How to Start an LLC in New York

Although New York is one of the most expensive states to start a business, it also offers businesses the best environment to try and raise capital for business expansion. New York also has a highly educated workforce and growing economy that helps foster a good environment for businesses to thrive in. If you are looking to start an LLC in New York, this guide will walk you through the step-by-step process to help get your business up and running in no time.

What are the benefits of an LLC?

• LLCs provide liability protection for business owners, meaning that the owners’ assets will not be at risk.
• Easy to set up and manage
• One person may form an LLC

When do you need to form an LLC?

If you are exploring starting a business or perhaps you are already in business as a sole proprietor it is a good idea to form an LLC. If you are operating a business without an LLC you could be placing yourself and your personal assets at risk. 

While it is not required to form an LLC before starting a business the benefits include accounting and tax standardization, limited liability risk right away, and it will be easier to stay organized since all of your business-related expenses will be tied to one business bank account.

Step 1: Choose your company name

The first step in starting an LLC is to select a business name. It is essential to choose a business name that is unique from existing entities.

Perform a New York business name search

The New York Department of State maintains a database of business entities registered in New York that is free for the public to search.

Naming considerations

Your New York LLC must contain “Limited Liability Company” or include the abbreviation LLC or LLC. Prefixes, suffixes, and plural versions of an existing entity name do not make it unique.

For instance, if you wanted to start a breakfast restaurant called Breakfast Cafe LLC you would want to make sure there wasn’t a similar sounding name like Breakfast House Cafe or something similar. The intent with naming rules is to create a clearly distinguishable name that avoids confusion for the public so if you find a name that is somewhat similar to the one you are considering it is probably best to move on to another name idea.

If you are struggling to develop a New York LLC name, one option is to use a business name generator, which can help come up with hundreds of name suggestions in seconds.

Perform a trademark search

If you intend on using your business for a commercial purpose you will want to perform a trademark search before selecting your New York business name. A trademark will help protect against infringement of unauthorized use of your business name and logo without your permission and can eventually become a valuable asset if your business grows.

Avoid using a trademarked or similar name to an existing business to protect yourself.

Find out if your proposed business name is available by conducting a trademark search online at the US Patent & Trademark Office. 

Determine if you want to use a DBA name

A DBA is a registered “Doing Business As” name and can be used instead of the legal LLC business entity name. 

A DBA allows you to have a name for your business that reflects what it does or who its customers are. Business owners use their company’s DBA names on checks, orders, contracts, and correspondence when doing business.  

Some of the main benefits of a DBA:

• Flexibility: If you have your LLC established, you can use DBA names instead of creating separate entities for each new venture. 
• Branding: A DBA name is easier to brand and identify for customers.
• Expansion: It is easy to file DBAs in different geographical locations to target other customers and appear hyper-focused in your marketing.

You do not need to operate under a DBA if you use your New York business name for all business purposes. However, using a DBA name will not affect your New York LLC name registration.

Register the domain name

Once you decide on a business name, check to ensure that the domain name is available. can show you which domain extensions are available for your business name.

Although .com domain names are ideal, extensions like .net, .co, and .biz are becoming more commonplace

Register social media profiles

It is vital to have a solid social media presence in today’s business environment. So be sure to register for your business name on the different social media platforms ahead of time so that no one can sign up for them.

Step 2: Register New York LLC

After choosing a name, start the registration process online at the New York Department of State website.

Registering your LLC in New York is a relatively straightforward and quick process.

Select a registered agent

A registered agent is required for a New York LLC and is an individual point of contact for New York designated to receive official correspondence from the New York Secretary of State.  If you work from home a registered agent can help prevent your home address from being solicited by business mail since the registered agent’s address will serve as the official address for the business. 

If you are not going to be your New York LLC’s registered agent, find a substitute New York resident or company to serve in this role. Be sure that the registered agent’s address is included in all your business documents and correspondence if you intend to use a different registered office.

What are the New York registered agent requirements?

A New York registered agent:

• must be over the age of 18
• have a physical street address in New York
• be available during regular business hours

How to register

Once you choose a registered agent and perform a New York business search, the next step is to fill out the New York Articles of Organization. 

The form can be filled out online and requires the following information:

• Name of corporation
• Registered agent
• Address
• Purpose

The New York Secretary of State has done a great job revamping its website to make online filing as easy as possible. If you want to mail in your Certificate of Incorporation form you can do so by sending it to the following address;

New York Department of State

Division of Corporations

99 Washington Ave

Albany, NY 12231

Step 3: Next steps after filing New York LLC

Apply for an EIN

The IRS requires each LLC to have its own unique employer identification number. The Internal Revenue Service website can generate a federal tax identification number. An EIN makes it easy to file your business taxes and stay in compliance with the IRS and is similar to a Social Security number for your business.

EIN’s also add credibility to your business and are required for compliance purposes from time to time by companies that have to pay you for goods and services. An EIN is also required to open a business bank account and will help you establish business credit in the event you need to take out a business loan.

Start a business bank account

A business bank account is required for LLCs to start conducting business. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you start a low-risk bank account to start receiving income and paying any start-up expenses.

After the LLC has been established, your business bank account will be used for payroll, payment of bills, a deposit of earnings from your business, and any other financial transactions your business may have.

Back office tasks such as bookkeeping can also be performed on your start-up bank account to keep start-up costs low.

Apply for a business license and permits

If you are planning on selling goods or services in New York, you will want to look into whether or not the city or industry requires a particular business license.

The best way to get more information on the different license requirements throughout the state is to visit New York.gov.

Prepare an LLC operating agreement

An operating agreement is a contract between the LLC owners that lays out the financial and functional decisions of managing a New York LLC. An operating agreement is needed if there are multiple business owners of a New York LLC.

An operating agreement can be as simple or in-depth as desired, but it is important to have one in writing before starting any significant operations within the business.

File biennial report

New York corporations must file a biennial report to stay in good standing with the Department of State. A New York annual report is not a financial statement and the main intention behind Annual Reports is to help keep track of active businesses in New York and ensure that the state has the most up-to-date contact information for businesses on file with the Division of Corporations.

How much does it cost to file a New York LLC?

The New York filing fee for a Domestic LLC in New York is $200. You can get a complete list of fees for all business forms by visiting the fees page on New York.gov.

Recommended LLC formation services

• Northwest Registered Agent: Started as a registered agent service but expanded into business formations and offered additional professional services like mail forwarding and virtual business address services.

• ZenBusiness: Another recommended online business formation platform that can help set up an LLC in Arizona. They offer a full suite of services for new business owners, including operating agreements, business websites, domain names, and more.

• Bizee: A top online incorporation service provider in the market that offers various business filing services like LLC formation, Registered Agent, State Filings, and Compliance Filings.

New York LLC FAQs