Step 1 · Form the entity
How to form an LLC in Utah (2026)
File a Utah LLC Certificate of Organization for $59. Keep a UT registered agent; yearly renewal $18, plus $10 if late.
File a domestic Utah LLC with the Utah Division of Corporations when you live in Utah and will do the work from Utah. The Certificate of Organization costs $59 on the Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Schedule. Five steps: confirm Utah facts, gather the Certificate with a Utah registered agent, file online, pay $59, then get a free EIN. Compare structures on LLC vs sole proprietorship.
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Utah?
The Utah Division of Corporations Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2025, lists a domestic LLC Certificate of Organization at $59, re-checked 14 October 2026. Optional expedited processing is $75 per filing. Budget $18 a year for the renewal. Processing fees are nonrefundable, so check the filing before you pay.
How do I file a Utah Certificate of Organization online?
Start from the Division of Corporations site and sign in to its online business registration with a UtahID. Choose a domestic LLC Certificate of Organization, enter a distinguishable name, a Utah registered agent with a Utah street address, and the organizer, then pay $59. Keep the receipt.
Does a Utah LLC need a registered agent?
Yes. A Utah Certificate of Organization must name a registered agent with a Utah street address for service of process, and the agent goes on the public record. Commercial registered agents register separately with the Division ($52 on the fee schedule). DIY versus commercial tradeoffs: Registered agent basics for a new LLC.
When is the Utah LLC renewal due, and what does it cost?
Every year. The Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Schedule lists the domestic LLC renewal (annual report) at $18, which includes a $5 single sign-on portal surcharge, plus a $10 late renewal fee. Reinstating an expired LLC costs $54, plus $18 for each missed year and a $10 delinquency fee (re-checked 14 October 2026).
Do I get an EIN before or after the Utah LLC?
After. The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first, and the EIN application on IRS.gov is free. Apply the same day the Division of Corporations accepts your Certificate of Organization if you need a business bank account right away. Walkthrough: Get an EIN; then open a first business checking account.
Does a Utah LLC need newspaper publication?
No. The Utah Division of Corporations Certificate of Organization path and Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Schedule include no newspaper publication step for a standard domestic Utah LLC. Skip any “Utah LLC publication” add-on a vendor tries to sell you. New York is different and does require publication; see How to form an LLC in New York.
Utah LLC fee table (re-checked 14 October 2026)
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Organization | $59 | FY2026 Fee Schedule |
| Expedited processing | $75 | Per filing, optional |
| Annual renewal | $18 | Includes $5 portal surcharge |
| Late renewal fee | $10 | Fee schedule |
| Reinstatement | $54 | Plus $18 per missed year and $10 delinquency |
| Voluntary dissolution | $0 | No charge |
| Foreign LLC registration | $59 | Out-of-state LLCs only |
| EIN | $0 | Free on IRS.gov |
Fees re-checked on the Utah Division of Corporations Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Schedule on 14 October 2026. If the portal shows a different checkout total, pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.
DIY or a formation shop. The walkthrough on this page is for Utah Certificate of Organization. If you would rather pay a shop to handle the filing paperwork, compare these:
| Service | Best for |
|---|---|
| Swyft Filings | Fast online filing with compliance reminders |
| Bizee | Budget-minded formation packages |
| Zenind | Formation bundled with registered agent |
| MyCompanyWorks | Simple, no-frills formation filing |
| MyCorporation | LLC formation plus DBA, EIN and registered agent add-ons |
| CorpNet | Formation packages with a year of registered agent and EIN bundled |
| BizFilings | Established filing service (Wolters Kluwer) |
| doola | Non-US founders forming a US LLC |
| Harbor Compliance | Registered agent and multi-state compliance |
| Business Anywhere | Registered agent + virtual business mailbox |
| ZenBusiness | All-in-one formation packages |
Prices, registered agent renewals, and checkout traps side by side: LLC formation services compared by fit.
Optional branches (not always required to file)
File in Utah if the work is in Utah
A domestic Utah LLC is organized by filing a Certificate of Organization with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code (U.C.A. § 48-3a-201 path). Online filing runs through the Division’s Business Registration System with a UtahID (linked from commerce.utah.gov / corporations). Mail and in-person filing are also accepted. A company already formed somewhere else that wants to transact business in Utah files a foreign LLC registration — a different instrument (fee schedule: $59).
Filing in Wyoming, Delaware, or Georgia does not move Utah work out of Utah. A foreign entity that transacts business here still needs a Utah registered agent and Utah foreign registration, plus the formation state’s agent and recurring fees. Home-state filing is the cheaper default for a one-state operator. Multi-state registration overview: Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.
Do not try to hide from the Utah Division of Corporations. An LLC is a public filing. The registered agent’s name and address go on the record so the state and private parties can reach the company. Privacy products that promise invisibility are selling something the statute does not offer.
What to have on the desk before opening Business Registration
Fees checked against the Division Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Schedule on 14 October 2026:
- A distinguishable LLC name that includes an allowed identifier (Limited Liability Company, Limited Company, L.L.C., or L.C.). Search Division entity records before ordering letterhead.
- Certificate of Organization contents: LLC name, principal office street and mailing addresses, Utah registered agent with Utah street address, and organizer signature (U.C.A. § 48-3a-201 / Division summary).
- Registered agent who can accept service of process in Utah. See Registered agent basics for a new LLC.
- Organizer / payment method for the $59 Certificate fee.
No newspaper or other advertising is required on the standard domestic Certificate of Organization path. Professional LLC paths are out of scope for a default 1099 single-member LLC on this page. Optional name reservation is a separate line on the fee schedule — not required to form.
File through Utah Business Registration System
The primary path on this page is the Division Business Registration System (UtahID login; linked from commerce.utah.gov corporations pages). Create or sign in with UtahID, choose domestic LLC formation, enter the entity details, and pay. The fee schedule lists $59 for Certificate of Organization.
Optional certified copies, expedites, or other line items belong on the current fee table and checkout screen — this page does not invent add-ons. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.
After the Certificate of Organization is filed
Formation with the Division is not a Utah State Tax Commission account, a sales-tax license, a city business license, or a professional license. Those have their own filings.
The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first, then obtain an Employer Identification Number. That application on IRS.gov is free.
Next: the money path. After the Certificate of Organization is accepted:
- Get an EIN — free on IRS.gov after the state entity exists
- Open business checking — park operating cash in the LLC’s name
- First brokerage — only if the work needs one
Full first-30-days desk list: After you form an LLC. Setup overview on the setup checklist. Formation shops, if you want one instead of DIY, stay in the callout above.
Utah does not require an operating agreement to be filed with the Certificate of Organization. A written agreement still matters between members. Banks often ask for one anyway. See LLC operating agreement basics.
Annual report / renewal — anniversary of registration
Utah requires an annual report / renewal for domestic LLCs. The fee schedule lists $18 (including the single sign-on portal surcharge noted on the schedule). Division FAQ: renewal is due one year from the date of registration and annually thereafter. File in the Business Registration System.
Notices go to the registered agent; keep that address current. Cross-state renewals: LLC annual report and annual registration.
Overview of admin status vs reinstate: Reinstate an administratively dissolved or revoked LLC (fee schedule lists domestic LLC reinstatement $54 plus missed renewals / delinquency — confirm catch-up totals on the portal).
What this page does not cover
- Professional LLC, series LLC, conversions, or foreign registration of an out-of-state company beyond the fee citation above.
- Sales-tax, employer withholding, unemployment, Workers’ Compensation, or local business licenses.
- Whether an S corporation election is worth the payroll. That is a CPA conversation after there is real net income.
- Any promise that an LLC prevents a personal guarantee on a bank account or a business card. It usually does not.
- Telling a Georgia operator to file Utah as a sophistication upgrade.
- Voluntary dissolution — confirm current Division fee / “no charge” lines before filing; see Dissolve or cancel an LLC.
- Processor fees or portal line items that are not printed on the sources above.
Sources
- Utah Division of Corporations — Updated Fee Schedule (Certificate of Organization $59; LLC annual report/renewal $18; foreign LLC $59) — as of Re-checked 14 October 2026
- Utah Division of Corporations — Considerations in Forming a Limited Liability Company (Certificate of Organization; $59; online filing) — as of 22 September 2026
- Utah Division of Corporations — Annual Report / Renewal Guide (Business Registration System) — as of 22 September 2026
- Utah Division of Corporations — How to Renew a Business (due on anniversary of registration, annually) — as of 22 September 2026
- IRS — Get an employer identification number (EIN is free; form the state entity first) — as of Re-checked 14 October 2026