Start an LLC in Pennsylvania

1. Reserve your company name

If you already have a company name in mind, it's important to confirm that it's available for use in Pennsylvania. You can do this by conducting a Pennsylvania LLC name search. If the name is available, reserving it is a smart move to ensure no one else claims it while you prepare your formation documents. Corporate Creations offers a convenient name search and reservation service in all 50 states, making it easy to secure your business name in Pennsylvania for 120 days.

3. Find a registered agent

All U.S. businesses require a registered agent by law. When you start an LLC in Pennsylvania, you’ll need to ensure you have a registered agent or commercial registered office based in that state. Registered agent services handle important legal communications like Service of Process, so it’s important that you choose a reliable and trusted provider like Corporate Creations.

4. Select your management structure

You don’t need to state your management structure in the Certificate of Organization, but it is a good idea to decide upon a structure before you file. Member-managed LLCs are the default management structure in Pennsylvania, but if you want a more hands-off approach to managing the daily activities of your business, a manager-managed structure might be better suited to your needs. Find out more about the differences between member-managed vs manager-managed LLCs.

5. Draft an operating agreement

It’s recommended to draft an operating agreement for your LLC. A typical Pennsylvania LLC operating agreement outlines particulars such as the management structure type, ownership percentages, and profit distribution amongst other important information. By having an operating agreement, you have a document that you can defer to should any legal issues or disputes arise.

6. Officially form your LLC

When ready to do so, your LLC organizer will submit the Certificate of Organization to the Pennsylvania Department of State. The Certificate of Organization in Pennsylvania requires the following information:

LLC name

Registered agent address

Name(s) and signature(s) of organizer(s)

Effective date of Certificate of Organization

Once the certificate has been filed, your LLC will be officially formed in Pennsylvania. Now you can begin to do other important business tasks such as obtaining a Federal Employer Tax ID (EIN), opening a business bank account, and applying for necessary licenses.

Why choose Corporate Creations for your LLC formation?

Online process

Forming your LLC with Corporate Creations streamlines the entire process by moving it online. You can skip the piles of paperwork and get your business up and running in a shorter amount of time.

Extensive state knowledge

Partnering with Corporate Creations gives you access to a team of experts who are well-versed in Pennsylvania’s LLC formation laws. We’ll guide you through each step of the process, ensuring everything is handled thoroughly and accurately, so nothing gets overlooked.

Simplified costs

Starting an LLC in Pennsylvania can be costly. Working with Corporate Creations simplifies costs as you have a single partner for everything related to your LLC formation, meaning you don’t have to deal with multiple contracts and invoices.

Continuous support

Once your LLC is officially registered, you’ll likely require ongoing business support. For example, in the state of Pennsylvania, companies must file annual reports by September 30 each year. You may also need to obtain a good standing certificate in Pennsylvania at some point. Your business can continue to work with Corporate Creations to help you stay on top of your compliance obligations to ensure your company remains in good standing.

Pennsylvania LLC FAQs

The standard costs for starting an LLC in Pennsylvania include the following:

$125 fee for filing the Certificate of Organization
$70 name reservation fee for 120 days

There are also additional costs such as registered agent fees, annual report filing fees, paperwork costs, and more. By working with Corporate Creations to simplify the LLC formation process, you also streamline costs through a single provider.

To look up an LLC in PA, you need to go to the business entity search page on the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website. From here you can search for a business by name or file number, or do an advanced search using filing type, status, and filing date. Many people do an LLC lookup to check if a business name is available, but it isn’t a certain indication of availability.

If you file your Certificate of Organization with the Pennsylvania Department of State, it can take up to five business days for your company to be officially formed. If you mail your certificate, it can take longer, up to four weeks. These timeframes don’t include the time it takes to appoint a registered agent and draft an operating agreement.

You can apply for your EIN via the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website, or work with a third-party business service provider like Corporate Creations to assist you.

How to start an LLC in Pennsylvania

1. Reserve your company name

2. Appoint the LLC organizer(s)

3. Find a registered agent

4. Select your management structure

5. Draft an operating agreement

6. Officially form your LLC