How to start an LLC in Utah

1Name your LLC

Your name must include “limited liability company,” “limited company,” or an abbreviation: “L.L.C.,” “LLC,” “L.C.,” or “LC” (“Ltd.” and “Co.” work as abbreviations). It must also be distinguishable from every entity name and registered trademark already on the Division’s records (Utah Code § 48-3a-108).

Utah restricts some words. Names approved on or after May 4, 2022 may not contain “911.” Financial words - bank, credit union, savings - need regulator consent (Utah Code § 7-1-701). “University,” “college,” and “institute” require higher-education approval. And “Olympic” belongs to the USOC. Search availability free on the Division’s records before you file.

FeeName search: free. Optional name reservation available from the Division (see the state fee schedule).

2Appoint a registered agent

Every Utah LLC must designate and continuously maintain a registered agent with a street address in Utah (Utah Code § 48-3a-111; § 16-17-202). This is where lawsuits and state notices for your LLC will be delivered. You can be your own agent (with the privacy and availability trade-offs covered in our explainer), or hire us for $39/yr and keep your address off the public record.

3File the certificate of organization

The formation document is the certificate of organization (Utah Code § 48-3a-201). It states your LLC’s name, the street and mailing address of its principal office, and its registered agent. File online through Utah’s business registration portal or on paper with the Division.

Fee$59, flat (Utah Division of Corporations FY2026 fee schedule, effective July 1, 2025).

4Adopt an operating agreement

Utah doesn’t require one, but RULLCA fills any gap in your agreement with its default rules (Utah Code Title 48, Chapter 3a) - and defaults are written for the average company, not yours. Put ownership percentages, voting, distributions, and exit terms in writing, especially with more than one member. It stays private; it isn’t filed.

5Get an EIN

Free, from the IRS, online in minutes at irs.gov. Banks require it to open the LLC’s account; so does hiring your first employee. Never pay a third party for an EIN.

6Taxes and licenses

A default-classified LLC pays no Utah entity-level income tax - profits pass through to the members’ returns (multi-member LLCs file the informational TC-65 with the Utah State Tax Commission). An LLC that elects C-corporation treatment pays Utah’s 4.45% corporate franchise tax with its $100 minimum. Details, including sales tax and employer registration, on our Utah taxes page.

Utah has no statewide general business license; licensing is local (check your city or county) and industry-specific where regulated.

7The annual renewal

Utah calls its LLC annual report the “annual renewal.” It’s due during your anniversary month each year; the Division mails the notice to your registered agent 60 days ahead, and you can file up to 60 days early (Utah Code § 48-3a-212).

Fee$18/yr renewal. $10 flat late fee. (FY2026 fee schedule.)

Miss it long enough and the consequences escalate: an LLC that is 60+ days delinquent - or without a registered agent for 60 consecutive days - faces administrative dissolution after a 60-day cure notice (Utah Code § 48-3a-708). Reinstatement is $54 plus everything accrued (Utah Code § 48-3a-709).

After you form

• Open the business bank account (bring the certificate + EIN)
• Sign the operating agreement
• Register with the Utah State Tax Commission if selling taxable goods or hiring employees
• Check city/county licensing
• Calendar the anniversary-month renewal (we remind our clients automatically)
• If you’ll use a trade name, register the DBA - $22, and note Utah requires a registered agent for DBAs too (Utah Code § 42-2-5)