Arizona LLC Cost: Filing Fee, Expedited Options, Publication and Ongoing Costs
Arizona LLC Cost: Filing Fee, Expedited Options, Publication and Ongoing Costs
An Arizona LLC costs $50 to file with the Arizona Corporation Commission. That is the only required state filing fee to form most LLCs. Your real budget depends on how fast you want the filing reviewed, whether you must publish a notice, who serves as your statutory agent, and which tax and city licenses your business needs. This guide walks through each cost so you can estimate the total before you file.
Disclaimer: This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, processing times, and rules can change. Confirm every figure on the agency page linked in this guide before you pay. If your situation involves multiple owners, a regulated profession, or a tax election, talk with a qualified attorney or CPA.
The short answer: what an Arizona LLC costs to form
The table below lists every cost that can show up when you form an LLC. Only the first row is required for everyone. The rest apply based on your choices or your business activity.
| Item | Cost | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (regular) | $50 | Every LLC |
| Articles of Organization (expedited review) | $85 | Optional, $35 above the regular fee |
| Accelerated service | $100 to $400 | Optional, added on top of the filing fee |
| Name reservation | $10 | Optional, holds a name for 120 days |
| Statutory agent | Varies | Always required. No state fee if you serve yourself; provider fees vary if you hire a service |
| Publication notice | Varies by newspaper | Only if the statutory agent's county is not Maricopa or Pima |
| Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) license | $12 per location | If you sell taxable goods or services |
| City business license | Varies by city | Many cities require one. Check with your city |
The Articles of Organization filing fee
The Articles of Organization is the document that creates an LLC in Arizona. The Commission calls it Form L010, with instructions in L010i. The regular filing fee is $50. You can file through the Arizona Business Center at https://arizonabusinesscenter.azcc.gov/, and you can read the Corporations Division guidance at https://azcc.gov/corporations.
Your LLC name must follow A.R.S. 29-3112. It must include the words limited liability company or limited company, or one of the abbreviations L.L.C., L.C., LLC or LC. It cannot include association, corporation, incorporated, or an abbreviation of those words. It must be distinguishable from names already on the record, reserved names, and registered trade names. Names with banking or trust terms, such as bank, credit union, or trust, need prior written approval from the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions. Search the name in the Commission's business search at https://arizonabusinesscenter.azcc.gov/businesssearch before you pay, because a name problem costs you review time.
Expedited review and accelerated service
Arizona offers two separate speed options, and people often confuse them.
Expedited review costs $35 more than the regular fee, which makes the Articles of Organization $85 total. The Corporations Division processing times sheet, posted as of December 29, 2025, lists about 9 to 11 business days for regular processing and about 2 to 4 business days for expedited processing. Processing times change, so check the current sheet before you plan around a date.
Accelerated service is an additional fee charged on top of the filing fee. The published tiers are:
| Accelerated tier | Added fee | Deadline to submit |
|---|---|---|
| Next day | $100 | Received by 5pm |
| Same day | $200 | Received by 10am |
| Two-hour service | $400 | Available 8am to 3pm |
For example, a regular $50 filing with next-day service totals $150. The Commission's fee schedule does not make clear in this guide whether an accelerated tier stacks on the $85 expedited fee or the $50 regular fee, so confirm that with the Commission before you select both options.
Accelerated service guarantees that your filing will be examined within the stated window. It does not guarantee approval. A fast review can still come back with a correction request, and each round can cost you more time than the speed bought you.
Pay for speed only when a dated event depends on the LLC number, such as a signed lease, a loan closing, or a bank account opening. If nothing depends on a specific day, the $50 regular filing is the cheapest path.
Name reservation and other filing costs
Several smaller fees come up during formation and after it. These are the ones the Commission and Secretary of State list:
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name reservation | $10 | Holds the name for 120 days. Filed through the Arizona Business Center |
| Statement of change (statutory agent or address) | $5 | LLC rate. Use it when your agent or principal address changes |
| Certificate of good standing | $10 | Often requested by banks, lenders, and landlords |
| Trade name registration | Confirm on agency page | Optional. Filed with the Secretary of State, not the Corporation Commission |
If you plan to operate under a name different from your LLC name, a trade name registration with the Secretary of State is optional in Arizona. This guide does not list a trade name fee, so confirm it on the Secretary of State's trade name page at https://azsos.gov/business/tntm.
Publication: the cost that depends on your county
Arizona LLCs must publish a notice of formation unless the county of their statutory agent is Maricopa or Pima. This is the most common surprise in an LLC budget because the cost is not set by the state. It varies by newspaper and by county, so request a quote from the newspaper before you file and confirm the timing and proof-of-publication requirements with the Corporation Commission.
Because the rule turns on the statutory agent's county, the agent's address is a cost decision as well as a legal one. Whatever you choose, the agent must meet the residency and address rules described below.
Statutory agent costs
Arizona calls the registered agent a statutory agent. The statutory agent accepts legal papers and official notices from the Commission on behalf of the LLC. Under A.R.S. 29-3115, an individual statutory agent must be a permanent, full-time Arizona resident with a permanent, full-time physical or street address in Arizona. Any mailing address must also be in Arizona. An entity can serve as the agent if it is authorized to transact business in Arizona, but an LLC cannot serve as its own statutory agent. The agent must accept the appointment in writing on Statutory Agent Acceptance form M002.
If you serve as your own agent, there is no state fee for the role. If you hire a commercial service, the price is set by that provider and varies widely, so compare quotes before you sign. Read the renewal terms, because a low first-year price can rise sharply. Keep in mind that the entity must always have a statutory agent with a valid address on record. If it does not, the LLC faces administrative dissolution under A.R.S. 29-3708. Changing the agent or address costs $5 with the statement of change.
Ongoing costs: what Arizona does not charge
Arizona is one of the lower-cost states for keeping an LLC in good standing because it charges no recurring state filing fee for LLCs. These are the points that matter for your annual budget:
- No LLC annual report. The Commission's Business Services FAQ states that LLCs are not required to file annual reports. Only corporations must file them.
- No annual Commission fee. There is no yearly ACC fee for an LLC.
- No franchise tax. Arizona levies no LLC franchise tax and no annual report fee at the Commission.
- Income tax passes through. The LLC's income passes to its members, who pay Arizona's flat 2.5 percent individual income tax. Ask a CPA how this applies to your numbers.
- Corporate tax election. An LLC that elects corporate treatment pays corporate income tax of 4.9 percent of net income or $50, whichever is greater, under A.R.S. 43-1111. Discuss this election with a CPA before you make it.
Two recurring costs may still apply. If you hire a statutory agent service, that fee recurs. If you request a certificate of good standing, that costs $10 each time. Third-party compliance services may also sell annual reminders or filing help, but the state does not require an annual LLC report, so those charges are optional.
State and local licenses
Arizona issues no single general statewide business license. Most businesses instead need these:
- Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) license. The Department of Revenue issues this license at $12 per location if you sell taxable goods or services. Apply at https://azdor.gov/business/transaction-privilege-tax/tpt-license. The license fee is separate from your ongoing sales tax returns, so confirm your filing frequency with the Department of Revenue. The state combined sales tax rate on retail sales is 5.6 percent, plus county and city rates.
- City business license. Many cities require their own business or TPT license on top of the state license. The fee varies by city. Check with your city before you open for business.
- Counties. Counties issue no general business license.
- Contractors and regulated professions. The Registrar of Contractors licenses contractors, and other professions have their own boards. This guide does not state those fees, so confirm the fee with the Registrar of Contractors or the relevant board.
Comparison: what a for-profit corporation costs
Many owners compare an LLC with a corporation, so here are the same state figures side by side:
| Cost | LLC | For-profit corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Articles filing fee (regular) | $50 | $60 |
| Articles filing fee (expedited) | $85 | $95 |
| Annual report | None | $45 per year (nonprofit corporations pay $10) |
| Annual cost over 5 years, state report fees only | $0 | $225 |
A corporation must also file a Certificate of Disclosure with its Articles of Incorporation. This guide does not list that fee, so confirm it with the Commission. The corporate income tax rate of 4.9 percent of net income or $50 applies to corporations as well. The five-year figure is simple arithmetic on the $45 annual report fee and does not include tax.
Sample budgets
These scenarios use only the fees listed above. Your actual total will also include any provider or newspaper fees you choose to pay.
- Lean LLC, regular filing, no tax license needed, you serve as your own agent in Maricopa County: $50 total state cost. No publication is required in this case.
- Regular filing with publication, agent county outside Maricopa and Pima: $50 plus the newspaper's publication cost, which you must get as a quote.
- Retail seller, regular filing, you serve as your own agent in Maricopa County: $50 plus $12 TPT license, which is $62, plus any city license fee.
- Retail seller with next-day service, agent county outside Maricopa and Pima: $50 plus $100 accelerated service, plus $12 TPT license, plus the publication cost and any city license fee.
Fees to confirm before you pay
The following costs are real but are not stated as settled figures in this guide. Confirm each one on the agency page before you build your budget:
- Publication cost from your chosen newspaper, which varies by county and paper.
- Statutory agent service fees, which vary by provider.
- City business or TPT license fees, which vary by city.
- Trade name registration fee, on the Secretary of State's page.
- Department of Financial Institutions approval, if your name uses banking or trust terms.
- Contractor or professional license fees, through the Registrar of Contractors or the relevant board.
Common cost mistakes
- Paying for speed you do not need. Regular processing is slower but cheaper, so match the option to a real deadline.
- Forgetting publication in the budget. If your agent's county is outside Maricopa and Pima, the publication cost is due in addition to the $50 filing fee.
- Letting a name reservation lapse. The $10 reservation holds the name for 120 days only. Plan the filing inside that window.
- Assuming an annual report is due. An LLC does not file one with the Commission. A corporation does.
- Skipping the city license. A state TPT license does not replace a city license in many cities.
- Locking into an agent service without comparing renewal prices. The first-year price is often not the recurring price.
Next steps
- Search your LLC name at https://arizonabusinesscenter.azcc.gov/businesssearch. Reserve it for $10 if you need time.
- Choose your statutory agent and confirm the county, which decides whether publication applies.
- File the Articles of Organization at https://arizonabusinesscenter.azcc.gov/ for $50 regular or $85 expedited, plus any accelerated service fee.
- Request a publication quote if your agent's county is outside Maricopa and Pima.
- Apply for a TPT license at https://azdor.gov/business/transaction-privilege-tax/tpt-license if you sell taxable goods or services, at $12 per location.
- Check your city's business license requirements before you open.
Official resources: the Arizona Corporation Commission at https://azcc.gov/corporations, the Arizona Department of Revenue at https://azdor.gov/, the Secretary of State trade name page at https://azsos.gov/business/tntm, and the Arizona Small Business Development Center Network at https://www.arizonasbdc.com/ for free counseling on budgeting and formation.
Disclaimer: This guide is informational, not legal or tax advice. For a complex structure, a tax election, or a regulated business, consult a qualified Arizona attorney or CPA before you file.