Your state has approved your LLC. Here is what to do next, roughly in order.
1. Save your approved filing
Download the stamped Articles or Certificate (or the state’s approval email) and keep it with your operating agreement. Banks will ask for it.
2. Publish, if your state requires it
New York, Arizona (in some cases) and Nebraska require a newspaper notice after forming. Deadlines are strict — check your filing plan.
3. Sign the operating agreement
Every member signs. It is not filed with the state; keep the signed copy with your records.
4. Get an EIN
An Employer Identification Number is the LLC’s tax ID. Apply free at IRS.gov — you get it at once. Avoid sites that charge for it.
5. Open a business bank account
Bring the approved filing, the operating agreement and the EIN. Keep business and personal money apart — mixing them is one of the main ways owners lose the LLC’s protection.
6. Register for state taxes and licenses
If you sell taxable goods or services, hire employees, or need a business or professional license, register with your state’s tax agency and your city or county. Your filing plan notes state taxes that apply to LLCs.
7. Beneficial ownership reporting
Since March 2025, LLCs formed in the United States by U.S. persons do not file the federal beneficial ownership (BOI) report with FinCEN. Rules can change, so check FinCEN’s site if you have foreign owners.
8. Put the report dates in your calendar
Most states require an annual or biennial report to keep the LLC active, and missing it can end with the state dissolving the LLC. Your LLCPros checklist shows your state’s report and due date.
9. Doing business in another state?
If the LLC will have an office, employees or regular business in another state, it usually has to register there as a foreign LLC.