Cheapest LLC formation in Arizona

What does the state of Arizona charge to form an LLC?

The Commission's fees are set by the state, so no provider can discount them. Provider package prices are quoted before state fees, and these are those fees.

For a new Arizona LLC, the one fee that always applies is the $50.00 charge for the Articles of Organization. You pay it whether you file through the Commission's online system yourself or a service files for you. A service never lowers this number; it can only add to it.

Two other fixed fees are optional. A name reservation costs $10 for 120 days (non-renewable). You only need one if you want to hold a name before you are ready to file. If you are ready to file, you can check that the name is available and file the Articles instead, which makes the reservation unnecessary.⁸

If your LLC already exists in another state and you are registering it to do business in Arizona, the formation fee doesn't apply to you. You pay the foreign registration fee of $150 instead, which is a larger fixed cost than forming a new Arizona LLC.⁹

There is no yearly report fee to add: Arizona has no LLC annual report ($0). If you are weighing a neighbouring state instead, check its recurring filings first, for example on the Nevada registered agent page.⁶

What raises the cost of an Arizona LLC?

Four things push the bill above the state fee: newspaper publication, faster processing, the statutory agent, and add-ons sold with formation packages. Each can be planned for before you file.

Newspaper publication

Arizona requires a public notice of a new LLC within 60 days of filing. If your agent's street address is outside Maricopa and Pima counties, that means 3 consecutive newspaper publications in the county where your statutory agent is located. The county changes the cost, because newspaper publication is required unless the agent's street address is in Maricopa or Pima County, where the ACC posts the notice online. The Commission does not publish newspaper rates, so the price of the notice depends on the paper you use. If you use a commercial agent, ask which county its Arizona address is in before you file. The Commission's instructions also say not to publish until the Articles are approved, so the newspaper notice comes after approval, not before.²

Expedited processing

Regular processing has no extra charge and takes typically 14-16 days. Paying more only buys speed. The tiers are Expedite +$35 (typically 3-5 days), Next Day +$100, Same Day +$200 and 2-Hour +$400, each added on top of the filing fee. The Commission won't accept same-day or next-day filings delivered by mail. If you don't have a deadline, such as a lease or a contract that needs the LLC to exist, regular processing is the cheapest choice. When a formation package advertises faster processing, ask whether the Commission's expedite fee is included or charged on top.⁶

The statutory agent

Every Arizona LLC needs a statutory agent (A.R.S. § 29-3115). Unlike the state filing fee, a paid agent is charged every year. There are three ways to cover it.⁵

1. Serve as your own agent. If you are an Arizona resident, the law lets you serve, so the agent costs nothing. Your own address then becomes the agent address on the LLC's filings, and you need to be reachable there. The Arizona statutory agent guide covers who may serve and the address rules.
2. Take a first year bundled with formation. Several packages include the agent for the first year, and after that it renews at the provider's yearly price (each provider's renewal terms are below).
3. Buy the agent service on its own, at the published standalone prices listed below.

If the bundled agent renews at a price you don't want to pay, you can switch for $5.00, filed on the Commission's statement of change (Form L020). Order counts here. File the change before you cancel the old service, so your LLC is never without an agent. The steps are in our guide to changing a statutory agent.^{1, 10}

Add-ons and upsells

Formation checkouts commonly offer an EIN (employer identification number, the federal tax ID), an operating agreement, a business address and compliance subscriptions. Each is either sold separately or folded into a higher-priced package, so each is a separate decision from the filing itself. Compliance subscriptions deserve a closer look in Arizona. Many are built around filing a yearly report, and Arizona LLCs don't file one (No annual report required). Before paying for one, check what it would actually do for an Arizona LLC.⁶

The reinstatement fee after an agent lapse

An LLC that lacks a statutory agent for 60 consecutive days can be administratively dissolved, and reinstatement costs $100 plus all past-due fees and penalties. The Arizona compliance page explains what keeps an LLC in good standing.^{6, 11}

Which providers have the lowest published prices for an Arizona LLC?

The table shows each provider's published agent price, renewal and lowest-priced formation package. Rows follow our score, highest first, with tied scores in editorial order. They are not ranked by price.

Here is what each provider's lowest-priced option adds to the Arizona filing fee in the first year, and what it costs afterwards, in the same order.

Tailor Brands. Its lowest package is $0 plus state fees. The package details don't list a statutory agent, so plan for the agent at $199/year or serve as your own. Its next package is $199/yr plus state fees, a yearly charge rather than a one-time fee. See the Tailor Brands review.^{12, 13}

ZenBusiness. The starter package is $0 + state fees (does not renew). The agent is not included and is sold as an add-on (+$199/yr), though ZenBusiness offers 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC. It renews at $199/yr. The starter package also includes Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr), so check its renewal date. See the ZenBusiness review.^{14, 15}

LegalZoom. The lowest package is $0 + state filing fees and covers the Articles of organization. The agent is $249/year (first-time registered agent customers), and it auto-renews at the purchase rate each year until you cancel, with the rate subject to change. See the LegalZoom review.^{16, 17}

Bizee. The basic package is $0 + state fee, and the agent is free for the first year with any Bizee formation package. The agent then renews at $149/year (ongoing annual fee). In the first year that makes the state fee the main cost; from the second year on, it is the renewal. See the Bizee review.^{4, 7}

Swyft Filings. The basic package is $0 + state fees. Its agent service is listed at $149 per quarter ($596/year), billed every quarter, so use the yearly figure when you compare it with the other providers here. Swyft's published package details don't say whether the basic package includes an agent, so ask before you check out. See the Swyft Filings review.^{18, 19}

doola. The Starter plan is $297/yr and includes the agent. Because the plan itself is yearly, its price recurs in the second year rather than only the agent fee. See the doola review.²⁰

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees. Northwest describes this as a total that includes one year of registered agent service, though that wording comes from its corporation page, so confirm it applies to an LLC order. Its standalone agent price is $125 per year; Northwest doesn't publish a separate renewal price. See the Northwest review.^{21, 22, 23}

Rocket Lawyer. Its formation service is tied to a membership (First registration free with a Rocket Lawyer membership), and every membership is a yearly charge. The lowest, Standard, is $149/year and doesn't include the agent. The agent is $125 with a Plus or Pro membership, and it requires a Plus membership ($249/year) or a Pro membership ($349/year). Add the membership to the agent price when you compare. See the Rocket Lawyer review.^{24, 25, 26}

InCorp Services. Formation is priced starting at $99 plus state fees, with the registered agent sold separately at $129 per state per year. InCorp describes the renewal as $129 per year flat rate, though its terms say the service is billed at then-current fee unless a cancellation condition is met. See the InCorp review.^{27, 28, 29, 30}

Harbor Compliance. Formation starts at $99 plus state fees. The agent is $99 first year (new customers) and renews at $159 annually, and if you want to stop that renewal, you must give notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term. See the Harbor Compliance review.^{31, 32, 33}

Agent-only prices for every provider, beyond Arizona, are on the cheapest registered agent services page.