[0:00] The short answer Dan: To start an LLC in Utah, you file a Certificate of Organization online with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, and the fee is $59. Maya: Do I have to download a form? Dan: No. The form is built into the state's online system. Maya: This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Utah for 2026: six steps with every fee, and the three best ways to have it filed for you. What's first? [0:29] Step 1: Choose a name Dan: Your name needs limited liability company, limited company, or an abbreviation like LLC or LC. Maya: What's off limits? Dan: Words like corporation, incorporated, and partnership aren't allowed in an LLC name. Maya: And it has to be unique? Dan: It has to be distinguishable from names on record. The Division has a free name availability tool. Maya: Can I reserve one? Dan: For $22, you can hold it for 120 days. [0:57] Step 2: Name a registered agent Maya: Who can be our registered agent in Utah? Dan: A commercial registered agent, or a person or business with a street address in Utah. Maya: Does the agent have to agree to it? Dan: Yes. Naming them confirms they've agreed to serve. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: Thanks, Maya. The agent's details are public, which is why many owners use a commercial agent. Maya: What if I need to change agents? Dan: A change costs $17. [1:27] Step 3: File the Certificate of Organization Maya: How do I actually file? Dan: Through the state's Business Registration System. You sign in with a UtahID, and the form is right there. Maya: What does it ask for? Dan: The name, the principal office, and the registered agent. The fee is $59. Maya: How long until it's approved? Dan: Most online filings are processed right away. Ones that need manual review take longer. Maya: Can I pay to speed it up? Dan: Expedited processing is $75. [1:57] Step 4: Write an operating agreement Maya: Does the Division collect an operating agreement? Dan: No. It isn't filed, and there's no state fee. Maya: So can I skip it? Dan: Utah law counts even an oral or implied agreement. That's a good reason to write yours down. Maya: What should be in it? Dan: Who owns what, how profits are split, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves. [2:19] Step 5: Get a free EIN Maya: Next is the federal number. Dan: An EIN. Apply free with the IRS at IRS.gov, once the state files your Certificate. Maya: What do I need handy? Dan: The Social Security number or ITIN of the person in charge. If the online application is approved, the number is issued right away. Maya: And the ownership report? Dan: Skip it. FinCEN no longer requires one from U.S. companies. [2:47] Step 6: File the annual renewal Maya: What does Utah want every year? Dan: An annual report, which Utah calls a renewal. It's due by the last day of your anniversary month. Maya: What's the cost? Dan: $18. If you're late, add $10. Maya: And if I ignore it? Dan: At 60 days late, the Division can start an administrative dissolution. Maya: How do I come back from that? Dan: Reinstatement is $54, plus $18 for each missed year and a $10 delinquency fee. [3:18] What it costs Maya: What's the do-it-yourself total? Dan: $59 to form the LLC. Then $18 a year for the renewal. The EIN is free. Maya: So the first two years? Dan: $77. That's the Certificate and your first renewal. Maya: And the extras? Dan: A name reservation is $22, an agent change is $17, and expedited processing is $75. [3:45] What a missed renewal costs Maya: The renewal is only $18. Is it really worth worrying about? Dan: The renewal, no. The mistake, yes. Let's price one missed year. Maya: Go ahead. Dan: Reinstatement is $54, plus $18 for the missed year, plus the $10 delinquency fee. That's $82. Maya: Compared with $18 on time. Dan: Right. And before it gets that far, being late adds a $10 fee. Maya: So the renewal is cheap, and the mistake isn't. Dan: Exactly. Put the date on your calendar the day you form. [4:22] Expedited processing and manual review Maya: Let me ask about speed again. When would I pay the $75? Dan: When you can't wait. Most online filings are processed right away, but one that needs manual review takes longer. Maya: Does the expedite fee replace the $59? Dan: No, it's on top. Expedited processing is $75 per filing. Maya: So a rushed filing costs $134. Dan: Yes, $59 plus $75. Most people skip it, because the standard online route is usually immediate. [4:55] What the Certificate puts on the record Maya: What does my Certificate show the public? Dan: The name, the principal office, and the registered agent. Maya: Not the owners? Dan: Those are the three items we've covered. Your operating agreement stays with you and isn't filed. Maya: So the agent's details matter. Dan: They do, because they're public. That's one more reason a commercial agent is popular. [5:18] The agent question in Utah Maya: Back to the agent. Can I be my own? Dan: If you're a person with a street address in Utah, you can be a noncommercial agent. Maya: What's the trade-off? Dan: Your details are public. Anyone can look up where the agent is. Maya: And a commercial agent? Dan: They're set up for the job, and the address on file is theirs. Maya: What about changing later? Dan: That's $17. [5:40] Your first-year checklist Maya: Order of operations? Dan: Search the name. Choose your agent and confirm they agree. File the Certificate for $59. Maya: Then? Dan: Write your operating agreement, get your EIN, and put the last day of your anniversary month in your calendar for the $18 renewal. [5:59] The 3 best ways to file in Utah Maya: What if I want someone else to file for me? Dan: Here are the three best ways to file in Utah. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $59 state fee, checkout comes to $258. Maya: What do you get? Dan: Your Certificate of Organization filed, your EIN application, and your registered agent every year. It renews at $199. Maya: And the renewal? Dan: Mainstay files it by the end of your anniversary month. You pay only the $18 state fee. Maya: Number two? Dan: UT Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Certificate for $199 plus the state fee, also $258 at checkout. The first year of agent service is free, then $99 a year. Maya: And three? Dan: Utah Registered Agent.co. Same offer. $199 plus the state fee, first year of agent service free, then $99 a year. Maya: How should I choose? Dan: If you'll file your own renewal each year, numbers two and three cost less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone. The $18 state fee is the same either way. [7:21] Three years of service fees Maya: What's the three-year picture? Dan: Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two or three is $199 in year one, then $99 a year for two more, so $397. Maya: A $200 difference. Dan: Yes. With Mainstay, that gap covers your renewal being filed for you. [7:47] Recap Maya: Recap it for me. Dan: Choose a name with LLC in it, name a registered agent with a Utah street address, file the Certificate of Organization online for $59, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and file your $18 renewal 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 Utah LLC.