Skip to content
Biz Formation Academy

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

Unit 1 · Wisconsin

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

In 2026 the services this chapter recommends for forming an LLC in Wisconsin are WI Registered Agent.org ($199), Wisconsin Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), best first. Formation in Wisconsin comes to 7 sections and a $130 state fee, plus $25 for the annual report.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key facts for this chapter

Formation fee $130 Reference: dfi.wi.gov, consulted October 2026
Annual report $25 a year Stated timing: end of the calendar quarter containing the LLC's anniversary date
State cost, years 1 to 3 $180 State charges only
Section count 7 Each one explained

What this chapter teaches

  • The official Wisconsin fee and form
  • What the registered agent rule requires
  • How to remain in good standing
  • The services ranked highest

Who we recommend in Wisconsin

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

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

Recommended first
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

This chapter recommends WI Registered Agent.org above the others, because 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.

The annual report remains the owner's task every year.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 to form
  • A modest $99 renewal
  • No agent fee in year one

Limitations

  • No service for the annual report is offered
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit WI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

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

Focused on Wisconsin
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Entry number 2 is Wisconsin Registered Agent.co, where the filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

The annual report remains the owner's task every year.

WI Registered Agent.org and this service cost the same.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 to form
  • A modest $99 renewal

Limitations

  • No service for the annual report is offered
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit Wisconsin Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

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

All fifty states
$199 annually and the $130 state fee

Entry number 3 is Mainstay Filing, where the textbook price of $199 a year includes filing, a registered agent and the annual report, with no change at renewal.

Across three years it trails WI Registered Agent.org by $200.

The owner never prepares the annual report; the $25 state fee is passed through unchanged.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork completed
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • Official fee with nothing added

Advantages

  • No added charge for the EIN application
  • A flat $199 each year
  • No increase at renewal ($199)

Limitations

  • A yearly premium of $100 compared with WI Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The services compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 WI Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit WI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Wisconsin Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Wisconsin 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. No row includes the $130 state fee.

The chapter, section by section

  1. Section 1

    Settle on the legal name

    The records at the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) show every name in use. Look yours up before preparing any forms, because Wisconsin can refuse a duplicate.

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

  2. Section 2

    Name your registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Wisconsin resident, or a business entity formed in Wisconsin or authorized there, whose business office is the registered office. The agent needs an email address and has to consent.

    The address has to be an actual physical location with a street address in Wisconsin, not solely a P.O. box, mailbox service or answering service.

    The recommended services all supply the registered agent role.

    Reference: Reference: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, consulted October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Self-filing compared with hiring help

    The state fee, $130, applies either way; the recommended services charge $199 for their part.

  4. Section 4

    Next comes the Articles of Organization - Limited Liability Company

    Formation takes effect when the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) accepts the Articles of Organization - Limited Liability Company (Form 502) and $130 under Wis. Stat. § 183.0201.

    Reference: Reference: dfi.wi.gov, consulted October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Apply for a federal tax identification number

    Once Wisconsin approves the filing, the LLC applies to the IRS for an Employer Identification Number, which banks and payroll services require. The Mainstay Filing annual price already includes this section.

  6. Section 6

    Draft the members' agreement

    Definition: the operating agreement sets out shares, voting and what happens when a member leaves. It is private.

  7. Section 7

    Prepare for the second year

    The recurring filing is the annual report ($25, every year, by end of the calendar quarter containing the LLC's anniversary date). A late one costs $25 extra.

    Reference: Reference: dfi.wi.gov, consulted August 2026

Wisconsin costs by section

SectionGoes toTotal
Creating the LLC Filing office$130
Annual report Filing office$25 every year
Penalty for late filing Filing office$25
Service fees (optional) The provider$199 at the start
Three-year state total Filing office$180

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.

How the Wisconsin recommendations were ranked

finished ahead of on tuition over three years, which counts for 34%.

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

What readers ask

What does Wisconsin charge to form an LLC?

Wisconsin charges $130. Hiring one of them costs $199 extra.

Which form creates the LLC?

Deliver the Articles of Organization - Limited Liability Company (Form 502) to the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI).

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Wisconsin require each year?

Wisconsin requires the annual report every year, at $25, with timing described as end of the calendar quarter containing the LLC's anniversary date.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. The state collects $130 at filing, and the LLC still needs a registered agent on record.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

WI Registered Agent.org, Wisconsin Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing, from the highest ranking to the lowest.

Next chapter

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Bibliography entry for the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate chapter: dfi.wi.gov, consulted August 2026.
  2. Bibliography entry for the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate chapter: dfi.wi.gov, consulted August 2026.
  3. Bibliography entry for the Wisconsin report due date chapter: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, consulted August 2026.
  4. Bibliography entry for the Wis chapter: dfi.wi.gov, consulted August 2026.
  5. Bibliography entry for the Wisconsin formation fee: Filing fee, official source chapter: dfi.wi.gov, consulted October 2026.
  6. Bibliography entry for the Wisconsin registered agent statute chapter: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, consulted October 2026.
  7. Prices quoted from the pricing page at WI Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026
  8. Prices quoted from the pricing page at Wisconsin Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  9. Prices quoted from the Wisconsin service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026