How to Start an LLC for Free (or Close to It)
Can you really start an LLC for free? Here's what you can skip, what states charge, and how to get as close to $0 as legally possible.
Let's be honest up front: in most states, you cannot form an LLC for exactly $0. Every state charges a filing fee to register your business with the government, and no legitimate service can waive that fee for you. What you can do is avoid every unnecessary charge on top of it - the padded packages, the "expedited" upsells, the paid EIN services, and the registered agent subscriptions you may not need. Done right, your only cost is the mandatory state fee, and a handful of states make even that surprisingly cheap.
This guide shows you exactly which costs are unavoidable, which are pure fluff, and how the math shakes out in the states people ask about most.
Can You Really Start an LLC for Free?
The honest answer: the labor of forming an LLC is free if you do it yourself, but the filing almost never is.
Here's the distinction that matters. Companies advertising "free LLC formation" aren't lying, exactly - they'll prepare and submit your paperwork at no charge for their service. But you still pay the state's filing fee out of pocket, and that fee is set by law. So "$0 + state fee" is the real headline. Once you understand that, the goal becomes simple: pay the state fee and nothing else.
You can hit that goal by filing directly with your Secretary of State, acting as your own registered agent, and getting your EIN straight from the IRS. That's the entire free-or-close-to-it playbook. Everything below is detail. If you want the full picture of every possible charge before you commit, our breakdown of how much it costs to start an LLC lays out the line items state by state.
The Only Cost You Genuinely Can't Avoid
Every state requires you to file a formation document - usually called Articles of Organization or a Certificate of Formation - and charges a one-time fee to process it. This fee is non-negotiable and goes to the government, not a middleman.
State fees range widely. A few states sit under $50; several cluster around $100-$150; and a handful, like Texas, run higher. There's no legal trick to skip it. Anyone claiming otherwise is either misinformed or selling you something.
So when someone asks "how do I start an LLC for free," the accurate reframe is: how do I start an LLC while paying only the state fee and zero extras? That's an achievable and worthwhile target.
How to File Everything Yourself for $0 in Add-Ons
Three moves eliminate almost every cost beyond the state fee.
1. File directly with your Secretary of State
You do not need a formation company. Every state lets you file online (or by mail) directly through the Secretary of State's website. You fill in your business name, address, and management structure, pay the state fee, and submit. That's it. Formation services charge for typing your information into the same form you can complete yourself in about 15 minutes. Our step-by-step walkthrough on how to start an LLC covers the exact fields you'll fill in.
2. Be your own registered agent
Your LLC needs a registered agent - a person or entity with a physical in-state address who receives legal mail. Services will sell you this for $100-$300 a year, but in nearly every state you can be your own registered agent for free, as long as you have a physical address in the state and are available during business hours. If privacy or a lack of a fixed in-state address is a concern, that's when a paid agent earns its keep; otherwise, skip it. We compare the tradeoffs in our guide to the best LLC services if you decide you want help after all.
3. Get your EIN free from the IRS
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is your business's tax ID. Countless third-party sites charge $50 to $100 to "obtain" one for you. Don't pay it. The IRS issues EINs completely free, and the online application takes minutes with the number issued immediately at the end of the session (IRS: Get an Employer Identification Number). Apply directly at IRS.gov and ignore every paid lookalike.
Do those three things and your total spend is exactly the state filing fee - nothing more.
What It Actually Costs in Texas, Florida, and New York
State fees are where "free" bumps into reality. Here's the current math for the three states readers ask about most.
How to start an LLC in Texas for free
Texas is the pricey one in this trio. If you're wondering how to start an LLC in Texas for free, the truthful answer is you can get every step free except the state fee - and Texas charges $300 to file the Certificate of Formation (Form 205) with the Secretary of State (Texas Secretary of State via ZenBusiness). Filing online and paying by card adds a small statutory convenience fee on top.
One genuine exemption exists: qualified veteran-owned businesses may have the $300 fee waived, an exemption made permanent beginning January 1, 2026. If you're an eligible veteran, that's the closest thing to a truly free Texas LLC. Everyone else: file it yourself, be your own agent, grab a free EIN, and your all-in cost is $300 - filing Form 205 yourself is walked through field by field in our Texas guide.
How to start an LLC in Florida for free
For how to start an LLC in Florida for free, the state fee is $125 - $100 for the Articles of Organization plus a mandatory $25 registered agent designation fee (Florida Department of State via ZenBusiness). Filing online typically gets you approved in one to three business days. There's no fee waiver here, so $125 is your floor. Just remember Florida also charges an annual report fee each year to keep the LLC active - that's a maintenance cost, not a formation cost, but budget for it alongside the county business tax receipt Florida expects.
How to start an LLC in NY for free
New York is the one where "free" gets genuinely complicated. For how to start an LLC in NY for free, the Articles of Organization filing fee is $200 (New York Department of State, Certificate of Publication). But New York uniquely requires new LLCs to publish a notice of formation in two newspapers within 120 days, then file a Certificate of Publication ($50 fee). Publication costs vary wildly by county - a few hundred dollars upstate versus well over $1,000 in Manhattan. So while the filing itself is $200, the true first-year floor in New York runs higher because of publication. There's no legal way around it, though choosing your county's designated newspapers carefully can hold the cost down.
Costs Worth Paying (and Ones to Skip)
Skip these: expedited processing (unless you truly need speed), "operating agreement drafting" fees (free templates abound), paid EIN services, and premium formation packages that bundle things you can do yourself.
Consider paying for these later, only if your situation calls for it: a registered agent service (for privacy or no in-state address), and professional help if your ownership structure is complex. None of these are required to form the LLC - they're optional layers you can add anytime.
The Bottom Line
You can't form an LLC for a literal $0 in most states, but you can strip your cost down to the bare state fee - $300 in Texas, $125 in Florida, $200 (plus publication) in New York - by filing yourself, serving as your own registered agent, and getting your EIN free from the IRS. Every dollar beyond that is optional.
Ready to file? Start with our full step-by-step LLC formation guide and keep the whole process in your own hands.