Nevada LLC in 2026: Articles, Initial List, State Business License and What It Costs Every Year

Nevada advertises itself as a business-friendly state with no income tax, and the headline filing fee for an LLC is only $75. The real price is higher, because Nevada also makes every LLC file a list of its managers and buy a State Business License, both of which renew every year. On top of that, the Secretary of State moved all filings to a new portal, ORION, on September 14, 2026. This guide walks a first-time founder through the articles, the initial list and licence, the annual renewal, what happens if you fall behind, Nevada's taxes, and whether forming in Nevada makes sense if you live elsewhere. Every fee was checked against the Nevada Revised Statutes and the Secretary of State in October 2026.

Quick answer

To form a Nevada LLC, file articles of organization with the Nevada Secretary of State in the ORION Business Portal for $75, together with the initial list of managers or members ($150) and the State Business License ($200). That is $425 to start. Every year, by the last day of your anniversary month, file the annual list and renew the licence: $350 a year.

• Name must end in LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company or a similar listed form

• A Nevada registered agent with a street address is required

• Late: $75 list penalty plus $100 licence penalty

• Revoked after about a year in default; reinstatement $300 plus back fees

• No state income tax, but Commerce Tax above $4 million and a payroll tax

What a Nevada LLC is and who should form one

A Nevada LLC is formed under Chapter 86 of the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS). It is a separate legal person, so its contracts, debts and lawsuits belong to the company, and the members' personal assets are generally protected as long as the business is run separately from the owners' own finances. The Secretary of State's Commercial Recordings Division in Carson City keeps the register.

Nevada's selling points are real but narrower than marketing suggests. The state has no personal or corporate income tax. Under NRS 86.401, a charging order is the only remedy a member's personal judgment creditor can use against that member's LLC interest, and the statute says this applies whether the LLC has one member or several. The annual list shows managers or managing members, not every passive investor.

Those features help people who actually live or operate in Nevada, and they can help with holding structures. They do not change the rules of other states. If you run a shop in Oregon or a consultancy in California through a Nevada LLC, that state still taxes and regulates the business, and you will usually have to register the LLC there as well. Our LLC registration guide compares the states.

SilverFlume is gone: filing in ORION

From September 14, 2026, the Secretary of State's new ORION Business Portal handles formations, initial and annual lists, State Business Licenses, marks and notary filings. It completed the replacement of SilverFlume, which most older guides still link to. The office says ORION accepts only its updated forms, so paper filers must download the current versions from nvsos.gov; old SilverFlume-era forms are not accepted.

In practice you create an ORION account, start a new LLC formation, and the portal walks you through the articles, the initial list and the licence in one session, taking a single payment. Keep the confirmation: it shows your filing date, which fixes your anniversary month.

Step 1: Choose a name

Under NRS 86.171, the name must include "Limited-Liability Company", "Limited Liability Company", "Limited Company" or "Limited", or one of the abbreviations "Ltd.", "L.L.C.", "L.C.", "LLC" or "LC"; "Company" may be shortened to "Co.". It must be distinguishable from every other entity name and reserved name on file. The name of a revoked or merged entity becomes available to others, which is one more reason not to let your LLC lapse.

Some words are restricted. Names suggesting accounting, for example, need certification from the Nevada State Board of Accountancy, and the Secretary of State keeps a restricted word list. Search the business entity database and try variations with our LLC name checker. If you are not ready to file, reserving a name costs $25.

Step 2: Appoint a registered agent

Every Nevada LLC must name a registered agent with a physical Nevada street address that can accept lawsuits and official notices during business hours. Nevada distinguishes between commercial registered agents, which register with the Secretary of State and appear on its published list, and non-commercial agents, such as an owner or employee acting for a few entities. The Secretary of State sends default and revocation notices to the registered agent, so an agent who does not forward mail can cost you the company.

If you live in Nevada, you can act as your own agent at your home or business address, but that address becomes public. Owners who live elsewhere, or who want privacy, usually pay a commercial agent; as an estimate based on providers' published 2026 prices, expect about $50 to $300 a year. These are market prices, not state fees.

Step 3: File the articles, initial list and State Business License

The articles of organization set out the LLC's name, its registered agent, the name and address of each organizer, whether it is managed by managers or by its members, and the names and addresses of the initial managers or members (NRS 86.161). They also say whether the LLC may have series of members or is a restricted LLC. The fee is $75.

Under NRS 86.263, the LLC files its initial list of managers or managing members when it files the articles. The list costs $150 and carries the State Business License application, which costs $200 for an LLC ($500 for corporations). The Secretary of State's licence FAQ gives a backstop: the initial list and licence are due no later than the last day of the month after the articles are filed. Filing all three at once in ORION is simplest and avoids an early penalty.

Nevada LLC state fees (2026)

$75

Articles of organization

NRS 86.561

$150

Initial list, then each annual list

NRS 86.263

$200

State Business License, every year

LLCs and most entities

$425

Minimum to start

Articles + initial list + licence

$350

Every year after

Annual list + licence renewal

Why filings get returned. The usual problems are a name too close to one already on file, a missing LLC ending, a registered agent without a Nevada street address, an old SilverFlume-era form, or a list that leaves out a manager or managing member. Under the statute, the Secretary of State can return a defective list for correction, so check every name and address before you submit.

Changing the list. If managers or members change within 60 days of the initial list, you can file an amended list without a fee. Later amendments to the articles cost $175.

Step 4: EIN, operating agreement and local licences

EIN. Apply to the IRS for an employer identification number once the LLC is filed. It costs Free ($0). Our EIN application guide covers each screen, including the paper route for owners without a Social Security number.

Operating agreement. Nevada does not ask you to file one, but you should sign one. It sets ownership shares, voting, who can sign, and what happens when a member leaves or dies. Banks ask for it, and a clear agreement backs up the liability shield.

Bank account. Open an account in the LLC's exact legal name using the filed articles, the EIN letter and the operating agreement, and keep business money there.

Local and professional licences. The State Business License is not the only licence. Most businesses also need a city or county licence: much of the Las Vegas Valley with a Las Vegas mailing address is licensed by Clark County, which charges a $45 application fee, and Reno charges by gross receipts. Contractors need a licence from the State Contractors Board. Our Nevada business license guide covers the local rules and exemptions.

Beneficial ownership. Companies formed in the United States no longer file BOI reports with FinCEN (current position: Not required for US-formed companies).

Your first month as a Nevada LLC

Step 1

ORION account

free

Step 2

Articles + initial list + licence

$425

Step 3

EIN

free

Step 4

Operating agreement

Step 5

Bank account

Step 6

City or county licence

varies

The annual list and licence renewal

Every year after formation, by the last day of the month in which the LLC was formed, you file an annual list of managers or managing members for $150 and renew the State Business License for $200. The two are filed together; an amended list does not renew the licence. An LLC formed on March 10 renews by March 31 every year.

The Secretary of State sends a reminder about 90 days before the due date, but not receiving it is no excuse. Do not file too early either: an annual list received more than 90 days before its due date is treated as an amended list for the previous year, so it will not count as your renewal.

Default. If the list and fee are not filed on time, the LLC is in default. The list penalty is $75 and the licence penalty is $100, so a late renewal costs $525 instead of $350. The Secretary of State notifies the registered agent of the amount due.

Revocation. Under NRS 86.274, if the LLC is still in default, its charter is revoked and its right to do business is forfeited on the first day of the first anniversary of the month after the filing was due. For an LLC whose list was due by March 31, 2027, that is April 1, 2028. The company's property is then held in trust by its managers, or by its members if it has none, and can be dealt with as in a dissolution.

Reinstatement. A revoked LLC can be reinstated by filing every missed list, paying every missed fee and penalty, and paying a reinstatement fee of $300. If the name has been taken in the meantime, you must choose another. A charter that has been revoked for five consecutive years cannot be reinstated.

A Nevada LLC formed in March 2027

March 10, 2027

Articles, initial list and licence filed ($425)

Early January 2028

Secretary of State sends the renewal reminder (90 days before)

March 31, 2028

Annual list and licence renewal due ($350)

April 1, 2028

If unpaid: default, with $75 + $100 penalties

April 1, 2029

Still in default: charter revoked; reinstatement $300 plus back fees

Nevada taxes for LLC owners

No income tax. Nevada does not tax personal or corporate income. For federal purposes, a one-owner LLC is a disregarded entity whose profit goes on the owner's Schedule C, and a multi-member LLC is a partnership unless it elects corporate treatment. Owners who live in another state pay that state's income tax on the profit; forming in Nevada does not change residence.

Commerce Tax. Businesses with more than $4 million of Nevada gross revenue in a fiscal year (July to June) file a Commerce Tax return and pay at a rate set by industry; the return for fiscal 2025-2026 was due August 14, 2026. Most small LLCs are below the threshold.

Modified Business Tax. If the LLC has employees in Nevada, it files a quarterly Modified Business Tax return. General businesses pay 1.17% on taxable wages above $50,000 in a quarter; the rate fell from 1.378% on July 1, 2023. Employers must file even when no tax is due.

Sales tax. If you sell taxable goods, register with the Department of Taxation. The statewide minimum rate is 6.85%, and Clark County's combined rate is 8.375%. Our Nevada sales tax guide covers permits and filing.

Forming in Nevada when you live somewhere else

Nevada LLCs are sold heavily to owners in California and other high-tax states. The catch is foreign qualification. If the LLC does business in your home state, through an office, staff or regular local customers, that state treats it as a foreign LLC that must register and pay its own fees. A Nevada LLC run from Los Angeles still pays California's $800 annual tax and registers in California for $70, then pays Nevada's $350 a year and a Nevada agent. Unregistered foreign LLCs doing business in California face a $2,000 penalty from the Franchise Tax Board.

The reverse also applies: an LLC formed in another state that does business in Nevada registers here as a foreign LLC for $75, files the same initial and annual lists, and holds a State Business License.

Nevada formation makes most sense when the owners live in Nevada, when the business operates mainly in Nevada, or for holding companies that do not trade elsewhere. If you are weighing out-of-state options, compare our Delaware LLC and Wyoming LLC guides.

What it costs: worked first-year budgets

State fees come from the Nevada statutes and Secretary of State. Registered agent and local licence lines are estimates or examples, not state fees.

Five-year view. A Nevada LLC formed in 2026 pays $425 in its first year and $350 in each of the next four, or $1,825 in Nevada state fees over five years, before agents and local licences. That is well above the $75 headline fee many websites quote.

Use our startup cost calculator to add insurance, accounting and equipment.

Worked examples

A home-based bookkeeper in Henderson. Lena forms "Desert Ledger LLC" in ORION in March, names herself as registered agent and files the articles, initial list and licence in one session for $425. She checks whether her home business needs a City of Henderson licence and sets a reminder for early March each year, since filing more than 90 days early would not count as her renewal.

A Las Vegas food truck. Marco and Jo form a two-member LLC, register for a sales tax permit with the Department of Taxation, apply for their Clark County licence and health permits, and file a partnership return each year. When they hire two staff, they start filing the quarterly Modified Business Tax return, owing nothing while wages stay under $50,000 a quarter.

A California owner who expected to save tax. Steve forms a Nevada LLC for his San Diego design studio after reading that Nevada has no income tax. His accountant points out that the studio does business in California, so it must register there, pay the $800 annual tax and report its profit to California. He ends up paying both states and later converts to a California LLC.

Nevada LLC launch checklist

0/8

• ORION account created
• Name checked, with an LLC ending, and no restricted words
• Registered agent with a Nevada street address
• Articles, initial list and State Business License filed together
• EIN issued and operating agreement signed
• City or county licence and any professional licence
• Sales tax permit and payroll registration if needed
• Annual reminder set within 90 days of the anniversary month

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Common mistakes and how to fix them

Budgeting only $75. The real minimum is $425 to start and $350 a year. Quote clients and partners the full figure.

Using SilverFlume links or old forms. Since September 14, 2026 everything goes through ORION, and only the new forms are accepted.

Filing the annual list too early. A list sent more than 90 days before the due date counts as an amended list for the previous year. Renew within the 90-day window.

Letting default run on. Every month in default brings revocation closer, and reinstatement costs $300 plus all missed fees and penalties. File the late list as soon as you notice.

Forgetting home-state registration. If you live and work in another state, register there too, or the LLC may face penalties and be unable to sue in that state's courts.

Official links

• Nevada Secretary of State — start a limited-liability companyArticles, initial list, licence
• Nevada Secretary of State — Project ORIONNew business portal from September 14, 2026
• Nevada Secretary of State — State Business License FAQ$200 a year for LLCs
• NRS Chapter 86 — Limited-Liability CompaniesLists, default, reinstatement, fees
• Nevada Department of Taxation — Modified Business Tax1.17% for general businesses
• IRS — Apply for an EINFree

What to do next

Check your name with our LLC name checker, set up an ORION account and file the articles, initial list and State Business License together. Get your EIN the same day, then sort out the city or county licence using our Nevada business license guide and sales tax with the Nevada sales tax guide. Put the annual list in your calendar for the month before your anniversary month.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Nevada?

The state charges $75 for the articles of organization, $150 for the initial list of managers or members and $200 for the State Business License, so the minimum state cost is $425. The EIN is Free ($0). A commercial registered agent, a city or county licence and any professional licence are extra.

How much does a Nevada LLC cost every year?

Each year the LLC files an annual list for $150 and renews its State Business License for $200, so the state charges $350 a year. Both are due by the last day of the month in which the LLC was formed. Late filing adds a $75 list penalty and a $100 licence penalty.

When is the Nevada initial list due?

The LLC statute ties the initial list to the filing of the articles, and the online formation flow takes both together. The Secretary of State's licence FAQ says the initial list and State Business License are due no later than the last day of the month after you file the articles. Filing everything at once avoids missing it.

What happens if a Nevada LLC misses its annual list?

The LLC goes into default and owes the $75 list penalty and $100 licence penalty on top of the fees. If it stays in default, its charter is revoked about a year later. Reinstatement then costs $300 plus every missed list fee and penalty, and a charter revoked for five consecutive years cannot be reinstated.

Does Nevada have a state income tax for LLCs?

Nevada has no personal or corporate income tax. Instead, it has a Commerce Tax on businesses with more than $4 million of Nevada gross revenue a year and a Modified Business Tax on wages, charged at 1.17% for general businesses above $50,000 of wages a quarter. Owners living in another state still pay that state's income tax.

Where do I file a Nevada LLC now that SilverFlume is gone?

The Secretary of State's ORION Business Portal launched on September 14, 2026 and completed the replacement of SilverFlume. Formations, initial and annual lists and State Business Licenses are now filed in ORION, and only the new ORION forms are accepted for paper filings.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 12 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 86 — Limited-Liability Companies — Nevada Legislature · accessed 12 October 2026
2. 2.State Business License FAQ — Nevada Secretary of State · accessed 12 October 2026
3. 3.Project ORION — Nevada Secretary of State · accessed 12 October 2026
4. 4.Commercial Recordings Forms & Fees — Nevada Secretary of State · accessed 12 October 2026
5. 5.Commerce Tax — Nevada Department of Taxation · accessed 12 October 2026
6. 6.Modified Business Tax — Nevada Department of Taxation · accessed 12 October 2026
7. 7.Sales Tax / Use Tax — Nevada Department of Taxation · accessed 12 October 2026
8. 8.Get an employer identification number — IRS · accessed 12 October 2026
9. 9.Beneficial Ownership Information — FinCEN · accessed 12 October 2026