7. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co, pricing page: consulted November 13, 2026
  8. Mainstay Filing, Pennsylvania service page: consulted November 13, 2026