What it costs in Iowa.
Tick what you need. The state’s part is shown at cost.
Adds up as you tick.
How to form an LLC in Iowa.
The steps, in order, and what each one asks of you. We can file it in Iowa for you, with the registered agent for the first year.
The steps.
Step 1
Choose a name
It has to be different from the names already on Iowa’s records, and it has to include “LLC” or another ending Iowa accepts, such as “Limited Liability Company”.
Step 2
Name a registered agent in Iowa
Every LLC in Iowa needs one: a person or company with a street address in Iowa that accepts legal papers for the company during business hours. More on this below.
Step 3
File the formation document
File the formation document with Iowa’s business filing office. Its name varies: articles of organization in most states, a certificate of formation or of organization in others. Iowa charges a filing fee. It is shown at cost under What it costs in Iowa, on this page.
Step 4
Sign an operating agreement
It sets out who owns the company and how it is run. It stays with your records and is not filed with the state.
Step 5
Get an EIN from the IRS
The EIN is the company’s federal tax number, and banks ask for it. The IRS issues it online, usually at once, when the responsible person has a Social Security number or ITIN and the company’s principal place of business is in the US. Otherwise it is Form SS-4 by fax or mail, which can take 4 to 8 weeks.
Step 6
Keep up with the ongoing filing
Iowa has a periodic filing for LLCs, and official sources in Iowa disagree on when it is due, so confirm the date with the state. Our page on Iowa has the details.
More on Iowa: changing agents, the ongoing filing and deadlines
The registered agent Iowa requires.
An LLC in Iowa names its registered agent on the formation document and keeps one for as long as it exists. The agent needs a street address in Iowa, not a post office box, and someone there during business hours to sign for legal papers.
You may be able to serve as the agent yourself if you live in Iowa or keep an office there, can be reached there during business hours, and do not mind the address on the public record.
More on Iowa: changing agents, the ongoing filing and deadlines