Register your Pennsylvania LLC Online
Complete the form below in 2–3 minutes. Your LLC and EIN come at no extra cost — you only pay Pennsylvania’s own $125 state fee.
- Enter your desired LLC name
- Choose your state
- Receive your LLC and free EIN by email
Trusted by Thousands Nationwide
What is an LLC in Pennsylvania?
An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a simple structure for running your business under a professional name. It separates your business from your personal name, and it's the most common way to add a partner, sell the business, or look like a real company instead of a side project.
That separation goes further than the name. If the business owes money or gets sued, your house, car, and personal bank accounts are generally off-limits — as long as you run the LLC properly. It doesn't protect you from something you personally did wrong.
A sole proprietorship skips all of that. You're doing business under your own name or a DBA, and everything stays tied to you personally.
A corporation does the same separation as an LLC, but it's built for a different job: issuing stock and bringing in outside investors. An LLC is simpler to run and cheaper to keep up if that's not you right now.
Benefits of an LLC in Pennsylvania
- Add partners or co-owners whenever you're ready
- Transfer ownership if you sell the business
- “Pennsylvania Company, LLC” shows you’re a real business
- Shows you’re registered (Pennsylvania Department of State)
- Get a matching domain like PennsylvaniaCompanyLLC.com
- Simpler upkeep than forming a corporation
What's different about a Pennsylvania LLC
Your $125 filing fee is a flat rate — no itemized add-ons.
Pennsylvania also skips the registered agent most states require. You need a registered office instead — a Pennsylvania street address on file, your own if you have one. Only a business with no Pennsylvania address needs to pay for a Commercial Registered Office Provider to list one instead. Pennsylvania has no franchise tax or capital stock tax on a standard LLC either, fully phased out in 2016 — the $7 Annual Report above is the one recurring cost every Pennsylvania LLC actually owes.
Cost to start an LLC in Pennsylvania
$125 to the Pennsylvania Department of State — that's it. We don't charge a filing fee on top of it. A Pennsylvania corporation runs $125 through the same process.
| What you get |  | Others |
|---|---|---|
| EIN (Tax ID) | Free | up to $99 |
| Registered agent | Freefirst year | up to $249per year |
| Name check | Free | usually free |
| Pennsylvania state filing feespaid to the state — same for everyone | $125 | $125 |
Free EIN with your Pennsylvania LLC
Your EIN (Employer Identification Number) is what opens a business bank account and identifies your company to the IRS — it's like a Social Security Number for your LLC. It's included at no extra cost, right alongside your LLC.
LLC vs Corporation in Pennsylvania
An LLC is simpler and more flexible, and keeps “LLC” in your business name. A corporation is a more formal structure built for issuing stock and outside investment, and keeps “Inc” or “Corp” in the name instead. 97% of our clients choose an LLC.
What is a Sole Proprietor in Pennsylvania?
A sole proprietorship means you're doing business as an individual. You can register a fictitious name with the state to use a name other than your own. As an individual, you can't add a partner to the business, because everything is tied to your personal name and Social Security Number. If you later want to add partners or sell the business, you'll need to start an LLC or corporation.
File a DBA Under Your LLC
A DBA (Doing Business As), called a Registration of Fictitious Name in Pennsylvania, lets one LLC operate under more than one business name. It's a state-level filing with the Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations — the same office that formed your LLC — and costs $70. Pennsylvania only requires newspaper publication when an individual is listed on the filing, not when your LLC files under its own name.
A DBA isn't required if you're fine using your LLC's own name.
Example: Pennsylvania Company, LLC dba Pennsylvania Auto Brokers.
DBA vs LLC in Pennsylvania
A DBA only gives you another name to use. The LLC is the actual business entity that owns the DBA name and holds all legal rights.
Common Questions
Why start an LLC in Pennsylvania?
It separates the business from your own name, lets you add or remove owners as the business grows, and reads as a real, established company.
How long does it take to get a Pennsylvania LLC?
Filing takes a few minutes on this page. Pennsylvania's own numbers show average processing has fallen to about 1 business day recently, down from 40 days a few years ago — a recent average, not a guarantee. Real rush filing also exists, from $100 for same-day service up to $1,000 for 1-hour service.
What's Pennsylvania's new LLC Annual Report, and what does it cost?
$7, due between January 1 and September 30 every year, starting the year after you form your LLC. It's brand new for 2025 and replaced Pennsylvania's old once-per-decade report. There's no penalty yet for missing a 2025 or 2026 report; real enforcement starts with reports due in 2027.
Do I need an EIN for my Pennsylvania LLC?
Yes, for a business bank account and for the IRS to recognize your company. It's included free when you file here.
What's a registered agent, and do I need one?
Not exactly — Pennsylvania calls it a registered office, not a registered agent, and doesn't require you to publicly name an agent for service of process. You do need a Pennsylvania street address on file: your own if you have one, or a Commercial Registered Office Provider if you don't. That provider service is included free for your first year when you file here.
Do I need an operating agreement?
Pennsylvania doesn't require one to file, but a bank often asks for one to open your business account. You can add it when you file, or write your own later.
Still deciding on a name?
Try the free name generator — type a word you like, get real available options back, then come straight here to file.
Page updates (2)
- January 1, 2025 — Pennsylvania's new Annual Report requirement took effect (Act 122 of 2022), replacing the old once-per-decade decennial report with a $7 filing due every year. Pennsylvania Department of State →
- May 2025 — The Department of State's average business-filing processing time fell to about 1 business day, down from 40 days in January 2023. Pennsylvania Department of State →
Sources (6)
Every fact on this page was checked directly against Pennsylvania's own filing agency, revenue agency, and statutes — verified September 20, 2026.
- Pennsylvania Department of State — Fees and Payments — the $125 LLC fee, $125 corporation fee, $70 DBA fee, $7 Annual Report fee
- Pennsylvania Department of State — Annual Reports — the new 2025 requirement, due dates by entity type, the 2027 enforcement phase-in
- 15 Pa.C.S. §146 (Annual report) — the statute confirming a new LLC owes nothing until the calendar year after formation
- Pennsylvania Department of State — Commercial Registered Office Providers — confirms Pennsylvania requires a registered office, not a registered agent
- Pennsylvania Department of State — Fictitious Names — the state-level DBA filing and its conditional publication rule
- Pennsylvania Department of State newsroom — the 40-day to 1-business-day processing time improvement