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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Session 1 · Arizona

Arizona LLC Formation Class (2026): 8 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services

For starting an LLC in Arizona in 2026, the class favorites are Arizona Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and AZ Registered Agent.org ($199), graded from first to last. 8 assignments make up the class; the state's own charge is $50.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

Need-to-know facts

Formation fee$50Look at azcc.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026
Report each yearNoneNone to file
State cost, years 1 to 3$50Without any service fee
How many assignments8Each one explained

Class goals

  • How starting an LLC works in Arizona
  • The statutory agent requirement
  • How to stay in good standing
  • Our recommendations, with reasons

If you want someone else to file

The teacher's five criteria are on how we grade, and they decide the order.
Class favorite

1. Arizona Registered Agent.co: best for Arizona LLCs with a small budget

$199 to open, $99 a year after year one

Arizona Registered Agent.co gets first place, and the reason is that $199 to begin, with no agent fee in year one, then $99 each year from year two.

Mainstay Filing loses to it on three-year tuition, and tuition is a big slice of the grade.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • Then $99 per year
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 to form

Weak spots

  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Works in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for first-time owners

$199 a year that renews at $199

Our second pick, Mainstay Filing: $199 yearly pays for the filing and the statutory agent, with no surprise at renewal.

A $200 gap to Arizona Registered Agent.co over three years decides where it lands.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation filing prepared and sent
  • Statutory agent for the whole year
  • EIN application included
  • State fee at cost

Strengths

  • $199 when you renew
  • The EIN assignment is part of the package
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent

Weak spots

  • Arizona Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less
  • Arizona has no report to bundle, which shrinks the savings
In-state service

3. AZ Registered Agent.org: best for a small agent renewal

$199 to open, $99 a year after year one

Our third pick, AZ Registered Agent.org: $199 to begin, with no agent fee in year one, then $99 each year from year two.

On price, it is level with Arizona Registered Agent.co.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • Agent covered in year one
  • Then $99 per year
  • $199 to form

Weak spots

  • The EIN application is $99 extra

The services compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Arizona Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Arizona Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3AZ Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit AZ Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. Every row also owes the $50 state fee.

The class, assignment by assignment

  1. Assignment
    1

    Choose a name and see whether it is free

    the Arizona Corporation Commission holds the records, so begin there; in Arizona, a name that is taken may get the filing returned.

    Keep a backup in your notebook.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Name the statutory agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An Arizona resident, or a corporation or LLC formed in Arizona or authorized to do business there. The appointment takes effect only once the agent accepts it in writing.

    The address has to be a place of business or residence in Arizona with a street address. A P.O. box can be listed only as a separate Arizona mailing address.

    Every class favorite here can be your statutory agent.

    Textbook page: Look at azleg.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  3. Assignment
    3

    Choose how the filing gets made

    With no service, the bill is the state's $50. Each of the graded services adds $199 and handles the paperwork.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Draw up the Articles of Organization

    You need three things for this assignment: the Articles of Organization (Form L010), $50 and the Arizona Corporation Commission as the place to send them. Statute: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 29-3201.

    Textbook page: Look at azcc.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  5. Assignment
    5

    Arizona adds one more rule

    • Publication: a notice runs three times within 60 days unless the statutory agent is in a county of more than 800,000 people, where the Commission posts it instead.
  6. Assignment
    6

    Take care of the EIN

    Approval first, IRS number second. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of the package.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Draft the operating agreement

    Owners sign it to settle shares, votes and what happens when a member leaves. It is private and never filed.

  8. Assignment
    8

    Stay in good standing in Arizona

    Arizona has no recurring LLC report; all that remains is keeping a statutory agent on file.

Arizona costs by assignment

What forReceiverCost
Formation feeState agency$50
Optional serviceThe service company$199 in year one
State fees over years one to threeState agency$50
Anything paid to Arizona is an official fee you can look up on the pages listed below. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where there is one, and service prices are not part of it.

Why Arizona Registered Agent.co is first

What decided it was tuition across three years, which carries 30% of the grade.

Arizona Registered Agent.co costs $397 for years one to three, while Mainstay Filing costs $200 more.

Arizona pop quiz

Which Arizona fees come with a new LLC?

The official schedule says $50. A graded service adds $199 in year one.

Which form creates the LLC?

Look for the Articles of Organization (Form L010); the Arizona Corporation Commission is the office.

Is a statutory agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Arizona require each year?

Just the agent repeats.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. The state takes $50 at filing, and you still need a statutory agent on record.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Arizona Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing and AZ Registered Agent.org, from the highest grade to the lowest.

See also

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. Extra credit: compare what we say about Ariz with azleg.gov, last read August 2026.
  2. Extra credit: compare what we say about Arizona formation fee: Filing fee, official source with azcc.gov, last read October 2026.
  3. Extra credit: compare what we say about Arizona registered agent statute with azleg.gov, last read October 2026.
  4. Pulled November 13, 2026: pricing page from Arizona Registered Agent.co
  5. Pulled November 13, 2026: Arizona service page from Mainstay Filing
  6. Pulled November 13, 2026: pricing page from AZ Registered Agent.org