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Formation Facts

What the state wants, and what it costs.

LLC cost guide · Arkansas

Arkansas LLC Fees (2026): What the State Charges and the 3 Best LLC Services

If you are starting a limited liability company in Arkansas in 2026, our recommendation is Arkansas Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and AR Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Arkansas charges $45 when you form the LLC and $150 every year when you file the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report. Compared with the other 49 states over three years, that ranks 38th.
Briefing by the Formation Facts team

Arkansas in brief

38th

on the 50-state list of three-year state fees

A rank of 1 means the lowest bill, a tie. Compare all 50 states

  • Fee the state takes at filing

    $45

    sos.arkansas.gov (last confirmed October 2026)

  • Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report

    $150 / yr

    Deadline, as the state states it: May 1. sos.arkansas.gov (last confirmed October 2026)

  • Cost of missing the deadline

    $25

    sos.arkansas.gov (last confirmed October 2026)

  • What the state collects in 3 years

    $345

    Formation, then two more years of reports

Arkansas: the services we would choose

We ordered the list with five criteria, and three-year fees and coverage count most (the method page covers the rest).

Our top choice

1. Arkansas Registered Agent.co: best for owners who will stay in Arkansas

$199 plus fees, then $99 yearly

Our first choice is Arkansas Registered Agent.co. Getting started costs $199 with the agent paid for in year 1; each year after is $99.

It costs less than Mainstay Filing over three years, and cost counts for 33% of the score.

The Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is not in the price, so you file it yourself every year.

What your money gets you

  • Files your Arkansas formation
  • First year of agent service

What works

  • The agent renews at $99
  • A year of agent service is in the price
  • $199 and the state fee

What to weigh

  • Filing the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is something you do yourself
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit Arkansas Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Nationwide

2. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who would rather not file the franchise tax report themselves

$199 a year, renewing at $199

Mainstay Filing is second for you since a $199 yearly price replaces three separate jobs: the Arkansas formation, the registered agent and the franchise tax report.

Over three years it runs $200 above Arkansas Registered Agent.co, and cost is the biggest weight in our score.

Your Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is filed as part of the price, and you pay the state's $150 at cost.

What your money gets you

  • Prepares your formation papers and files them
  • Acts as your registered agent all year
  • Prepares and files your franchise tax report
  • Applies for your EIN
  • The state fee carries no markup

What works

  • One yearly price of $199 that includes the franchise tax report
  • $199 at renewal, with no increase
  • Your EIN application is included

What to weigh

  • Its renewal is $100 above Arkansas Registered Agent.co's
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Local option

3. AR Registered Agent.org: best for a smaller agent renewal

$199 plus fees, then $99 yearly

AR Registered Agent.org takes third place because getting started costs $199 with the agent paid for in year 1; each year after is $99.

The Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is not in the price, so you file it yourself every year.

It ties with Arkansas Registered Agent.co on price.

What your money gets you

  • Files your Arkansas formation
  • First year of agent service

What works

  • The agent renews at $99
  • A year of agent service is in the price
  • $199 and the state fee

What to weigh

  • Filing the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is something you do yourself
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit AR Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The 3 picks compared

RankWhoYou pay in year 1Then per yearTheir fees across 3 years
1Arkansas Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Arkansas Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3AR Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit AR Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's own price page was open in front of us on November 13, 2026. Remember to add Arkansas's $45 filing fee to each row.

What a Arkansas LLC costs by year

Pick how many years you want to total and which provider you would use. What the state takes is built from its own schedule: $45 when you form, then the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report from year 2.
Add $345 in state fees and $397 for Arkansas Registered Agent.co and you get $742 across 3 years.

How Arkansas compares with the states near it in the ranking

RankStateThree-year state fees
33rdTexas$300
37thWashington$340
38thArkansas$345
38thMaine$345
40thAlaska$350
The whole comparison lives at LLC costs by state, lowest bills first.

What the state charges to form a Arkansas LLC (official source)

To form the LLC you send the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01) and $45 to the Arkansas Secretary of State (Ark. Code Ann. § 4-38-201). The providers below hand it along without a markup. The state tells filers to expect Most filings within two business days of receipt.

The report Arkansas wants again and again

Arkansas expects the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report every year and charges $150 for it, with the due date given as May 1. Miss it and you owe $25.

Our reasoning

In Arkansas, Arkansas Registered Agent.co beat Mainstay Filing on price over three years (33%).

With Arkansas Registered Agent.co, three years of provider fees come to $397, $200 less than Mainstay Filing.

Common questions

How much will Arkansas charge me to form an LLC?

Filing costs $45 at the state office. Our picks charge $199 in year 1.

What will I pay for the Arkansas Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report?

You pay $150, every year, and the deadline reads May 1. Filing late costs $25.

Is Arkansas a low-cost state for LLCs?

Arkansas ranks 38th of 50 on three-year state fees, tied with other states, at $345. Rank 1 is the lowest total.

How long will the state take to process my LLC?

The published turnaround is Most filings within two business days of receipt. The state offers no paid expedite.

Will I need a registered agent in Arkansas?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Which LLC service should I choose?

Arkansas Registered Agent.co comes first and Mainstay Filing and AR Registered Agent.org follow. What separates them is price over three years.

Related briefings

Where this briefing comes from

  1. Want to double-check Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax report: what and? Go to sos.arkansas.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  2. Want to double-check Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax: amount and filing? Go to sos.arkansas.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  3. Want to double-check Arkansas report due date? Go to sos.arkansas.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  4. Want to double-check Ark? Go to arkleg.state.ar.us, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  5. Want to double-check Arkansas formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to sos.arkansas.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  6. Want to double-check Arkansas registered agent statute? Go to arkleg.state.ar.us, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  7. Want to double-check Tex? Go to sos.texas.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  8. Want to double-check Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to sos.wa.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  9. Want to double-check Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to sos.wa.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  10. Want to double-check Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division? Go to ccfs.sos.wa.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  11. Want to double-check Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division? Go to sos.wa.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  12. Want to double-check Washington yearly filing: Annual report, official source? Go to sos.wa.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  13. Want to double-check 31 M.R.S. sec. 1531? Go to legislature.maine.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  14. Want to double-check Maine formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to legislature.maine.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  15. Want to double-check Maine Secretary of State? Go to maine.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  16. Want to double-check Maine Secretary of State? Go to maine.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  17. Want to double-check Alaska Stat. §§ 10.50.070, 10.50.075? Go to akleg.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  18. Want to double-check Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development? Go to commerce.alaska.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  19. Want to double-check Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development? Go to commerce.alaska.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  20. Want to double-check Processing, official source? Go to sos.arkansas.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  21. The page we used for Arkansas Registered Agent.co (pricing page) was open to us on November 13, 2026
  22. The page we used for Mainstay Filing (Arkansas service page) was open to us on November 13, 2026
  23. The page we used for AR Registered Agent.org (pricing page) was open to us on November 13, 2026