Iowa: key figures
7th
among 50 states for three-year state fees
Fee the state takes at filing
$50
Biennial report
$30 / 2 yrs
Deadline, as the state states it: April 1 of odd-numbered years.
help.sos.iowa.gov; we confirmed it in October 2026
What the state collects in 3 years
$80
Filing in year 1, reports in years 2 and 3
Iowa: 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).
Best overall
1. Iowa Registered Agent.co: best for owners who will stay in Iowa
$199 for formation; $99 in later years
Iowa Registered Agent.co ranks first for you since getting started costs $199 with the agent paid for in year 1; each year after is $99.
Its three-year fees are lower than Mainstay Filing's, and cost is 33% of our score, the biggest weight we use.
The biennial report is not in the price, so you file it yourself every two years.
What your money gets you
- Takes care of the formation paperwork
- First year of agent service
What works
- $199 to form
- $99 a year from year 2
- A year of agent service is in the price
What to weigh
- The biennial report lands on your desk each time it is due
- The EIN is not in the price ($99)
Local option
2. IA Registered Agent.org: best for owners who are happy to write the reports themselves
$199 for formation; $99 in later years
Next comes IA Registered Agent.org, because getting started costs $199 with the agent paid for in year 1; each year after is $99.
The biennial report is not in the price, so you file it yourself every two years.
Its prices are identical to Iowa Registered Agent.co's, so the two are close.
What your money gets you
- Takes care of the formation paperwork
- First year of agent service
What works
- $99 a year from year 2
- $199 to form
- A year of agent service is in the price
What to weigh
- The biennial report lands on your desk each time it is due
- The EIN is not in the price ($99)
All-in-one
3. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who want a low-maintenance LLC
$199 a year, renewing at $199
Mainstay Filing is third for you since $199 a year gets you filed, gets you a registered agent and gets your biennial report sent in.
Its three-year fees are $200 above Iowa Registered Agent.co's, and cost is 33% of the score.
When the biennial report comes due it is handled for you, with the $30 state fee added 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 biennial report
- Applies for your EIN
- The state fee carries no markup
What works
- $199 a year pays for formation and an agent and the report
- It takes care of your EIN too
- $199 at renewal, with no increase
What to weigh
- Its renewal is $100 above Iowa Registered Agent.co's
3 services, one table
Every price here was taken from the company's website on November 13, 2026. The state's $50 is not counted in the figures above.
What a Iowa 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: $50 when you form, then the biennial report from year 2.
How Iowa compares with the states near it in the ranking
Iowa filing fee for 2026
The Certificate of Organization is what you submit to the Iowa Secretary of State, along with $50, and Iowa Code § 489.201 is the law behind it. None of the providers below charges extra for it.
The report Iowa wants again and again
Your LLC has to file the biennial report every two years and pay $30; the deadline is April 1 of odd-numbered years.
Why Iowa Registered Agent.co comes first
Price over three years decided first place in Iowa. It is 33% of the score, and the other criteria are upkeep the price covers, renewal terms, fit with the state, plain statement of the state fee.
With Iowa Registered Agent.co, three years of provider fees come to $397, $200 less than Mainstay Filing.
Common questions
How much will Iowa charge me to form an LLC?
Iowa charges $50 to file. Our picks charge $199 in year 1.
What will I pay for the Iowa biennial report?
You pay $30, every two years, and the deadline reads April 1 of odd-numbered years.
Is Iowa a low-cost state for LLCs?
Iowa ranks 7th of 50 on three-year state fees, at $80. Rank 1 is the lowest total.
Will I need a registered agent in Iowa?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Which LLC services does this page rank?
Iowa Registered Agent.co ($199), IA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in order, beginning with the first pick.
Which LLC service should I choose?
We would choose Iowa Registered Agent.co first (formation costs $199 above the state fee, and the agent is $99 from year 2), with IA Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing behind it.
Where this briefing comes from
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division rests on help.sos.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division rests on help.sos.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa report due date rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Code § 489.201 rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa registered agent statute rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Mont rests on mca.legmt.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on sosmt.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on sosmt.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source rests on sosmt.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source rests on sosmt.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on cca.hawaii.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on cca.hawaii.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Division release of July rests on cca.hawaii.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Hawaii yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source rests on files.hawaii.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Utah Code § 48-3a-201 rests on le.utah.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Utah formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on commerce.utah.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code rests on corporations.utah.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code rests on corporations.utah.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Ohio Rev rests on codes.ohio.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Ohio formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on codes.ohio.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- We looked at the Iowa Registered Agent.co website on November 13, 2026 to confirm pricing page
- We looked at the IA Registered Agent.org website on November 13, 2026 to confirm pricing page
- We looked at the Mainstay Filing website on November 13, 2026 to confirm Iowa service page