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Filing MapperRoutes through every state's LLC paperwork, priced leg by leg.

LLC cost guide · Iowa

Iowa LLC Route (2026): State Fees Leg by Leg and the 3 Best LLC Services

Iowa, 2026, an LLC filing: start with Mainstay Filing ($199), IA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Iowa Registered Agent.co ($199), in the order given. Entering Iowa with an LLC means $50 up front, then $30 every two years at the biennial report checkpoint, a three-year toll that ranks 7th of 50.

Surveyed by the Filing Mapper team

Iowa survey figures

7th

of 50 when three years of tolls are added

The route starts at the smallest toll. Compare the neighbors

Entry fee
$50
legis.iowa.gov, surveyed October 2026
Biennial report
$30 / 2 yrs
The checkpoint closes, in the state's words: April 1 of odd-numbered years. help.sos.iowa.gov, surveyed October 2026
State toll, three years
$80
Entry in year one, checkpoints after

Route services for Iowa

Read the method for all five criteria; the two heaviest are three-year cost and how many steps the fare covers.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for fewer yearly stops to remember

Start here$199 a year, state toll billed apart ($249 at checkout)

We put Mainstay Filing at the head of the route because the owner pays $199 per year and gets the Iowa formation plus the stops that repeat: registered agent duty and the biennial report.

Three laps with it cost $200 more than with IA Registered Agent.org; coverage is weighted 27%, and the extra stops it handles make up the difference.

Mainstay clears the biennial report checkpoint for the owner each cycle, and the $30 state toll is billed through at cost.

The fare covers

  • Leg one done for you: the formation is drafted and filed
  • Registered agent duty held through the year
  • The biennial report drafted and sent in by Mainstay
  • The EIN application is part of the route
  • No markup on the state toll

On the plus side

  • A flat fare of $199 a year
  • EIN filing is part of the fare
  • $199 again next lap

On the minus side

  • IA Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. IA Registered Agent.org: best for light entry fees

Built for Iowa$199 plus tolls, then $99 each year

The next stop, number 2, is IA Registered Agent.org: $199 to open the LLC with the first agent lap covered, then $99 each lap.

The biennial report checkpoint is outside its fare, so the owner clears it every two years.

The fare covers

  • The paperwork that opens the LLC
  • First year of agent service

On the plus side

  • $99 yearly from lap two
  • $199 above the state toll
  • No agent fare in lap one

On the minus side

  • The biennial report is not covered
  • The EIN is not in the fare ($99)
Visit IA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Iowa Registered Agent.co: best for a second route within Iowa

Built for Iowa$199 plus tolls, then $99 each year

The next stop, number 3, is Iowa Registered Agent.co: $199 to open the LLC with the first agent lap covered, then $99 each lap.

The biennial report checkpoint is outside its fare, so the owner clears it every two years.

IA Registered Agent.org and this provider publish the same fares.

The fare covers

  • The paperwork that opens the LLC
  • First year of agent service

On the plus side

  • No agent fare in lap one
  • $99 yearly from lap two
  • $199 above the state toll

On the minus side

  • The biennial report is not covered
  • The EIN is not in the fare ($99)
Visit Iowa Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The route as numbers

StopProviderLeg oneLater legsProvider cost, three years
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2IA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit IA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Iowa Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Iowa Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All fares shown are as the providers listed them on November 12, 2026. Add Iowa's $50 entry toll to every row.

Price your route

Choose a trip length and a provider. State tolls follow the official schedule: $50 to open, then the biennial report beginning in year two.

With Mainstay Filing, 3 years come to $677 ($80 state, $597 provider).

Iowa and the stops on either side of it

MileStateThree-year state fees
5thMontana$75
6thHawaii$76
7thIowa$80
8thUtah$95
9thOhio$99

For the other states, open LLC costs by state.

What leg one costs in Iowa, 2026

Opening the LLC takes the Certificate of Organization, sent to the Iowa Secretary of State, plus $50 as provided by Iowa Code § 489.201. It is the same toll whichever provider files.

Staying on the road: the biennial report

Reserve $30 for the biennial report every two years, which closes April 1 of odd-numbered years.

Reasoning for the order

Mainstay Filing pulled ahead of IA Registered Agent.org on steps the service takes over, weighted 27%.

Having the biennial report cleared within the fare mattered more than IA Registered Agent.org's smaller three-year cost.

Questions along the way

How much does the state toll for forming an LLC in Iowa?

Filing at the state costs $50. Using a provider adds $199.

What toll comes with the Iowa biennial report?

$30, every two years; the checkpoint closes April 1 of odd-numbered years.

Where does Iowa fall on the 50-state route?

Mile 7th of 50 on three-year state tolls, at $80; mile 1 is the lightest toll.

Is a registered agent a fixed stop for Iowa LLCs?

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

Which LLC services are on this route?

Mainstay Filing ($199), IA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Iowa Registered Agent.co ($199), beginning with our lead pick.

Which service should walk my LLC through the route?

Take Mainstay Filing first and IA Registered Agent.org and Iowa Registered Agent.co after it; what separates Mainstay Filing is steps the service takes over.

Nearby routes

Survey markers for this route

Survey marker
  1. Marker help.sos.iowa.gov, covering Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division, logged August 2026.
  2. Marker help.sos.iowa.gov, covering Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division, logged August 2026.
  3. Marker legis.iowa.gov, covering Iowa report due date, logged August 2026.
  4. Marker legis.iowa.gov, covering Iowa Code § 489.201, logged August 2026.
  5. Marker legis.iowa.gov, covering Iowa formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  6. Marker legis.iowa.gov, covering Iowa registered agent statute, logged October 2026.
  7. Marker mca.legmt.gov, covering Mont, logged August 2026.
  8. Marker sosmt.gov, covering Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  9. Marker sosmt.gov, covering Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  10. Marker sosmt.gov, covering Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  11. Marker sosmt.gov, covering Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  12. Marker cca.hawaii.gov, covering Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  13. Marker cca.hawaii.gov, covering Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  14. Marker cca.hawaii.gov, covering Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Division release of July, logged October 2026.
  15. Marker files.hawaii.gov, covering Hawaii yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  16. Marker le.utah.gov, covering Utah Code § 48-3a-201, logged August 2026.
  17. Marker commerce.utah.gov, covering Utah formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  18. Marker corporations.utah.gov, covering Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, logged August 2026.
  19. Marker corporations.utah.gov, covering Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, logged August 2026.
  20. Marker codes.ohio.gov, covering Ohio Rev, logged August 2026.
  21. Marker codes.ohio.gov, covering Ohio formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  22. Mainstay Filing listed this Iowa service page on November 12, 2026
  23. IA Registered Agent.org listed this pricing page on November 12, 2026
  24. Iowa Registered Agent.co listed this pricing page on November 12, 2026