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

Class 1 · New York

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

If you want help starting an LLC in New York in 2026, the top grades go to Mainstay Filing ($199), NY Registered Agent.org ($199) and New York Registered Agent.ai ($199), in that order. 8 assignments make up the class; the state's own charge is $200, plus $9 for the biennial statement.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

The quick version

Fee to form$200dos.ny.gov (page read October 2026)
Biennial statement$9 every 2 yearsFiling window per the state: during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years
Three-year state cost$209State charges only
Class assignments8Each one explained

By the end you will know

  • The New York formation paper, its price and its destination
  • How to meet the agent for service of process rule
  • Upkeep that repeats
  • Which services we recommend and why

Who we would hire in New York

Graded on the grading page: three-year tuition (30%), homework done (34%), year-two tuition, fit with the New York class and fees a student can read.
Start with this one

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with very little homework

$199 a year, state fee on top ($399 due at checkout)

In New York, Mainstay Filing sits at the top of the class: for one yearly fee of $199 the class assignments on filing, agent for service of process and biennial statement are all done for you.

Three years here run $200 higher than at NY Registered Agent.org, with more of the work done in return.

You never touch the biennial statement; the $9 state fee is passed through and nothing more.

Covered by the tuition

  • The formation filing
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Biennial statement filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • State fee passed through at cost

Strengths

  • The EIN application is in the price
  • $199 when you renew
  • $199 yearly with everything in it

Weak spots

  • A yearly premium of $100 over NY Registered Agent.org
One-state plan

2. NY Registered Agent.org: best for New York LLCs with a small budget

$199 the first year, $99 after

Our second pick, NY Registered Agent.org: the formation costs $199 on top of the state fee, and the agent renewal is $99.

Block out time for the biennial statement every two years; the price leaves it out.

Covered by the tuition

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

Strengths

  • $199 and the state fee
  • No agent fee in year one
  • Then $99 per year

Weak spots

  • The biennial statement remains your responsibility
  • An EIN add-on costs $99
One-state plan

3. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for owners who prefer to do their own reports

$199 the first year, $99 after

Our third pick, New York Registered Agent.ai: the formation costs $199 on top of the state fee, and the agent renewal is $99.

Block out time for the biennial statement every two years; the price leaves it out.

On price, it is level with NY Registered Agent.org.

Covered by the tuition

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

Strengths

  • Then $99 per year
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 and the state fee

Weak spots

  • The biennial statement remains your responsibility
  • An EIN add-on costs $99

The New York grades compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2NY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3New York Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Visit New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Add the $200 state fee to every row.

The assignments

  1. Assignment
    1

    Choose a name and see whether it is free

    Your first assignment is a name search at the New York Secretary of State, so you do not file under a name that someone else uses.

    Keep a backup in your notebook.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Appoint an agent for service of process

    The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional. If one is designated: a person who lives in New York or has a business address there, an LLC formed or authorized in New York, or a corporation formed or authorized in New York.

    New York has no registered-office requirement. The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC and mails a copy of any papers served to the address the company has on file. A designated registered agent's street address goes on the filing.

    The agent for service of process role comes with each graded service.

    Textbook page: nysenate.gov (page read October 2026)

  3. Assignment
    3

    File on your own or hire a service

    You can file for $200, or add $199 and hire a service. The graded services are at the top of the class.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Work up the Articles of Organization

    the New York Secretary of State forms the LLC once it accepts the Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f) and $200, as NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203 provides.

    Textbook page: dos.ny.gov (page read October 2026)

  5. Assignment
    5

    The New York special rule

    • Publication: within 120 days, a notice runs for six weeks in two county newspapers (the papers set their own charges), then a Certificate of Publication is filed for $50.
    • Tax Department LLC fee (Form IT-204-LL): $25 a year for a single-member LLC with New York-source income; partnership LLCs pay more.

    Textbook page: tax.ny.gov (page read October 2026)

  6. Assignment
    6

    Get an EIN

    The IRS gives out EINs, not New York. Apply once you are approved, then hand the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of the package.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Prepare the operating agreement

    Ownership and decision rules live in the operating agreement, an internal paper outside the New York filing.

  8. Assignment
    8

    Handle New York's recurring filing

    The filing that comes around again is the biennial statement ($9, every two years, by during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years).

    Textbook page: dos.ny.gov (page read October 2026)

New York costs by assignment

EntryWho gets paidCost
Forming the LLCState office$200
Biennial statementState office$9 every two years
Service fees (optional)Service$199 at the start
State fees over years one to threeState office$209
Rows for the state use New York's published fee schedules (see the textbook pages beneath the table), and each service row uses that company's own price. Over three years the state row adds the filing, the year-two report, the year-three report and any minimum tax.

How we graded the New York picks

Homework the price does settled first place in New York. It is worth 34% of the grade, and the rest comes from tuition across three years, year-two tuition, fit with the state class and fees a student can read.

New York wants the biennial statement every two years, so a price that files it beat a cheaper one that leaves it to you.

What students ask

What does it cost to file a new LLC in New York?

$200, paid to the state. $199 extra buys a service that does the filing.

Which form creates the LLC?

Once the New York Secretary of State has accepted the Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f), your LLC is real.

Is an agent for service of process required?

The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional.

What does New York require each year?

Mark the biennial statement on your calendar: $9, every two years, during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners can file with the $200 fee as long as they appoint an agent for service of process.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, NY Registered Agent.org and New York Registered Agent.ai, from the highest grade to the lowest.

See also

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. Study tip for New York Department of State, Division of Corporations: everything above comes from dos.ny.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  2. Study tip for New York Department of State, Division of Corporations: everything above comes from filing.dos.ny.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  3. Study tip for New York report due date: everything above comes from nysenate.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  4. Study tip for NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203: everything above comes from nysenate.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  5. Study tip for New York formation fee: Filing fee, official source: everything above comes from dos.ny.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  6. Study tip for New York registered agent statute: everything above comes from nysenate.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  7. Study tip for New York other cost: Publication, official source: everything above comes from nysenate.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  8. Study tip for New York other cost: Certificate of Publication, official: everything above comes from dos.ny.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  9. Study tip for New York other cost: Tax Department LLC fee: everything above comes from tax.ny.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  10. New York service page from Mainstay Filing as of November 13, 2026
  11. pricing page from NY Registered Agent.org as of November 13, 2026
  12. pricing page from New York Registered Agent.ai as of November 13, 2026