How Do I Start A Wyoming LLC?
Launching your Limited Liability Company (LLC) in the Cowboy State takes a few steps: registering a domain, choosing a registered agent, filing articles of organization, building a business foundation, and filing your annual report.
It might seem like a lot of work, but we’re experts at filing in every U.S. jurisdiction, so this isn’t our first rodeo. This guide will break down all the important details for starting your new Wyoming LLC in only 5 steps.
Step 1. Register Your Web Domain
Whether your business operates in person or on the web, there’s no denying the power of an established online business identity. You can protect your business name and presence by registering a web domain from the moment you dream up your next big idea.
This first step gives potential customers a way to contact the business while you handle all the administrative details. Your domain doesn’t have to match your business name exactly, giving you room to establish trust in your business before the state has even approved your filing.
Even if your business website isn’t ready to debut, you can direct interested visitors to your official business email address or social media profiles. You can also “park” the domain, or reserve it for when your LLC is fully formed.
Start your journey by staking claim to your online space and reserve your domain name today.
Step 2. Choose Your Registered Agent
Wyoming requires every registered business entity to appoint and maintain a registered agent who can accept their legal mail. In the unfortunate event that your business is sued, a registered agent accepts service of process on behalf of your LLC and forwards the mail directly to you.
You can be your own registered agent if you meet these requirements:
- Provide a physical Wyoming address that can be accessed during regular business hours. (This address cannot be a mail forwarding service or PO box.)
- Are at least 18 years old and reside in Wyoming.
- Sign a Consent to Appointment by Registered Agent form.
By pointing yourself as a registered agent, you will need to provide your personal information on the Articles of Organization document, which will be publicly available online. This limits the robust privacy protections available for your LLC in Wyoming, which can be avoided by hiring a commercial registered agent (Like Registered Agents Inc.) to form your business.
In this role, the registered agent submits the formation documents on behalf of the business as the LLC Organizer. An LLC organizer is simply a person or entity authorized to submit the articles on behalf of the business. The registered agent can also provide their address on registration documents instead of your own. This helps keep the Wyoming LLC private by eliminating the need for an authorized LLC member to list themselves as the organizer on formation documents.
Looking for a registered agent in Wyoming? We’ve got you covered for just $200 a year.
Starting Someplace Else?
Don’t worry, we have guides to creating an LLC in every state.
Step 3. File Wyoming Articles of Organization
You can officially start your LLC in Wyoming by submitting formation documents to the Wyoming Secretary of State. This can be submitted online via the SOS Business Center if you have an active email address, or you can submit the paper Articles of Organization form to the address listed on its cover sheet. The timeline for filings submitted online is instant, but physical filings can take around 15 business days. The state charges $100 to process the filing for either filing method. Electronic LLC filings are also subject to a $3.75 online processing convenience fee.
Here’s a checklist to make sure everything is ready to go:
- Name of the limited liability company: This should include “Limited Liability Company,” or its abbreviations “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “Limited Company,” “LC,” “L.C.,” “Ltd. Liability Company,” “Ltd. Liability Co.,” or “Limited Liability Co.”
- Close limited liability company election: Checking this box allows you to form a close LLC. These Wyoming-specific LLCs have a maximum of 35 members, and they require the approval of all members before one member can leave or transfer ownership. This option is often selected by families looking to pass down assets.
- Registered Agent Information: You must provide the name and physical address of your LLC’s registered agent. This can be an individual Wyoming resident, or a domestic or foreign business entity authorized to do business in the state.
- Company Mailing Address: This is your principal office address in the state of Wyoming.
- Contact Information: The name and email address where the state can send reminders, notices, filing information, and more for the new LLC.
- LLC Organizer Signature: This is an authorized person who submits the Articles of Organization on behalf of the business. This person’s name and signature will appear on publicly available documents for the business registration.
- Registered Agent Consent: Every registered agent must accept their appointment by filling out this portion of the formation document with their signature, date, physical address, and email address.
Want us to do the work? We’ll file your Articles of Organization for the state fees, plus $100.
4. Set Up Your Business
Once your LLC filing is accepted by the state of Wyoming, you can build the foundation for running your business. From picking a management structure to opening your first business accounts, every action contributes to the overall success of your business. Although every business has different needs, it’s good to cover all the bases.
Keep these ideas in mind as you start setting up your Wyoming LLC:
Draft your operating agreement. An operating agreement is an internal document that acts as a playbook for your LLC. This document details how the LLC is managed and can even cover daily operations to keep everyone on the same page. Although Wyoming doesn’t require businesses to publicly file operating agreements, most banks require a copy when you open a new account. Without an operating agreement in place, your LLC is governed by default state legislation, which can lead to member disagreements and extended Court proceedings caused by misunderstandings. By adopting a detailed LLC operating agreement, you can save yourself time and money by outlining how your business is owned and operated from day one.
Obtain an EIN. Having an EIN (Employer Identification Number) can help you establish credit for your LLC, protect personal assets, and allows you to hire employees. Using an EIN on business documents helps to uphold limited liability protections for the LLC by creating separation between personal and business finances. Though single member LLCs can use their social security number for taxes, having an EIN provides an added layer of protection and trust with vendors and customers. Additionally, most banks require businesses to provide their EIN number when opening a new account.
Open a business bank account. The main benefit of forming an LLC is the limited liability that protects LLC members. A big part of maintaining this limited liability lies in the separation of business finances from the individual members of the LLC. This makes opening a business bank account crucial for any LLC, because it keeps business transactions completely separate and offers a clear-cut record of business finances.
Get business licensing or permits. Wyoming doesn’t require a general business license, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need additional licensing or permits. Depending on your industry, occupation, or location, you may need to obtain a special license to stay compliant. The most common special license in Wyoming is the Sales/Use Tax License for any business collecting sales tax in the state. If you need more help figuring out whether you need additional permits or licenses, the Wyoming Small Business Development Center Network has resources for small business owners like you.
Build your Business Identity. Everything about your business contributes to its identity. Crafting a business identity that tells your story while setting your business apart from others is an important part of forming your LLC. With everything else in place, marketing your products or services and finding the tools needed to get your message out there is the biggest part of setting up your business. You’ll need a domain name that reflects your brand, a secure web host to host your website, an official business email to build trust with your customers, and a business phone number that allows you to keep in touch with your customers.
We provide resources to set up your LLC and build your Business Identity all in a few clicks.
Step 5. File Annual Report
Every domestic and foreign business entity registered in Wyoming must file an annual report with the Wyoming Secretary of State. This report provides basic information about active businesses and helps to keep State records regularly updated. Be sure to stay on top of your annual report filings to keep your LLC in good standing.
Your Wyoming annual report is due on the first day of the anniversary month of your LLC’s formation. So if you formed your LLC on February 20, the annual report is due on February 1.
The fee varies based on the number of assets you have in Wyoming. It’s $62 if your entity has $300,000 or less in Wyoming assets. If your LLC has more than that, it’s $.0002 multiplied by the amount of assets.
When you hire us to form your LLC, we’ll file your annual report for you at no extra cost.
Wyoming Is Ready For Business!
From Cheyenne to Sheridan — and every place in between — Wyoming is full of local color and good vibes that make up an impress business landscape on par with natural scenery. With minimal regulatory requirements and a pro-business environment, Wyoming has quickly gained a reputation as a state where small businesses have the potential to quickly and easily grow.
You don’t have to be from Big Wyoming to start a business, either. Since the state’s business laws don’t rule out remote businesses, it’s easy to enjoy the many privacy and asset protection perks available to business owners in the state. Even better? Annual report taxes are based on the assets located physically within the state, meaning out of state businesses housing their assets outside Wyoming pay only a flat fee of $62 every year.
How can Registered Agents Inc help?
Whenever you’re ready to get started, we’re ready to help you every step of the way with products and services to help your Wyoming LLC succeed. Here’s how we make forming in Wyoming easier:
We are filing experts.
We’ve seen it all when it comes to forming and maintaining businesses in the state. With a team of dedicated filing specialists available to answer any question, you never have to do it all alone.
We offer you more.
We offer services and resources to help scale your business from day one. Our streamlined filing processes and branding tools can bring your business to the market with more confidence.
We call Wyoming home.
Sheridan is home to our worldwide headquarters, and we’re proud to be part of the local community. Even with 52 offices located around the United States, we’ve never forgotten our Wyoming roots.
We want to help.
Still not sure where to start? Sometimes all it takes is the reassurance you can only get from talking to a live human. Give us a call or email and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.
Ready to create your LLC in Wyoming?
We’ll set up your entire business in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an LLC cost in Wyoming?
It costs $100 to file Articles of Organization in Wyoming, plus a convenience fee of $3.75 if you file online.
Do LLCs pay taxes in Wyoming?
Wyoming does not levy either a personal or corporate income tax, but you do need to pay a state sales tax of 4%. Local cities and counties can add a maximum of 3% to the state’s base tax rate, meaning the most you could pay is 7%.
You can also expect to pay property taxes on any commercial or industrial land and structures, as well as personal property (like equipment) that you use for business purposes.
How do I contact the Wyoming Secretary of State?
If you have questions for the WY Secretary of State, here’s how you can contact this office: