Nebraska LLC costs: summary
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| State filing fee (Certificate of Organization, online) | $100 ($110 by mail or in person) |
| Online filing service fee | $3 |
| Newspaper publication (required) | About $40–$250, depending on the county |
| Proof of publication filing | $25 online / $30 by mail |
| Business licenses and permits | Varies by city and industry |
| Registered agent | $0 (if you serve yourself) or $50–$300 per year |
| Reserve business name (optional) | $30 |
| Filing a DBA (optional) | $100 online / $110 by mail (trade name) |
| Operating Agreement (optional) | $0–$1,000 |
| Biennial report | $25 online / $30 by mail (every odd-numbered year) |
Forming an LLC is a great way to legitimize your business and protect yourself from personal liability. But how much does forming an LLC in Nebraska cost?
The short answer is that creating an LLC in Nebraska is both easier and more affordable than most people realize. While there are several different fees and expenses involved, most of them cost less than $100, and some of the more costly expenses can be avoided depending on how much of the process you are willing to do yourself.
In this article, we’ll go over all the individual expenses associated with forming an LLC in Nebraska to help you determine exactly how much it’s going to cost to get your new company up and running.
General steps and costs when forming a Nebraska LLC
There are several steps in the process of forming a Nebraska LLC, and most of these steps will entail a few expenses. We won’t go into too much detail on how to form a Nebraska LLC in this article. What we will do, however, is cover all the expenses that go along with each step.
To create a Nebraska LLC, here are the general steps and costs that are required:
Naming your Nebraska LLC
The first thing you will need to do when forming an LLC in Nebraska is to choose a name for your company. While you can name your company just about anything you want to, there are some guidelines that have to be followed. Perhaps the most important of these guidelines is choosing a name that is unique and not already taken by another company in the state.
The good news is that you can conduct a Nebraska business search using the corporate and business search tool on the Nebraska Secretary of State’s website, and this tool is completely free to use. Once you’ve chosen a name and made sure it’s available, you can either move forward with filing your LLC or, if you aren’t ready to do that yet, you can reserve your business name for 120 days. The cost to reserve a business name in Nebraska is $30. If you’d rather operate under a different name, you can register a trade name (DBA) for $100 online or $110 by mail.
Filing a certificate of organization
This is the core step in forming a Nebraska LLC: you file a Certificate of Organization with the Nebraska Secretary of State, Business Services Division. It lists your LLC’s name, designated office address and registered agent, and it can be submitted online, by mail or in person.
Filing online costs $100, plus a $3 online filing service fee ($103 total). Filing by mail or in person costs $110.
Publishing a notice of organization
After you file your Certificate of Organization, Nebraska requires your LLC to publish a notice of organization once a week for three successive weeks in a legal newspaper of general circulation in the county of your LLC’s designated office. The notice includes your LLC’s name, designated office address and registered agent. Newspapers typically charge about $40–$250, depending on the county.
After the notice runs, the newspaper gives you an affidavit (proof of publication), which you file with the Secretary of State for $25 online or $30 by mail.
Appointing a registered agent
A registered agent is someone who is designated to receive legal documents on behalf of your business, and every LLC in Nebraska is required to have one. You can serve as your own registered agent at no cost, or you can hire a registered agent service such as the one offered by Tailor Brands. Professional registered agent services generally cost $50–$300 per year. Tailor Brands’ registered agent service is $199 per year.
Using a professional registered agent service can provide convenience and peace of mind, especially if you don’t have the time to manage official correspondence yourself. For this reason, many Nebraska business owners choose to appoint a registered agent rather than serving as their own.
Creating an operating agreement
Nebraska doesn’t require a written operating agreement (it can be oral, implied or written), and you don’t file one with the state. However, creating an operating agreement in writing is highly recommended, particularly for multi-member LLCs.
An operating agreement outlines the structure and management of your LLC, helping to avoid disputes between members. It also allows you to avoid being subject to Nebraska’s default rules for LLCs, which may not always be in the best interest of your business.
The cost to create an operating agreement for an LLC ranges from $0–$1,000, depending on whether you do it yourself or hire an attorney to create one for you. Tailor Brands also offers an operating agreement service that is an affordable and reliable option for Nebraska LLCs.
Other annual and additional Nebraska LLC costs
Once you’ve formed your company, the bulk of what an LLC in Nebraska costs will be out of the way, but there are a couple of additional expenses you’ll have to pay. These are:
Business licenses & permits
Nebraska has no general state business license. Depending on where your business is located and the nature of its operations, some cities and counties may require local licenses and permits, and fees vary. Some professional or industry-specific licenses could be more expensive.
Examples of companies that are typically required to obtain professional licenses and permits include ones like:
- Healthcare providers
- Restaurants/food and beverage companies
- Law firms
- Real estate firms
- Accounting firms
- Engineering/architectural firms
- Cosmetologists and barbers
Be sure to check with your city and county government to see which licenses and permits your LLC will need and how much they are going to cost.
Biennial report
All limited liability companies in the state are required to file a Nebraska LLC biennial report with the Secretary of State. This report is due between January 1 and April 1 of every odd-numbered year, and it is intended to keep the state updated on your company’s information. Your first report is due in the first odd-numbered year after your LLC is formed. When you file your biennial report, you’ll pay a filing fee of $25 online or $30 by mail. There’s no late fee, but if a report is more than 60 days past due, the Secretary of State sends a notice, and an LLC that doesn’t file within 60 days after that notice is administratively dissolved.
What expenses you can write off
While forming an LLC in Nebraska can come with a number of expenses, the good news is that many formation and startup costs may be tax-deductible, meaning that you may be able to offset some of your formation costs. Check with a tax professional. LLC formation expenses that may be deductible from your federal taxes include:
- Certificate of Organization filing fee
- Publication costs
- Name reservation fees
- Operating agreement preparation costs
- Registered agent fees
- Attorney fees for LLC formation
Nebraska LLC state fees
These fees are taken from the Secretary of State site:
| Name of Filing | Fee |
| Domestic | |
| Certificate of Organization | $110 (In-Office) / $100 (Online) |
| Certificate of Organization (Professional Service) | $110 (In-Office) / $100 (Online) |
| Application for Reserved Name | $30 |
| Transfer of Reserved Name | $30 |
| Agent’s Statement of Resignation | $30 |
| Statement of Change (Designated office, registered agent/office) | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
| Agent’s Statement of Change of Address | $30 |
| Statement of Authority | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
| Amendment to Statement of Authority | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
| Cancellation of Statement of Authority | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
| Statement of Cancellation | $30 |
| Statement of Denial | $30 |
| Statement of Termination | $30 |
| Amended Certificate of Organization | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
| Statement of Correction | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
| Articles of Conversion | $30 |
| Articles of Domestication | $30 |
| Articles of Merger | $30 |
| Certificate from Examining Board | $30 |
| Application for Electronic Access of Records | $55 |
| Statement Surrendering Certificate of Organization | $30 |
| Statement of Dissolution | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
| Rescind Voluntary Dissolution | $30 |
| Application for Reinstatement | $30 |
| Application for Late Reinstatement | $500 |
| Affidavit/Proof of Publication | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
| Amendment or Correction to Biennial Report | $30 |
| Protected Series Designation | $110 per entity established |
| Foreign | |
| Certificate of Authority | $110 (In-Office) / $100 (Online) + $10 for Certificate |
| Application for Reserved Name | $30 |
| Transfer of Reserved Name | $30 |
| Agent’s Statement of Resignation | $30 |
| Statement of Change (Principal office, registered agent / office) | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
| Agent’s Statement of Change of Address | $30 |
| Amended Certificate of Authority | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
| Statement of Correction | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
| Articles of Conversion | $30 |
| Articles of Domestication | $30 |
| Articles of Merger | $30 |
| Certificate from Examining Board | $30 |
| Application for Electronic Access of Records | $55 |
| Notice of Cancellation | $30 (In-Office) / $25 (Online) |
Conclusion
So how much does an LLC in Nebraska cost? The answer can depend on several factors, including things like the licenses and permits you will need and who you hire to complete various parts of the process. But at Tailor Brands, we strive to make forming an LLC as easy and affordable as possible for Nebraska business owners.
FAQ
The processing time for forming an LLC in Nebraska varies, but online filings are currently taking about a week to review, while mail filings take longer.
Yes, Nebraska requires all LLCs to have a registered agent to receive legal documents on behalf of the business. You can act as your own registered agent, or you can hire a registered agent service to perform this role.
No, Nebraska doesn’t require a written operating agreement, and it can be oral, implied or written. However, it’s still a good idea to create a written one. Creating an operating agreement will establish rules and guidelines for your company that can be quite valuable in the event of disputes between members.
While Nebraska doesn’t issue state-wide business licenses, many LLCs will need local licenses or permits. This includes things like general business licenses as well as more specific professional licenses/permits (for example, a real estate license). Be sure to check with your city or county to determine the exact licenses and permits your LLC will need.
If you aren’t ready to move forward with filing your Nebraska LLC but want to make sure that the name you’ve chosen will still be available when the time comes, you can reserve a business name through the Nebraska Secretary of State. Nebraska allows you to reserve a business name for up to 120 days, and the fee for doing this is $30.
In Nebraska, the cost to file a DBA (Doing Business As), also known as a trade name, is $100 online or $110 by mail. This filing is done through the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office. The registration lasts 10 years and renews for $110.
Yes, you can file your certificate of organization online. This is not only a convenient option, but it can also speed up processing times compared to filing by mail. In Nebraska, the online state filing fee is also $10 lower than the mail fee ($100, plus a $3 online filing service fee, versus $110).