Register your Wisconsin LLC Online
Complete the form below in 2–3 minutes. Your LLC and EIN come at no extra cost — you only pay Wisconsin’s own $130 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 Wisconsin?
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 Wisconsin
- Add partners or co-owners whenever you're ready
- Transfer ownership if you sell the business
- “Wisconsin Company, LLC” shows you’re a real business
- Shows you’re registered (Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions)
- Get a matching domain like WisconsinCompanyLLC.com
- Simpler upkeep than forming a corporation
What's different about a Wisconsin LLC
Your $130 filing fee is one flat number, not itemized into a separate registered-agent charge the way Florida's is — and that price is the online rate. File the same Articles of Organization by mail instead and it's $170, $40 more. Your registered agent has to clear a higher bar here too: most states only ask for a name and address, but Wisconsin also requires a working e-mail address on file.
Wisconsin has no franchise tax on a standard LLC — the state's franchise and income tax applies to corporations, not to a default-taxed LLC passing income through to its owners. Wisconsin also doesn't require a newspaper publication notice, unlike New York or California.
Cost to start an LLC in Wisconsin
$130 to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — that's it. We don't charge a filing fee on top of it. A Wisconsin corporation runs $100 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 |
| Wisconsin state filing feespaid to the state — same for everyone | $130 | $130 |
Free EIN with your Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin?
A sole proprietorship means you're doing business as an individual. You can register a trade name with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions 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) lets one LLC operate under more than one business name. Wisconsin doesn't have a separate DBA filing — the equivalent is a Tradename registration with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, the same office that formed your LLC, for $15.
A DBA isn't required if you're fine using your LLC's own name.
Example: Wisconsin Company, LLC dba Wisconsin Auto Brokers.
DBA vs LLC in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin?
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 an LLC in Wisconsin?
Filing takes a few minutes on this page. Wisconsin doesn't publish a standard processing time, but does offer paid rush service — $100 for next-business-day, up to $500 for 1-hour processing.
What's Wisconsin's LLC annual report, and what does it cost?
$25 online, $40 by mail, due during the calendar-year quarter that contains your LLC's own formation anniversary — not a fixed date. It's a state filing requirement, not a tax. Go unfiled for a full year and Wisconsin can dissolve the LLC 60 days after sending notice.
Do I need an EIN for my Wisconsin 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?
A registered agent is who Wisconsin sends legal mail to, and Wisconsin requires both a physical in-state address and an e-mail address on file for that agent. Every LLC needs one, and it's included free for your first year when you file here.
Do I need an operating agreement?
No, Wisconsin doesn't require one to file, and it doesn't even have to be in writing. A bank often asks for one anyway 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 (1)
- May 7, 2026 — Wisconsin raised its optional expedited-filing fee for the first time since 1985: a flat $25 became a tiered $100 (next business day), $250 (4-hour), or $500 (1-hour). Wisconsin DFI →
Sources (6)
Every fact on this page was checked directly against Wisconsin's own filing agency and statutes — verified September 20, 2026.
- Wisconsin DFI — Business Entity Fees — filing fees, annual report fees, current expedited-service tiers
- Wis. Stat. §183.0115 — registered agent: physical address and mandatory e-mail requirement
- Wis. Stat. §183.0212 — annual report due-date mechanism
- Wis. Stat. §183.0708 — administrative dissolution grounds and cure period
- Wisconsin DFI — Trademark/Tradename Registration — the $15 filing that stands in for a DBA
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue — Publication 119 — confirms no LLC-level franchise tax on a standard LLC