How Much Does an LLC Cost in Wisconsin (Filing Fees)
Filing the Articles of Organization is what creates a Wisconsin LLC. That filing costs $130 online through the Department of Financial Institutions, or $170 by mail.
Staying registered afterward carries its own bill too. A $25 annual report comes due every year online, or $40 by mail. The deadline lands at the end of the calendar quarter that holds the formation anniversary. It isn't the anniversary date itself.
A registered agent has to stay on file the whole time too, run by an owner or a paid service. Smaller charges layer on top as well. A name reservation, a trade name filing, a Business Tax Registration for taxable sales each add their own cost. The rest of this page sorts every one of those by when it comes due.
Quick Summary
- The state's own filing fees are fixed. What varies is registered agent hiring, optional filings and any city or county license.
- Filing online is cheaper than mailing paper forms for both the initial filing and the annual report.
- Missing the annual report puts the LLC out of good standing with DFI. Selling taxable goods also means a separate state tax registration.
| Cost Item | Amount | Frequency | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization | $130 online / $170 mail | One-time | Yes |
| Registered Agent Service | $0 self / $50-$300 hired | Every year | Yes (self-serve allowed) |
| Annual Report | $25 online / $40 mail | Every year, quarter due date | Yes |
| Business Tax Registration (BTR) | $20 initial / $10 renewal | Every 2 years | If selling taxable goods or hiring staff |
| Name Reservation | $15 | One-time, optional | No |
| Trade Name / Trademark | $15 | Every 10 years, optional | No |
| Expedited Processing | $100 | Per filing, optional | No |
| Operating Agreement | $0-$200+ | One-time | No |
| Foreign LLC Certificate of Authority | $100+ | One-time, foreign LLCs only | Yes for foreign LLCs |
| Foreign LLC Annual Report | $65 online / $80 mail | Every year, foreign LLCs only | Yes for foreign LLCs |
| Local Business License | Varies by city/county | Varies | If applicable |
| EIN | $0 | One-time | Recommended / required for multi-member |
Cost to Start an LLC in Wisconsin
Two items are non-negotiable to register a Wisconsin LLC. One is the state filing itself, and the other is an ongoing registered agent. A third cost below only applies to an owner who wants to lock a name down before filing anything.
1. Wisconsin LLC Filing Fee ($130 Online / $170 Mail - Mandatory)
A Wisconsin LLC forms by filing Articles of Organization with the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI). Filing online through the One Stop Business Portal costs $130. Mailing a paper form costs $170 instead, so the online channel saves $40.
An owner who wants the paperwork moved faster can pay $100 extra for next-business-day expedited service. DFI also runs an in-person counter at its Madison office. A 4-hour turnaround costs $250 there, and a 1-hour turnaround costs $500.
2. Wisconsin Registered Agent Service Fee ($0 Self / $50-$300 Hired - Mandatory to Have, Optional to Hire)
Wisconsin law requires every LLC to keep a registered agent on file [1]. That agent needs a genuine business office in the state.
The agent receives lawsuits and other official paperwork on the LLC's behalf. Wisconsin now also requires the agent to list an email address on file.
An owner willing to fill the spot personally, or hand it to a fellow LLC member, pays nothing for it. The only rule is the address: it has to be a real Wisconsin street address, and a P.O. box doesn't qualify.
Some owners would rather keep a home address off the public record. Those often hire a Wisconsin registered agent service instead. It typically runs $50 to $300 a year, depending on the provider and the extras bundled in.
Wisconsin Business Registration Cost
Not every LLC owes this cost, but many do. Selling taxable goods or services triggers it. So does hiring staff subject to withholding, or handling certain excise activities. Any of those means the LLC needs a Business Tax Registration, or BTR, issued by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
The BTR fee is $20 for the first two years. Renewing it costs $10 for each two-year period after that. One BTR covers a seller's permit, a staff withholding sign-up and several other permit types at once. Most firms only pay the $20 fee a single time, even when they need more than one permit type.
An LLC that never sells taxable goods and never hires staff can skip this fee entirely. So can one that stays outside every other activity that triggers a BTR requirement.
Expenses Following the Approval of Your Wisconsin LLC
Here is a rundown of the other Wisconsin LLC costs that can come up after formation. It starts with the ones an owner might pay before the paperwork is even filed.
1. Name Reservation ($15 - Optional)
A Wisconsin name reservation costs $15 and holds a chosen LLC name for 120 days. Reserving it first stops another business from claiming it while paperwork gets finished.
This step can be skipped outright. Filing the Articles of Organization itself checks the name for conflicts. A duplicate gets caught then too.
2. Operating Agreement ($0-$200+ - Optional but Recommended)
Wisconsin doesn't require an LLC to file an operating agreement with DFI. There's no state fee tied to having one either. A free single-member template is linked in the cost table above. Filling it in covers the basics a single owner needs.
A multi-member LLC usually needs something more detailed. The document is what settles a disagreement over money or control. Buying a template through a formation service or hiring an attorney typically costs $100 to $200 or more. The price depends on how much it covers.
3. Wisconsin Trade Name / Trademark Registration ($15 - Optional)
Wisconsin handles trade names through its trademark registration system, run by the Department of Financial Institutions. Registering one costs $15 and lasts 10 years, renewable up to 6 months before it expires for another $15.
Registering isn't required to operate under the LLC's own legal name. It matters most to a business branding itself under a different name. Locking that name in also keeps another company from registering the same one.
4. Annual Report ($25 Online / $40 Mail - Mandatory)
Every Wisconsin LLC must file an annual report with DFI [2]. It starts the year after formation. Filing online costs $25, while a mailed paper form costs $40.
The due date isn't the anniversary date itself. It's the end of the calendar quarter that contains it. An LLC formed January through March owes its report by March 31.
One formed April through June owes it by June 30. One formed July through September owes it by September 30. One formed October through December owes it by December 31.
Missing that deadline puts the LLC at risk of going delinquent. Staying delinquent long enough can lead to dissolving an LLC in Wisconsin.
Costs of Registering a Foreign LLC in Wisconsin
An LLC formed in another state has to register separately to do business in Wisconsin. That takes its own set of filings.
Certificate of Authority
The Certificate of Authority filing fee is $100 or more, a separate LLC cost from forming a brand-new domestic LLC there. DFI is the agency that processes it.
Registered Agent Fee
A foreign LLC needs a Wisconsin registered agent too, at the same self-serve or hired-service cost described above. Nothing about that requirement changes just because the LLC formed somewhere else first.
Good Standing Certificate
Wisconsin doesn't issue a good standing certificate for an out-of-state LLC. The foreign LLC gets that document from its own home state instead, at whatever cost and process that state sets.
Annual Report Fee
A foreign LLC registered in Wisconsin files the same annual report domestic LLCs do. The price is different, though: $65 online or $80 by mail.
Local License and EIN (Varies / $0 - If Applicable)
A city or county may also require its own business license. That license is priced and issued by the local government, not DFI, and it applies to domestic and foreign LLCs alike.
An EIN from the IRS costs nothing either way. Most banks won't open a business account without one, and a multi-member LLC needs one regardless of how it's taxed.
FAQs
How Much Does It Cost to Start an LLC in Wisconsin?
The cost to start a Wisconsin LLC is $130 online for the Articles of Organization, or $170 by mail. That fee is non-refundable once filed, and it doesn't include a registered agent, a name reservation or any city license, all covered separately below.
What Does It Cost to Reactivate a Dissolved Wisconsin LLC?
Wisconsin's current fee schedule doesn't list a separate reactivation cost for a dissolved LLC. The bigger expense is letting it go delinquent long enough to trigger involuntary dissolution, then filing for reinstatement to reactivate it.
Do Wisconsin LLCs File Annual Reports?
Yes, every Wisconsin LLC files an annual report each year after formation. Foreign LLCs registered in Wisconsin file the same report, but at a different price: $65 online or $80 by mail.
What Payment Methods Does Wisconsin Accept for LLC Filing Fees?
DFI accepts several payment methods for Wisconsin LLC filing fees: checks, money orders and online card or ACH payment. The department advises against mailing cash.
Do I Need a Registered Agent for My Wisconsin LLC?
Yes, Wisconsin requires every LLC to name a registered agent with a real business address in the state. Whichever route it takes, self-serve or hired, the agent also needs an email address on file under Wisconsin's current law.
References:
- https://web.archive.org/web/20231219111931/https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/183/i/0115
- https://web.archive.org/web/20231203162302/https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/183/i/0120
