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How to start an LLC in Utah

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A Utah LLC costs $59 to file. You file a Certificate of Organization with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, online through its Business Registration system, and most online filings are processed immediately. There's no publication requirement and no state franchise tax on a standard LLC. The one recurring state filing is the annual renewal (Utah also calls it the annual report): $18 a year, due in the month you formed, starting the year after. That fee is low enough that people forget the filing exists. The Division mails a reminder postcard to your registered agent, not to you, and an LLC that misses enough renewals ends up expired and has to pay to reinstate.

Best next step

For most founders, start with the Utah filing itself

If you live and operate in Utah, the safest move is to file in Utah directly. Compare LLC services only if you want help with privacy, document handling, or someone to do the filing for you.

Safest default
File directly with Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code if you live and operate in Utah.
Cheaper viable option
Handle the filing yourself if you're comfortable managing the registered agent role and the state paperwork.
Avoid overpaying
Don't buy bundled extras until you confirm the filing fee, the annual schedule, and whether a service actually solves a problem for you.
See official filing instructions Compare LLC services
Filing fee
$59
Same fee online and on paper. All Division fees are nonrefundable.
Processing time
Often same day online
Standard estimate. Expedited available.
Annual report
By the end of your formation anniversary month each year, starting the year after you form
$18 per year, including a $5 state portal fee. You can file up to 60 days before the end of your anniversary month. A late renewal adds $10, and a report more than 60 days late can lead to administrative dissolution, which Utah shows as Expired.
Publication
None
No newspaper requirement

Official Utah resources

Primary filing source

Start here

Utah Business Registration (file online)

Open this first. It's the official source for the filing itself.

businessregistration.utah.gov

Open

How to form an LLC in Utah

Forming, registering, filing, or applying for an LLC in Utah: it's all the same process, and these are the steps in the order you'll do them.

Before you file

What you'll need

To form a Utah LLC, you will need a UtahID login, an available name ending in LLC, L.L.C., LC, L.C., Limited Liability Company, or Limited Company, a street and mailing address for the principal office, a registered agent with a Utah street address, the names of the people who will run the LLC, and $59 for the filing fee.

  1. Step 1 of 8: Pick an available Utah LLC name

    Run a name availability search on the Division of Corporations site. The name must include "limited liability company," "limited company," "LLC," "L.L.C.," "LC," or "L.C." The Division says a name that looks available is not final until it approves your filing, so have a backup ready. Reserving a name is optional: it costs $22 and holds the name for 120 days. Skip it unless you need to lock the name well before you file.

  2. Step 2 of 8: Choose a registered agent with a Utah street address

    Every Utah LLC needs a registered agent at a street address in Utah. A PO box alone doesn't work. You can be your own agent if you have a Utah address and are reliably there during business hours. That address shows up on the Division's public business search. The agent also receives the Division's renewal postcard every year. A commercial registered agent usually costs $50 to $150 a year and keeps your home address off the record.

  3. Step 3 of 8: File the Certificate of Organization online

    Log in to businessregistration.utah.gov with a UtahID (you create one at login if you don't have one). Choose Formations, then Domestic Formations, then Domestic Limited Liability Company. You will enter the LLC name, the principal office street and mailing address, your registered agent, and the people who will run the LLC. The fee is $59. Utah no longer has a fillable paper form for this; paper filings go through the system's "Submit a Paper Filing" upload and take 5 to 7 business days, so file online.

  4. Step 4 of 8: Wait for approval, usually the same day

    The Division says most online filings are processed immediately. If yours needs manual review, such as a possible name conflict or an attachment, allow 5 to 7 business days. Expedited processing costs $75 extra, more than the filing itself, and rarely changes anything for a standard online filing. All Division fees are nonrefundable, so double-check the name and addresses before you pay.

  5. Step 5 of 8: Get a free EIN from the IRS

    Once the LLC is approved, apply for an EIN directly on IRS.gov. It's free and usually issued immediately online. You'll need it for a business bank account, hiring, and most tax registrations. The Division doesn't issue or keep EINs, and you shouldn't pay a third party for one.

  6. Step 6 of 8: Write an operating agreement and open a business bank account

    Utah doesn't require you to file an operating agreement with the state. Write one anyway: it records who owns what, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves, and banks often ask for it. Then open a separate business bank account so the LLC's money stays apart from yours.

  7. Step 7 of 8: Get your city or county business license and tax accounts

    Utah has no statewide general business license. Apply for a business license with the city or town where you operate, or with your county if you're in an unincorporated area; rules and fees vary, and home-based businesses can have zoning requirements. If you sell taxable goods or services, register for sales tax with the Utah State Tax Commission through TAP. If you plan to do business under a name other than the LLC's legal name, register that assumed name (DBA) with the Division for $22.

  8. Step 8 of 8: Calendar the $18 annual renewal

    Starting the year after you form, file an annual renewal with the Division every year by the end of the month you formed. It costs $18, takes a few minutes online under Renewals, and can be filed up to 60 days early. About 60 days before the due date, the Division mails a renewal postcard to your registered agent. Filing late adds $10. If the report is more than 60 days late, the Division can start administrative dissolution, and an expired LLC has to reinstate for $54 plus $18 for each missed year and a $10 delinquency fee.

How much a Utah LLC costs

What you'll pay the state if you file it yourself and serve as your own registered agent. The cost page has every fee, the optional add-ons, and when each payment is due.

To form
$59
Year one total
$59
Certificate of Organization; renewals start in year two
Every year after
$18/yr
Annual renewal, plus your city or county business license
Full Utah LLC cost breakdown

Utah LLC annual renewal: due date, postcard, and what happens if you miss it

Utah's only recurring state filing for an LLC is the annual renewal, also called the annual report. It costs $18 and is due every year in the month your LLC was formed, starting the year after. Missing it is the most common way a Utah LLC loses its active status, usually because the reminder went to someone else.

Due date
Utah law sets the deadline as the last day of your anniversary month, the month your Certificate of Organization took effect. The Division's own FAQ describes it as due one year from your registration date. File in the 60 days before your formation date and you meet both readings.
Fee
$18, which includes a $5 fee for the state's single sign-on portal. A late renewal adds $10.
Reminder
The Division mails a renewal postcard to the registered agent on file about 60 days before the due date. If a commercial agent holds that role, the postcard goes to them. If you are your own agent and you move without updating your address, it goes nowhere useful. Set your own calendar reminder.
How to file
Log in to businessregistration.utah.gov with your UtahID, choose Renewals, and pick "Annual Report without changes" or "with changes." You can update your address, registered agent, and principals in the same filing at no extra charge.
Delinquent
A missed renewal puts the LLC in Delinquent status. You fix it by filing the renewal, plus the $10 late fee. A delinquent LLC can still get a Certificate of Existence; an expired one can't.
Expired
If the renewal is more than 60 days late, the Division can serve a notice of administrative dissolution. You then have 60 days to cure it. After that, the LLC can only wind down or apply for reinstatement, and its record shows Expired.
Reinstatement
Filed online. It costs $54 plus $18 for each year the renewal was missed and a $10 delinquency fee. Reinstatement relates back to the dissolution date, and Utah holds the LLC's name for five years after dissolution.

You don't need a compliance service for this. The renewal is one short online form and $18. Utah's business-entity laws moved to a new Title 16 on October 1, 2026, which is why older guides cite different code sections, but the $18 fee and the anniversary-month deadline carry over.

Estimate your self-employment tax

Utah tax and compliance notes

This is where Utah gets less simple than the filing itself. The state-specific issues that generic LLC guides usually skip.

Utah's individual income tax is a flat 4.45% for 2026, cut from 4.5% by S.B. 60 and applied back to January 1, 2026. Utah has cut this rate several years in a row, so recheck it each tax year. A default single-member or multi-member LLC passes its profit through to your personal Utah return at that rate.

Utah has no franchise tax or minimum annual tax on a standard pass-through LLC. The only recurring state charge for keeping the LLC active is the $18 annual renewal.

Utah has no general statewide business license. After forming the LLC, you get a business license from the city or town where you operate, or from the county if you are in an unincorporated area. Fees and home-business rules vary by locality.

If you sell taxable goods or services, register for sales and use tax with the Utah State Tax Commission through its Taxpayer Access Point (TAP). Forming the LLC does not open any tax accounts for you. New sellers with $50,000 or less in annual sales tax liability file quarterly.

Domestic Utah LLCs are exempt from FinCEN BOI reporting. FinCEN made that exemption permanent in a final rule effective August 14, 2026. Federal reporting rules have changed several times, so recheck FinCEN before relying on this.

Utah vs other LLC states

The simple comparison most founders actually want. Watch the ongoing state cost column. That's where states with cheap filing fees can still get expensive.

State Annual report Upfront cost Ongoing state cost
Utah This page
$18/yr renewal, due in anniversary month $59 $18/yr + local business license
Colorado
$25 Periodic Report $50 online $25/yr
Nevada
Annual List + Business License ~$425 $350/yr
Wyoming
$60 minimum, due 1st day of anniversary month $100 $60+/yr
Delaware
No annual report; $400 annual LLC tax due June 1 $110 $400/yr

Utah LLC pros and cons

Quick tradeoffs. Where Utah helps, where it adds friction, and what to watch before you file.

What works

  • Among the cheapest states to start and keep an LLC: $59 to file and $18 a year to renew.
  • Most online filings are processed immediately, so there is little reason to pay the $75 expedite fee.
  • No publication requirement and no franchise tax on a standard pass-through LLC.
  • A flat 4.45% state income tax for 2026, which Utah has lowered in recent years.

Watch out for

  • The renewal reminder goes to your registered agent, so if your address on file is out of date, you can miss the deadline without ever seeing a notice.
  • An expired LLC costs $54 plus $18 for each missed year and a $10 fee to reinstate, and it can only wind down until then.
  • Business licenses are handled by cities, towns, and counties, so rules and fees vary.
  • Your registered agent address is public, which matters if you work from home.
  • Utah moved its business-entity laws to a new code title on October 1, 2026, so older guides cite code sections that no longer apply.

Other state guides

If Utah isn't the right fit, these guides cover the other states most first-time founders compare it against.

Growing past a basic LLC?

Check the S-corp math after your Utah LLC is profitable.

Once net income is consistently around $60K or more, S-corp treatment may reduce self-employment tax. The savings only count after payroll, accounting, and state costs.

Run S-corp calculator

FAQ

The questions people ask right before they decide to file on their own or pay a service.

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Utah?

The state filing fee is $59. After that, the annual renewal is $18 a year starting the year after you form. A commercial registered agent typically adds $50 to $150 a year, and most businesses also pay a city or county business license fee that varies by location.

What is the Utah LLC filing fee?

$59 for the Certificate of Organization, filed with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. It's the same online and on paper, and it's nonrefundable. Expedited processing is $75 extra, but most online filings are processed immediately anyway.

How long does it take to form an LLC in Utah?

Usually the same day online. The Division says most online filings are processed immediately. Filings that need manual review, including paper uploads, filings with attachments, and possible name conflicts, take 5 to 7 business days.

Where do I file a Utah LLC?

With the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, part of the Utah Department of Commerce, online at businessregistration.utah.gov. You log in with a UtahID. The Division's office is at 160 East 300 South in Salt Lake City.

How do I register an LLC in Utah online?

Log in to businessregistration.utah.gov with a UtahID, choose Formations, then Domestic Formations, and select Domestic Limited Liability Company. Enter the name, principal office street and mailing address, registered agent, and the people who will run the LLC, then pay $59. Most filings are approved immediately. Registering the LLC does not get you a business license; that comes from your city or county.

What is the formation document called in Utah?

The Certificate of Organization. Utah doesn't call it Articles of Organization. There's no downloadable form anymore; you fill in the certificate through the online Business Registration system.

Does Utah require a registered agent?

Yes. Every Utah LLC must keep a registered agent with a street address in Utah, and that address appears on the Division's public business search. The registered agent also receives the Division's annual renewal postcard.

Can I be my own registered agent in Utah?

Yes, if you have a Utah street address and are reliably there during business hours to accept legal papers. The tradeoff is that the address is public. If you work from home or travel often, a commercial registered agent is the safer choice, though at $50 to $150 a year it costs more than Utah's own $18 renewal.

Does Utah require an operating agreement?

Utah doesn't require you to file an operating agreement with the state. You should still have one in writing, especially with more than one member, because it sets ownership, decision-making, and exit rules, and banks often ask for it.

When is the Utah LLC annual renewal due?

Every year by the end of the month you formed, starting the year after. The fee is $18, and you can file up to 60 days early. The Division mails a renewal postcard to your registered agent about 60 days ahead. Filing late adds $10.

What happens if I miss the Utah annual renewal?

Your LLC goes delinquent, and you fix it by filing the $18 renewal plus a $10 late fee. If the renewal is more than 60 days late, the Division can start administrative dissolution and gives you 60 days to cure it. After that the LLC is expired and can only wind down until it reinstates, which costs $54 plus $18 for each missed year and a $10 delinquency fee.

Does Utah require newspaper publication for an LLC?

No. Utah has no publication requirement for LLCs, so there is no newspaper notice cost.

Do I need a business license for my Utah LLC?

Usually, but not from the state. Utah has no general state business license. Get a business license from the city or town where you operate, or from the county if you are in an unincorporated area. Some professions also need a state professional license.

How is a Utah LLC taxed?

By default, profit passes through to the owners and is taxed on their personal returns. Utah's individual income tax is a flat 4.45% for 2026. Utah doesn't charge a franchise tax on standard pass-through LLCs. If you sell taxable goods or services, you also collect and remit sales tax through the Utah State Tax Commission.

Does Utah allow series LLCs?

Yes. Utah law lets an LLC create series with separate liability if the Certificate of Organization gives notice of that limitation. A first-time solo founder with one business doesn't need one; a standard LLC is simpler to bank, insure, and file taxes for.

Can I form a Utah LLC if I don't live in Utah?

Yes. Members do not have to live in Utah. You do need a registered agent with a Utah street address, so out-of-state owners normally hire a commercial registered agent.

Do Utah LLCs need to file a BOI report?

No. FinCEN's final rule, effective August 14, 2026, permanently exempts U.S. companies, including Utah LLCs, from BOI reporting. The rule has changed before, so recheck FinCEN before filing.