Cheapest LLC formation in Washington DC

What does D.C. charge to form and keep an LLC?

DLCP sets these fees, and no provider can lower them; package prices on this page are quoted before them.

Only one fee is unavoidable at formation, the $99.00 for the articles. You pay it whether you file yourself (Online (BOSS, formerly CorpOnline), by mail or walk-in) or a service files for you, and the amount is the same.⁷

The report fee belongs in the plan from day one. At $300.00 it is larger than the formation fee, and it comes back every other year by April 1. Formation package prices don't include it, since nothing is due at formation.⁶

Two other DLCP fees are situational. Holding a name before you file costs $50, and an LLC that already exists in another state pays $220 to register in D.C. instead of the formation fee.¹

What pushes the cost of a D.C. LLC higher?

Expedite, the registered agent, report filing services, late or missed filings and the District's franchise tax all move the bill above DLCP's fixed fees.

Expedited processing

Online filings are handled within 5 business days at no extra cost. The two paid tiers are $50 for 3-day service and $100 for 1-day service. DLCP also notes "Expedited service may be limited or not available for mail-in filings", so a mailed filing may have no paid speed option at all. The standard wait costs nothing, and the paid tiers earn their price mainly when a lease, contract or bank appointment depends on the date.⁵

The registered agent

A paid agent is a charge that repeats every year from the start. There are a few ways to handle it.

• Act as your own agent, at no cost, if you have a District street address where papers can be delivered to you.
• Take a package with a bundled first year and plan for its renewal.
• Buy agent service on its own at the prices in the table below.

If a renewal climbs past what you want to pay, switching costs $50.00 on the Statement of Change of Registered Agent (Form RA-3). File it before cancelling the old provider, since going 60 days without an agent is a ground for administrative dissolution in D.C.^{1, 8, 9}

Report filing services

A report service doesn't change the $300.00 state fee; it adds the provider's own charge for preparing and filing the report on your behalf. Pricing comes in two forms. Per-filing products, such as ZenBusiness's (Annual Report Filing $100 per report) or InCorp's ($89 + state fees), cost money only in a report year. Yearly products, such as Swyft's ComplianceGuard $199/year or Harbor's managed service ($199 per state per year plus filing fees), bill in the off year too. Filing it yourself costs nothing extra.^{10, 11, 12, 13}

Missed deadlines

A late report adds a $100 late fee. A report still undelivered 5 months after it is due is a ground for administrative dissolution, and reinstatement after dissolution costs $300.¹

The franchise tax

D.C. counts an LLC as an unincorporated business for its franchise tax (Unincorporated business franchise tax), which carries a $250 minimum ($1,000 if D.C. gross receipts exceed $1 million). It is not owed with gross income of $12,000 or less, so whether you owe it depends on the business, and it is covered on staying compliant in D.C. rather than here.¹⁴

Which providers have the lowest published prices for a D.C. LLC?

The table lists each provider's agent price, its renewal and its lowest formation package. Rows run by our score, highest first, ties in editorial order, not by price.

Below, each provider's lowest-cost route is set against what it costs again in year two, when D.C.'s first report usually falls due.

Tailor Brands. Lite is $0 plus state fees with no agent listed, so add $199/year or act as your own. Report help sits in Essential ($199/yr plus state fees), which includes annual compliance (report filing and updates) and bills every year. Tailor Brands review.^{15, 16}

ZenBusiness. Starter is $0 + state fees (does not renew). The agent is an add-on +$199/yr, with 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC, then $199/yr. For the report, the per-filing option suits a biennial cycle. ZenBusiness review.^{17, 18}

LegalZoom. Basic is $0 + state filing fees. The agent is $249/year (first-time registered agent customers) and renews at the purchase rate each year; rate subject to change. Its report filing is $99 + state filing fees, bills once. LegalZoom review.^{19, 20, 21}

Bizee. Basic at $0 + state fee includes the agent's first year, which makes DLCP's fee the whole first-year bill if you skip expedite. From year two the agent renews at $149/year (ongoing annual fee), and the report fee arrives. Bizee review.^{2, 22}

Swyft Filings. Basic is $0 + state fees, and the agent is $149 per quarter ($596/year). Its plans start ComplianceGuard on a 14-day free trial then auto-charged; cancel it if you'd rather file yourself. Swyft Filings review.^{12, 23, 24}

doola. Starter is $297/yr and includes the agent, but the whole plan renews, not just the agent. Report filing isn't in Starter. doola review.²⁵

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees. Northwest calls that a total that includes one year of registered agent service, but only on its corporation page, so confirm it for an LLC; on its own the agent is $125 per year. Report filing is $100 + state fees, charged at filing. Northwest review.^{26, 27, 28, 29}

Rocket Lawyer. Formation is tied to a membership (First registration free with a Rocket Lawyer membership), and Standard is $149/year without an agent. The agent ($125 with a Plus or Pro membership) needs Plus at $249/year or higher, so count the membership as a yearly cost. Rocket Lawyer review.^{30, 31, 32}

InCorp Services. Formation is priced starting at $99 plus state fees, with the agent sold separately at $129 per state per year. Renewals bill at the 'then current' fee. InCorp review.^{33, 34, 35}

Harbor Compliance. Formation is listed as "Starting at $99 plus state fees". The agent is $99 first year (new customers), then $159 annually, and stopping it takes notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term. Harbor Compliance review.^{36, 37, 38}

Agent-only prices across all providers are on the cheapest registered agent services. For package contents, read D.C. LLC formation services; agent terms, including cancellation and refunds, are on D.C. registered agent services.