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Biz Formation Academy

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

Unit 1 · Utah

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

Summary for 2026: to handle forming an LLC in Utah with outside help, choose among UT Registered Agent.org ($199), Utah Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. 7 sections take the reader through formation; the state fee is $59, with $18 for the Annual Report/Renewal.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key points

Fee to form $59 Source text at commerce.utah.gov, October 2026
Annual Report/Renewal $18 a year Date due: last day of the entity's anniversary month
Three years of state fees $95 No service fee included
Sections in this chapter 7 Outlined below

What this chapter teaches

  • How an LLC is formed in Utah
  • How to satisfy the registered agent rule
  • What follows formation
  • The recommendations and their reasons

The Utah shortlist

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

1. UT Registered Agent.org: best for a small first payment

Recommended first
$199 and fees, then $99 each year

UT Registered Agent.org comes first. The filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

On three-year cost it undercuts Mainstay Filing, and cost is a large part of the ranking.

The Annual Report/Renewal is not in the price, so the owner files it every year.

Price covers

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

Advantages

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Year-one agent service at no added cost
  • Then $99 per year

Limitations

  • The Annual Report/Renewal remains the owner's responsibility
  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit UT Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Utah Registered Agent.co: best for another Utah choice

Utah specialist
$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Second place is held by Utah Registered Agent.co, since the filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

The Annual Report/Renewal is not in the price, so the owner files it every year.

On price, it matches UT Registered Agent.org.

Price covers

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

Advantages

  • Year-one agent service at no added cost
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Then $99 per year

Limitations

  • The Annual Report/Renewal remains the owner's responsibility
  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit Utah Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who want the work handled

Upkeep included
$199 a year plus the state fee ($258 due at checkout)

Entry number 3 is Mainstay Filing, where one annual payment, $199, completes the filing, the registered agent and the annual report; renewal is $199.

Three years cost $200 above UT Registered Agent.org, and cost counts for 34% of the ranking.

The Annual Report/Renewal is handled too, with Utah's $18 added at cost.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork completed
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee passed through at cost

Advantages

  • A single yearly fee of $199, with the annual report included
  • $199 every year
  • The EIN application is in the price

Limitations

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

The services compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 UT Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit UT Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Utah Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Utah 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.

Listed prices, consulted November 13, 2026. Each row still owes Utah's $59 fee.

Formation in sequence

  1. Section 1

    Select and check the company name

    Name availability is decided by the Utah Secretary of State, so the search belongs at the front of the process.

    Write down an alternate name in case the first is taken.

  2. Section 2

    Arrange the registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A commercial registered agent listed with the state, a noncommercial agent (an individual or entity), or the holder of a named position in the company.

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Utah. A P.O. box can follow the street address but cannot replace it.

    Any service in the recommended reading provides a registered agent.

    Reference: Source text at le.utah.gov, October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Self-filing compared with hiring help

    The state fee, $59, applies either way; the recommended services charge $199 for their part.

  4. Section 4

    Next comes the Certificate of Organization

    The Certificate of Organization goes to the Utah Secretary of State with a fee of $59; the governing law is Utah Code § 48-3a-201. Once accepted, the LLC exists. The published turnaround is Most filings immediately; manual review 5 to 7 business days.

    Reference: Source text at commerce.utah.gov, October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Apply for a federal tax identification number

    With the state's approval in hand, the company can ask the IRS for a federal tax number; opening a business bank account depends on it. The Mainstay Filing annual price already includes this section.

  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

    Handle the recurring Utah filing

    The recurring filing is the Annual Report/Renewal ($18, every year, by last day of the entity's anniversary month). A late one costs $10 extra.

    Reference: Source text at corporations.utah.gov, August 2026

The cost of this chapter

Line itemGoes toCost
Fee to form The state$59
Annual Report/Renewal The state$18 every year
Missing the deadline The state$10
Optional service The provider$199 at the start
State fees across years one to three The state$95

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.

How the ranking came out

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

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

Utah review questions

What does Utah charge to form an LLC?

The official schedule lists $59. On top of the state fee, the ranked services bill $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

When the Utah Secretary of State accepts the Certificate of Organization, the LLC exists.

Is a registered agent required?

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

How long does Utah take to process the filing?

The state publishes Most filings immediately; manual review 5 to 7 business days.

What does Utah require each year?

The recurring obligation is the Annual Report/Renewal ($18, every year, due last day of the entity's anniversary month).

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state accepts filings directly from owners, so no service is needed: $59 plus a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

UT Registered Agent.org, Utah Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing, from the highest ranking to the lowest.

More chapters

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Footnote for Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code: see corporations.utah.gov (August 2026).
  2. Footnote for Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code: see corporations.utah.gov (August 2026).
  3. Footnote for Utah report due date: see le.utah.gov (August 2026).
  4. Footnote for Utah Code § 48-3a-201: see le.utah.gov (August 2026).
  5. Footnote for Utah formation fee: Filing fee, official source: see commerce.utah.gov (October 2026).
  6. Footnote for Utah registered agent statute: see le.utah.gov (October 2026).
  7. Footnote for Processing and expedite, official source: see businessregistration.utah.gov (October 2026).
  8. pricing page (UT Registered Agent.org), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  9. pricing page (Utah Registered Agent.co), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  10. Utah service page (Mainstay Filing), as it stood on November 13, 2026