Formation usually involves a state filing, registered agent, and state-specific fees. The public filing is only the beginning. Ownership, authority, economic rights, and decision rules generally belong in the operating agreement and supporting records.
Questions to resolve
- Is the name available and legally usable?
- Who can bind the company?
- How are contributions and ownership recorded?
- What happens when an owner leaves?
Build this chapter
Use the correct state filing office
Start with the official state office or the SBA state lookup, not an advertisement that resembles a government site.
Select a reliable registered agent
Confirm the agent’s physical-address and availability requirements in the formation state.
File the formation document
Save the accepted filing, receipt, state identification number, and exact legal name in the permanent company record.
Create the operating agreement
Document ownership, authority, voting, economics, transfers, exits, and dispute handling. Even a single-member LLC benefits from a written record of how it operates.
Keep the evidence
A company record is useful when it lets a future owner, accountant, attorney, lender, insurer, or buyer understand what happened and why.
- Accepted formation filing
- Operating agreement
- Registered-agent details
- Initial owner consent or resolution
- State receipt and identification number
Guides for this stage
References for this chapter
U.S. Small Business AdministrationRegister your businessUse these official sources to verify the current requirements after you understand the step. They open in a new tab so your place in the field guide stays available.