Best LLC formation services in Washington DC

How do you form an LLC in D.C., step by step?

The order is name, agent, articles, filing method and speed, then the federal and internal paperwork, and finally a note in the calendar for the first biennial report.

Most delays in the District come from a name that's taken, an agent without a District street address, or a mailed filing that can't be rushed.

1. Check that the name is available. If you can't file yet, a reservation costs $50, but DLCP's fee page doesn't say how long it lasts, so ask if timing is tight.²
2. Choose the registered agent. D.C. law (D.C. Code §§ 29-104.03, 29-104.04) lets the filing name a commercial registered agent, a noncommercial registered agent, or an officer or employee designated to accept service. Any of them needs a District street address. Who qualifies, and what it means to act as your own, is on the D.C. registered agent guide.⁴
3. Complete the articles. The form is Articles of Organization (Form DLC-1); DLCP's fee table calls the same filing the Certificate of organization, so you may see both names.¹
4. Pick how to send it. DLCP lists three routes (Online (BOSS, formerly CorpOnline), by mail or walk-in). Older instructions that mention CorpOnline point to the online route, which DLCP now runs as BOSS.¹
5. Decide whether speed is worth paying for. Standard online handling is within 5 business days. Expedite adds $50 for 3-day service or $100 for 1-day service, the faster tier finishing by end of next business day. DLCP warns that "Expedited service may be limited or not available for mail-in filings", and walk-in filings pay the $100 expedite fee.³
6. Get an EIN from the IRS. The Employer Identification Number is the LLC's federal tax ID, and banks usually want it before opening an account.
7. Put an operating agreement in writing. It records who owns what and how decisions get made, and banks may ask to see it.
8. Mark the first report date. The Biennial Report costs $300.00, with the first report due April 1 of the year after formation. A franchise tax may also apply (Unincorporated business franchise tax); staying compliant in D.C. covers both.^{2, 3, 5, 6}

What does a D.C. LLC cost with and without a service?

DLCP's fees are the same whether you file or a company files for you, and every package on this page adds them on top.

Paying for the faster tier brings the state's part to the filing fee plus that tier's charge ($100 for 1-day service). Note that the Biennial Report fee isn't part of formation, but it arrives soon after; a package's report service, if any, decides whether you file that yourself. The next table follows the provider order used across the site, by our score, highest first, with ties in editorial order.³

This table shows what each provider's lowest-priced package covers past the filing, and where it publishes help with the District's biennial report.

A provider's "annual report" wording comes from its own pages. D.C.'s report is biennial, so ask whether the service files it and how it bills in the year between. For year-by-year totals, see the cheapest way to form a D.C. LLC, which adds the agent renewals and report fees.

What does each provider's formation package include for a D.C. LLC?

These paragraphs cover formation packages only, in the same order as the provider table (how we score); agent terms are compared on D.C. registered agent services.

A recurring theme in the District is speed. DLCP's own standard is within 5 business days for online filings, so a provider's quoted timing tells you about its own handling, and only DLCP's expedite fee changes the state's side.³

Tailor Brands

Lite costs $0 plus state fees; its listing promises LLC formation processed within 14 business days and notes no annual compliance, operating agreement or branding tools. Essential, $199/yr plus state fees, lists LLC formation processed within 1 business day, and its list adds annual compliance (report filing and updates) and an operating agreement, which makes it the lowest Tailor Brands plan with report filing. Both Essential and Elite ($249/yr plus state fees) bill yearly. The agent is priced separately at $199/year, and its EIN service is listed without a price (EIN filing service offered; price not published).^{7, 8, 9}

ZenBusiness

Starter is $0 + state fees (does not renew), and its listing covers the basics (Initial state filing, standard 7-10 day processing). Its page says processing excludes Secretary of State time; in D.C. the equivalent wait is DLCP's. Starter also carries Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr). The listing notes the EIN and operating agreement are +$99 add-ons, and speed is sold as a Rush upgrade +$79 on Starter. Pro ($199 + state fees, renews at $199/yr) includes ongoing filing compliance (state-required annual report filings and up to 2 amendments per year). The agent isn't in any of its packages, though ZenBusiness offers 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC.^{10, 37}

LegalZoom

The Basic package, $0 + state filing fees, covers the articles (Articles of organization). Pro ($249 + state filing fees) adds attorney consultations (30 days included, then $49/month auto-renew); Premium ($299 + state filing fees) adds bookkeeping tools (Bookkeeping tools, 6-month subscription included). The EIN is $79, an operating agreement (Starts at $99) is extra on Basic, and a one-time report filing costs $99 + state filing fees, bills once.^{12, 14, 15, 38}

Bizee

Basic is $0 + state fee, and its listing reads "Registered Agent (1st year included)", after which the agent renews at $149/year (ongoing annual fee). Standard ($199 + state fee) adds EIN, operating agreement, faster processing (~2 weeks), and Premium ($299 + state fee) lists expedited filing (~4 business days). Those are Bizee's timings, set against DLCP's standard of within 5 business days for online filings; Bizee says Standard's timing includes expedited filing but doesn't say which DLCP tier it pays.^{3, 16, 39}

Swyft Filings

Swyft's Basic is $0 + state fees. Processing is published by tier: Basic 7-10 business days; Standard 3 business days; Premium 1 business day. Standard adds custom organizational minutes, custom banking resolution, business banking essentials, operating agreement, at a listed price of $169 + state fees (promotional, 'SAVE $30'; regular $199). Every LLC plan starts its ComplianceGuard report service on a trial (14-day free trial then auto-charged), so an owner who plans to file D.C.'s biennial report alone would need to cancel it before the charge.^{19, 21}

doola

Starter, $297/yr, is a yearly plan that includes LLC filing, EIN, US bank account guidance, US business address, registered agent. doola quotes 1-2 business days filing. Report filing isn't in Starter. doola lists Annual State Report Filing included in the Tax and Compliance and Business-in-a-Box™ plans, which start at $1,999/yr. doola says it works with a non-resident without a US SSN; see agents for non-resident founders.^{22, 23, 24, 40}

Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest's package is $39 + State Fees and adds a free domain name, open source website, phone line, business email, business address, brand protection. A year of agent service is included, as stated on the corporation page; the LLC page is silent, so confirm before you order. Its agent coverage names D.C. (All 50 states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico). Northwest lists the operating agreement as a Free template and prices the EIN at $50 (with SSN); $200 without SSN.^{25, 26, 41, 42, 43}

Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer links formation to its membership (First registration free with a Rocket Lawyer membership), and the cheapest membership is $149/year (Standard; registered agent not included). Memberships begin with a trial (Free 7-day trial, then billed yearly). The agent is $125 with a Plus or Pro membership, report filing needs Pro, and no operating agreement is listed with the formation offer.^{28, 44, 45}

InCorp

InCorp prices formation starting at $99 plus state fees; the listing mentions support (Live chat and phone support included) and little else. The agent is sold separately at $129 per state per year, and its coverage names the District of Columbia. Its own expedite charge is a $50.00 InCorp expedite fee, with the state expedite fee extra, so in D.C. you'd add DLCP's tier on top. For the EIN, it lists an EIN service, $69 (InCorp prepares the IRS forms or obtains the number for you).^{31, 32, 33, 46, 47}

Harbor Compliance

Harbor's price reads "Starting at $99 plus state fees", and its page names what it handles (Name check, articles, registered agent, EIN, operating agreement) without saying which tier carries what. It quotes its own handling time (Most LLCs prepared and filed in one business day). It offers expedited state processing (price not published). Its agent renews at $159 annually.^{35, 48, 49}

Should you file D.C. articles yourself or use a service?

Filing yourself costs $99.00 plus any expedite tier you pick, and DLCP takes the filing online. A service mainly saves you the form, the agent search and the follow-up paperwork.²

Doing it yourself in D.C. is fairly contained, with one form, one fee and a published turnaround for filings sent online. The agent is the step with a District-specific catch. Whoever is named needs a District street address, and that address goes on the public record, so an owner who lives in Maryland or Virginia can't simply list a home address.

Speed claims deserve a careful read. A package that promises next-day handling may mean the provider's own preparation time. DLCP's queue only moves faster when one of its expedite fees ($50 for 3-day service; $100 for 1-day service (by end of next business day)) is paid, and "Expedited service may be limited or not available for mail-in filings". So ask any service which tier, if any, it pays.³

What comes after formation also shapes the choice. A package with report filing, such as Tailor Brands' Essential or ZenBusiness's Pro, is billed every year while D.C.'s report comes every other year; a per-report service bills only when it files. Free first years of agent or compliance service renew at regular prices. If the LLC has several owners or investors, a lawyer's review of the operating agreement may be worth more than a template. Terms used here are defined in the glossary, and annual reports explained covers how report services work across states.