What are the filing fees for Wisconsin LLCs?

Wisconsin charges $130 to form an LLC online through the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), or $170 on paper. After formation, the only recurring LLC charge on the DFI fee schedule is the annual report: $25 online or $40 on paper. The schedule lists no separate fee for designating your initial registered agent; changing the agent or registered office later costs $10 online or $25 on paper, and an agent's resignation costs $10.

Statute sets only part of that price list. Wis. Stat. § 183.0122(2)(a)1. fixes the articles fee at $130, while the $170 paper price comes from DFI's own form. DFI's annual report instructions add a $15 surcharge for paper filing, effective March 1, 2024, under Wis. Admin. Code § DFI-CCS 10.01(6), and DFI charges $100 per transaction for next-day expedited processing.

Current Wisconsin LLC filing fees

Filing online saves $40 over paper. The table below compares the three ways to file Wisconsin's articles of organization on DFI Form 502.

DFI acts on expedited requests by the close of business on the business day after it receives them, so a filing that lands late on a Friday is not finished until Monday. If a bank or contract deadline is close, leave a day of slack. Over its first three years, a domestic LLC that files everything online pays DFI $180: $130 to form, then $25 for each annual report.

No report is due in the formation year, because Wis. Stat. § 183.0212(3)(a) sets the first one in the anniversary quarter of the following year. The fee is one item among the Wisconsin LLC formation requirements, which also include a registered agent.

Wisconsin fee comparison

Wisconsin sits in the middle of its neighbors on formation cost and well below Illinois on annual fees. Here is how the surrounding states price formation and ongoing reports:

• Illinois charges $150 for formation plus a $75 annual report, both set in Illinois law.

• Minnesota charges $155 online or in person and $135 by mail, per the Minnesota articles form, and its annual renewal is $0 for an active LLC in good standing.

• Iowa charges $50 for a certificate of organization under Iowa Code § 489.122, then a biennial report of $30 online or $45 on paper.

• Michigan also starts at $50 under Michigan law, with a $25 annual statement that drops to $15 for statements paid after September 30, 2027.

• Indiana's statute sets $75 for an electronic filing and $100 on paper under Ind. Code § 23-0.5-9-19, though the INBiz online total can run above the statutory fee.

For a domestic Wisconsin LLC filed online, that $25 is the only recurring LLC charge on DFI's fee schedule. Foreign LLCs pay $65 online, on top of the $100 or more they pay to register in Wisconsin.

DFI's business entity fee schedule does not list a franchise tax, privilege tax, or publication requirement, and other charges, such as a $40 amendment, apply only when you file them. Wisconsin follows your federal tax classification: an LLC taxed as a corporation owes Wisconsin corporate franchise or income tax, according to Department of Revenue guidance. For the details, see Wisconsin franchise tax information.

Additional filing fees to consider

Most other DFI charges run $10 to $40, but speed gets expensive: same-day turnaround costs up to $500. These are the charges you are most likely to meet after formation:

• Name reservation: $15 for 120 days, per DFI Form 1 and Wis. Stat. § 183.0113.

• Expedited name reservation: $15 + $100 for next-day processing.

• In-person expedited processing: $250 for turnaround within four hours or $500 within one hour, listed on DFI's fee schedule for its customer service counter in Madison.

• Certificate of status: $10, ordered through the Certificate of Status portal. DFI says certificate and copy requests may take up to 10 business days, with expedited processing available for $25 per document.

• Certified copies: $10 per document, or $5 for a plain copy, per DFI's certificates and copies page.

• Registered agent or office change: $10 online or $25 on paper on DFI's fee schedule; an agent's resignation costs $10.

• Registered agent: no state fee to designate one, but Form 502 requires a registered office at a physical street address, not solely a PO box or mailbox service. See the Wisconsin registered agent requirements for the rest.

None of these recur on their own, so budget for them only when a transaction calls for one.

Handle Wisconsin LLC filings with Discern and stay in good standing

Wisconsin's fees are low, but the quarterly annual report deadline and the dissolution exposure that follows a missed report make timing the real risk.

Discern forms Wisconsin LLCs for $99 plus state fees, provides the registered agent and registered office, and files the Wisconsin annual report in the quarter it comes due using data already stored in your entity record. Active standing and status monitoring shows each entity's current standing, so a missed quarterly deadline surfaces long before the one-year dissolution trigger.

For teams running entities across many states, Discern tracks every annual report, foreign registration, and registered agent appointment in one place, with automated payments in place of separate provider invoices. Vestwell's multi-state compliance story shows the pattern: 7 legal entities, a mix of corporations, LLCs, and a trust company registered in 30 states, moved off multiple legacy registered agents and onto Discern. Customers with 200+ registrations spend 5 to 10 minutes annually on compliance.

Book a demo with Discern to see how it handles your Wisconsin filings.

Frequently asked questions about Wisconsin LLC filing fees

These answers cover the deadlines and exceptions that come up most often once the formation fee is paid.

When is the Wisconsin LLC annual report due?

A domestic LLC files each year after the year it formed, during the calendar quarter containing the anniversary of its formation, under Wis. Stat. § 183.0212(3)(a). That puts the deadline on March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31. A foreign LLC files by March 31 and pays $65 online or $80 on paper. The Wisconsin annual report filing guide walks through each quarter.

What happens if a Wisconsin LLC misses its annual report?

DFI's fee schedule lists no late fee, but a report that stays unfiled for a year after its due date is a ground for administrative dissolution under Wis. Stat. § 183.0708(1)(b). After DFI gives notice, the company has 60 days to file the report or otherwise cure under § 183.0708(3)(a). A dissolved LLC can apply for reinstatement under Wis. Stat. § 183.0709(1), and DFI's FAQ says delinquent status is cured by filing a current annual report and paying the back annual report fees.

Can anyone form a Wisconsin LLC without paying the $130 fee?

Student entrepreneurs can. Under Wis. Stat. § 183.0122(2)(d), DFI may not collect the fee when every member, and any organizer who will not become a member, is a student entrepreneur at least 18 years old. 2025 Wisconsin Act 224 extended that definition beyond Wisconsin college students to students in a Wisconsin public, private, or tribal high school and to homeschooled students. DFI requires the waiver to be claimed on paper using Form 502SE, and its student entrepreneur page still describes the original college-only criteria, so confirm eligibility with DFI before filing.

Is the Wisconsin LLC filing fee refundable?

No. DFI's online filing directions describe the $130 online fee as non-refundable, and Form 502 states that filing fees are non-refundable. A student who files Form 502 online, instead of the paper waiver form, still pays the $130, so pick the filing route before you submit.