[0:00] The short answer Dan: To start an LLC in Nevada, you file Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State, together with your Initial List and State Business License, and pay $425 in all. Maya: Four twenty-five. That's three payments in one? Dan: Yes. The Articles are $75, the Initial List is $150, and the State Business License is $200. Maya: This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Nevada for 2026, in six steps, with what it all costs and the three best ways to have it filed for you. Where do we begin? [0:36] Step 1: Choose a name Dan: The name needs limited-liability company, limited company, LLC, Ltd., or L.C. It has to be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records, too. Maya: Anything restricted? Dan: Words like bank or trust need approval. Maya: How do I check a name? Dan: Use the free business search in the ORION portal. To hold one, a reservation is $25 for 90 days. [1:01] Step 2: Name a registered agent Maya: Who can be the agent in Nevada? Dan: A commercial registered agent, or a person or business with a physical Nevada address. They sign an acceptance. Maya: Any availability rule? Dan: Yes. The agent must be available during normal business hours. Maya: Could a P.O. box work as the address? Dan: Only as a mailing address, not as the agent's address. The agent's name and address are public, which is why many owners use a commercial agent. Changing agents later is $60. [1:34] Step 3: File Articles, Initial List, and business license Maya: Where does the filing happen? Dan: Through the Secretary of State's ORION portal, or by mail. ORION replaced SilverFlume in September 2026. Maya: What do I submit together? Dan: Your Articles, your Initial List of managers or members, and your State Business License. That's $75, $150, and $200, so $425. Maya: And what do the Articles list? Dan: Your agent and each manager or managing member. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: Nice to meet you, Maya. Most online filings are processed the same day, at no extra cost. [2:15] Step 4: Write an operating agreement Maya: Is an operating agreement required? Dan: Nevada doesn't require one, and doesn't file it. There's no state fee. Maya: So should I skip it? Dan: No. Without one, Nevada's default LLC rules decide things like how profits are split. So write down who owns what, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves. [2:37] Step 5: Get a free EIN Maya: Now the federal side. Dan: Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, after the Secretary of State files your Articles. Maya: How fast is it? Dan: If the online application is approved, the number is issued right away. Have the Social Security number or ITIN of the person in charge ready. Maya: And the beneficial ownership report? Dan: You can skip it. FinCEN no longer requires it from U.S. companies. [3:06] Step 6: Annual list and business license Maya: What's due every year? Dan: Your annual list, which is $150, and your State Business License renewal, which is $200. That's $350. Maya: When? Dan: By the last day of your anniversary month. Maya: And if I'm late? Dan: A $75 penalty on the list, and $100 on the license. Maya: What if I miss it completely? Dan: About a year after a missed deadline, the charter is revoked. Reinstating is $300, plus every missed list and fee. [3:38] What it costs Maya: Give me the do-it-yourself total. Dan: $425 to form. Then $350 a year. The EIN is free. Maya: And the extras? Dan: A name reservation is $25. Changing your registered agent is $60. Maya: So what's a first-year number? Dan: $425 for most people. With a reservation, $450. [4:05] What a late year costs Maya: Let me test the late math. I miss the deadline on both. Dan: Then you owe the $350, plus $75 on the list and $100 on the license. That's $525. Maya: So being late adds $175. Dan: Yes. That's half again on top of the normal bill. Maya: And if the charter is revoked? Dan: Then it's $300 to reinstate, plus every missed list and fee. That's why the anniversary month matters most in Nevada. [4:38] Picking your registered agent Maya: Could I be my own agent? Dan: If you have a physical Nevada address and you're available during normal business hours, yes. You sign an acceptance. Maya: That's the part people miss. Dan: It is. If you travel, a commercial agent covers it. Maya: And what is a commercial agent? Dan: A business that serves as the registered agent for LLCs. The name and address on the Articles are public record, so owners often use one. Maya: What does a change cost? Dan: $60 to change agents later. [5:10] ORION and same-day filing Maya: Tell me about the portal. Dan: ORION is the Secretary of State's business portal. It replaced SilverFlume in September 2026. Maya: Is the filing fast? Dan: Most online filings are processed the same day, and the fee is the same $425. Maya: And paper? Dan: You can file by mail. The portal is simply the faster route. [5:32] First-year checklist Maya: Give me the order of operations. Dan: Search the name. Choose your agent at a physical Nevada address. File Articles with your Initial List and business license for $425. Then get your EIN, and write your operating agreement. Maya: And the calendar? Dan: The last day of your anniversary month. That's when your annual list and license renewal are due. Maya: And the amount? Dan: $350, every year. [5:59] The 3 best ways to file in Nevada Maya: What if I want someone else to file it? Dan: Here are the three best ways to file in Nevada. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $425 state fee, checkout comes to $624. Maya: What does it cover? Dan: Your Articles, Initial List, and business license filed, your EIN application, and your registered agent every year. It renews at the same $199. Maya: And the annual list? Dan: In Nevada, Mainstay prepares and files your annual list and license renewal on time. You pay only the $350 in state fees. Maya: Number two? Dan: Registered Agent NV.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee, which is also $624 at checkout. The first year of agent service is free, then it's $99 a year. Maya: And number three? Dan: Nevada Registered Agent.co. Same offer. $199 plus the state fee, first year of agent service free, then $99 a year. Maya: How do I choose? Dan: If you'll file your own annual list, numbers two and three cost less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone. The $350 in state fees is the same either way. If you want the list and license filed for you at one steady price, that's Mainstay. [7:41] Three years of service fees Maya: Three-year number? Dan: Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two or three is $199 in year one, then $99 in each of the next two years, for $397. Maya: A $200 gap. Dan: Yes, and in Nevada, that gap pays for having your annual list and license renewal handled on time. [8:06] Recap Maya: One more time through it? Dan: Choose a name with LLC in it, name an agent at a Nevada address, file your Articles, Initial List, and business license for $425, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and renew your annual list and license for $350 every year. Maya: The links to all three services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Nevada LLC.