Cheapest LLC formation in Kansas

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

Kansas charges one fee to form an LLC, and it depends only on how you file: $85 online or $90 by paper. No provider can lower it.¹

The online route is the cheaper of the two, and the Secretary of State processes it within minutes. Paper costs more, and the state doesn't publish a turnaround for it. There is no saving in mailing the form. Whether you file yourself or a service files for you, the same state fee applies; a service's price is quoted on top of it.⁷

The state doesn't publish a name reservation fee that we could verify. If you are ready to file, filing the Articles as soon as the name is chosen avoids the question.

An LLC that already exists in another state registers to do business in Kansas instead of forming. That costs $115 and is paper filing only.⁸

The biennial report is the fixed cost you can't price yet. Kansas sets it due by April 15 of the even or odd year matching the year the LLC was formed, but the state amended its fee rules this year and no current official page we checked gives the per-filing amount. Check the Secretary of State's site before your first report is due. For comparison with a neighbouring state, see the Missouri registered agent page.⁵

What raises the cost of a Kansas LLC?

The resident agent is the main variable, followed by yearly packages and compliance plans, rush fees charged by services, and the cost of falling out of good standing. The state itself publishes no expedite fee.

The resident agent

K.S.A. 17-7925 lets the agent be "The covered entity itself," an individual resident in this state, or a listed business entity.³

1. Name the LLC or a Kansas-resident owner. There's no agent fee, but the registered office must be a Kansas address where the agent may be regularly present, and it is named in the Articles. The Kansas resident agent guide explains the registered office rules.
2. Take a first year bundled with a formation package, then decide at renewal whether to keep paying.
3. Buy a standalone service at the published prices listed below.

Changing agents later is done on Form ROA. No current official page we checked states its fee after this year's fee rule changes, so ask the Secretary of State before you switch. File the change before cancelling the old service, so the LLC is never without an agent. The steps are in how to change a resident agent.⁹

Rush fees and paper filing

The state publishes no expedite option, and an online filing already takes minutes. A provider's rush charge buys faster handling of your order by that provider, not by Kansas. Filing on paper adds cost and an unpublished wait, with no published benefit for a new Kansas LLC.

Yearly packages and compliance plans

Several mid-tier packages bill every year, and compliance plans often renew yearly after a free start. Kansas wants its report only every other year, so a plan priced per year bills you in years when nothing is due. Swyft Filings, for one, sets these terms for its compliance plan: 14-day free trial then auto-charged. A per-filing service, such as Northwest's ($100 + state fees, charged at filing), is charged only when there is a report to file.^{10, 11}

Forfeiture and reinstatement

For a missed report, the published position is this: No late fee published for the 3-month delinquency period; after it the LLC forfeits. Reinstating costs a $35 filing fee, an $85 penalty fee when the forfeiture was for a missed report, and $110 per past-due information report. An LLC that fails to maintain an active Kansas resident agent and registered office can also forfeit, and one forfeited only for that reason may ignore the $85 penalty fee. The deadlines are set out on staying compliant in Kansas.^{5, 12, 13}

Which providers have the lowest published prices for a Kansas LLC?

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

In the same order, here is what each provider's cheapest route adds to the Kansas filing fee in year one and what it costs after that.

Tailor Brands. Lite is $0 plus state fees and doesn't list a resident agent, so budget $199/year for the agent or use one of the free Kansas options. The next tier, $199/yr plus state fees, bills yearly. See the Tailor Brands review.^{14, 15}

ZenBusiness. Starter is $0 + state fees (does not renew), a one-time charge. Its resident agent is not part of the package but an add-on +$199/yr, offered with 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC and renewing afterwards at $199/yr. Starter also carries Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr), so note the date it starts billing. See the ZenBusiness review.^{16, 17}

LegalZoom. Its lowest package, $0 + state filing fees, covers the Articles of organization. The agent is $249/year (first-time registered agent customers); its terms describe renewal this way: Renews at the purchase rate each year; rate subject to change. See the LegalZoom review.^{18, 19}

Bizee. Basic is $0 + state fee and includes the agent for the first year with any Bizee formation package. In year one the state fee is the only charge; from year two the agent renews at $149/year (ongoing annual fee). See the Bizee review.⁶

Swyft Filings. Basic costs $0 + state fees, and the package details don't mention an agent. Swyft's agent is $149 per quarter ($596/year), a quarterly charge, so compare its yearly total. See the Swyft Filings review.^{20, 21}

doola. Starter is $297/yr and includes the agent, but the plan itself is billed every year, so the plan fee comes round again in year two. See the doola review.²²

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees. Its corporation page lists this: One year of registered agent service included with formation. The LLC page doesn't say the agent is included, so confirm it applies to an LLC. The agent alone is $125 per year. See the Northwest review.^{23, 24, 25}

Rocket Lawyer. Formation comes with membership (First registration free with a Rocket Lawyer membership), and memberships renew yearly. Standard, the cheapest at $149/year, excludes the agent; the agent is $125 with a Plus or Pro membership, meaning Plus ($249/year) or Pro ($349/year). See the Rocket Lawyer review.^{26, 27, 28}

InCorp Services. Formation is priced starting at $99 plus state fees, with the registered agent sold separately at $129 per state per year. InCorp calls that a $129 per year flat rate, while its terms say service is billed at then-current fee unless a cancellation condition is met. See the InCorp review.^{29, 30, 31, 32}

Harbor Compliance. Formation starts at $99 plus state fees. The agent is $99 first year (new customers) and then $159 annually; to stop it renewing, give notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term. See the Harbor Compliance review.^{33, 34, 35}

Agent-only prices across all states are on the cheapest registered agent services page.