[0:00] The short answer Dan: To start an LLC in Wisconsin, you file Articles of Organization, Form 502, with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. The fee is $130 online, or $170 on paper. Maya: So online saves $40? Dan: It does, and online filings are usually accepted on receipt. Maya: This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Wisconsin for 2026: six steps, every fee, and the three best ways to have it filed for you. Where do we begin? [0:33] Step 1: Choose a name Dan: Start with the name. It needs the words limited liability company, limited company, or the abbreviation LLC or LC. Maya: Anything else? Dan: Check that nobody has filed something too close to it. The DFI keeps the business entity records you search. Maya: And if I'm not ready to file? Dan: A name reservation is $15 and holds the name for 120 days. [0:59] Step 2: Pick a registered agent Maya: Do I need an agent in Wisconsin? Dan: Yes. Every Wisconsin LLC names a registered agent, and that agent must be reachable at a physical Wisconsin street address, with an email address on file. Maya: Can I use a P.O. box? Dan: Not on its own, and a mailbox service doesn't count either. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: Good to be here, Maya. One more rule people miss: the LLC can't be its own agent. Maya: So who can serve? Dan: A Wisconsin resident, or an authorized business. Changing the agent later is $10 online. [1:36] Step 3: File Form 502 Maya: Now the filing itself. Dan: Form 502, the Articles of Organization. File online with the DFI for $130, or mail the paper form for $170. Maya: How fast is online? Dan: Usually accepted on receipt, so you can have an active LLC the same day. Maya: Same day, at the standard price? Dan: Often, yes. If you want it guaranteed by the next day, expedited processing is $100 extra. [2:06] Step 4: Write an operating agreement Maya: Is the operating agreement filed with the state? Dan: No. It stays with your records, and there's no state fee for it. Maya: Do I even need one? Dan: Wisconsin treats an LLC as member-managed unless a written operating agreement says otherwise. Maya: So if I want a manager running things? Dan: Then put it in writing. Cover who owns what, how profits are split, who decides, and what happens when a member leaves. [2:32] Step 5: Get a free EIN Maya: What about the federal side? Dan: Apply for your EIN with the IRS at IRS.gov. It's free, and if it's approved online, the number is issued right away. Maya: Is there an ownership report? Dan: Not for U.S. companies. FinCEN no longer requires one. [2:50] Step 6: File the annual report Maya: And what does Wisconsin want each year? Dan: An annual report, starting the year after you form. It's $25 online. Maya: When is it due? Dan: By the end of the calendar quarter of your formation anniversary. Form in May, and your report is due by the end of June of the following year. Maya: What if I miss it? Dan: The LLC becomes delinquent. A year overdue can lead to administrative dissolution, after a 60-day notice. [3:16] What it costs Maya: Give me the do-it-yourself total. Dan: $130 to form the LLC online. The EIN is free. Then $25 a year for the annual report. Maya: So the first year is $130? Dan: Yes, and the first report isn't due until the year after. Maya: And the extras? Dan: A name reservation is $15, an agent change is $10, and next-day expedited processing is $100. [3:45] Rush options Maya: Let's talk about speed. Is there anything faster than online? Dan: If you're filing in person, there's a 4-hour expedite for $250. Online, next-day expedite is $100. Maya: That's a lot more than the filing fee. Dan: It is, which is why most owners don't bother. Online filings are usually accepted on receipt anyway. Maya: So when would anyone pay? Dan: When a bank, a landlord, or a contract has a hard date, and you can't risk a delay. [4:12] The agent rules in detail Maya: Let me go back to the agent. Why does the address rule matter? Dan: Because legal papers are delivered there. The agent has to be someone who's actually available at a Wisconsin street address during business hours. Maya: So I can't list a friend in another state? Dan: Not unless they're a Wisconsin resident with a real street address. Maya: And if I move or the agent quits? Dan: You file a statement of change. Online, that's $10. Maya: What about me serving as my own agent? Dan: You can, if you live in Wisconsin and you're home during business hours. Many owners prefer a service so the papers never land on their doorstep. [4:50] Paper or online Maya: Is there any reason to file on paper? Dan: Only if you can't file online. Paper is $170, which is $40 more than the $130 online fee. Maya: And is it slower? Dan: Usually, yes. Online filings are typically accepted on receipt, while a paper form has to travel and be processed. Maya: So online is cheaper and faster. Dan: For nearly everyone, unless you specifically need to file on paper. [5:19] Planning your annual report Maya: Back to the report. How do I remember the date? Dan: Tie it to your anniversary quarter. If you form in the first quarter, the report is due by the end of March the following year. Maya: And the fee? Dan: $25 online. It's small, but a missed one makes the LLC delinquent. Maya: So set a reminder. Dan: Set it for the start of the quarter, not the last week. A year overdue and the state can begin the dissolution process. [5:48] Your first-year checklist Maya: Order of operations? Dan: Search the name. Choose your agent. File Form 502 online for $130. Maya: Then? Dan: Write the operating agreement, get your EIN, and mark your anniversary quarter for the $25 annual report. [6:04] The 3 best ways to file in Wisconsin Maya: What if I'd rather have someone else handle it? Dan: Here are the three best ways to file in Wisconsin. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $130 state fee, checkout comes to $329. Maya: What's included? Dan: Your Form 502 filed, your EIN application, and your registered agent every year. It renews at the same $199. Maya: And the annual report? Dan: Mainstay files it for you in your anniversary quarter. You pay only the $25 state fee. Maya: Number two? Dan: WI Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee, also $329 at checkout. The first year of agent service is free, then $99 a year. Maya: And three? Dan: Wisconsin 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 the annual report yourself, numbers two and three cost less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone. The $25 state fee is the same either way. [7:24] Three years of service fees Maya: Give me the three-year view. Dan: Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two or three is $199 in year one, then $99 for each of the next two years, so $397. Maya: A $200 gap. Dan: Yes. With Mainstay, that gap pays for your annual report to be filed for you. [7:50] Recap Maya: Can you recap? Dan: Choose a name ending in LLC, pick a Wisconsin registered agent with a street address, file Form 502 online for $130, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and file your $25 annual report by the end of your anniversary quarter. 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 Wisconsin LLC.