Start a Wyoming LLC

Choosing a company name is the first step in starting an LLC. While thinking about your Wyoming LLC, you’ve likely thought of a name. A limited liability company name is more than just a creative way to market your services. It also has to comply with state regulations. Among other things, you’ll need to find a name not used by other Wyoming businesses.

Start by creating a list of possible names. Follow the instructions on our Wyoming Business Entity Search page to see if it’s available in the state. Remember that slight changes in spelling, punctuation, and suffix will not be enough to distinguish your business. This is why a thorough name search is crucial. It’s helpful to check for more detailed requirements for naming your Wyoming LLC to avoid trouble while applying.

Name requirements for an LLC in Wyoming

To comply with Wyoming state law, your company’s name must end with the proper designator. In this case, you have a few options. The entire phrase “Limited Liability Company” or “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “Limited Company,” “LC,” “L.C.,” “Ltd. Liability Company,” “Ltd. Liability Co.,” or “Limited Liability Co.” will work. Regardless of what you choose, it must be at the end of your company’s name.

Reserve a Business Name for a Wyoming LLC

Once you’ve found a name that works for you and meets Wyoming’s requirements, you can lock it in. Wyoming allows you to reserve a business name for 120 days for a fee. This allows plenty of time to finish establishing your Wyoming LLC. If you don’t want to deal with this yourself, we have a business name reservation service. As part of the service, we also run a search to see if your desired name is available.

When coming up with a business name, consider a matching domain name for a future LLC online. We have a tool to help you with a domain name search. Also, our domain name registration service can help you secure an online name to form a Wyoming LLC.

File a DBA in Wyoming

Remember that you can also register a trade name or “Doing Business As” (DBA) name for your Wyoming LLC. This is simply another name you can use for your business. A DBA is a good idea if the official name of your Wyoming LLC doesn’t necessarily match your business’s purpose. To get a DBA in Wyoming, visit the Wyoming Secretary of State website and search for your new DBA name to make sure it isn’t taken.

If it’s available, you can file it via the Application for Registration of Trade Name. It’s important to note that the trade name has to be in use in Wyoming before you can register it. You’ll also need to submit a filing fee.

Finally, make sure you’re entirely in the clear with your desired name for your Wyoming LLC. Visit the US Patent and Trademark Office website to make sure your business name or logo aren’t already federally trademarked. Trademarks can also happen at the state level. To find out more and/or to apply for a state trademark, visit the Wyoming Secretary of State’s website.

Wyoming requires every LLC to appoint a registered agent. This person or business entity will be the point of contact for all legal matters. If your company is subpoenaed or sued, the state will deliver papers to your Wyoming registered agent. The agent must be a resident of Wyoming or a business entity authorized to do business in Wyoming. The agent must also have a physical street address in the state (not just a P.O. box).

The company owner can be the registered agent, but this is not always the best option. Being served in front of customers is a sure way to deter business, so hire an outside registered agent.

Benefits of Hiring a Wyoming Registered Agent Service

Some additional benefits of hiring an outside registered agent service like ours include:

• You must be available during standard business hours if you serve as your own registered agent. If working outside the office or taking business trips, this requirement could be a problem. You won’t have to worry about this with a Wyoming registered agent service.
• If you provide your personal or business address as your registered agent address, you’ll need to update your registered agent paperwork each time you move. At fast growing companies, this step can be overlooked. You won’t need to do this with a Wyoming registered agent service.
• If you use our registered agent service, we’ll accept your important legal documents and store them in your digital dashboard so you can view, download, or print them any time online.

To start doing business, you need to complete your Articles of Organization and file it with the Wyoming Secretary of State.

Filing official government forms can be hard for many new entrepreneurs. With our business formation plans, we handle the filing for you to make sure it’s done correctly the first time. We’ll still show you how the process works below.

File with the Wyoming Secretary of State

Before filling in the Articles of Organization form, make sure you have all of the necessary information, including:

• The name of your LLC
• The mailing address of your LLC
• The name and address of your registered agent
• The date when you’d like to begin operations
• Whether you choose to be a Close LLC

In Wyoming, there’s a box on the form asking whether you want to form a “Close Limited Liability Company.” A Close LLC gives you a tighter business structure. It’s geared toward small, family businesses.

When filing Articles of Organization for your Wyoming LLC, you’ll need to include a nonrefundable fee. This applies whether you prefer to go in person, send your paperwork by mail, or submit and file online.

Digitally Store your Wyoming LLC Paperwork

If we do the filing for your Articles of Organization, your paperwork will be available from your ZenBusiness dashboard. Here, you can keep it and other important paperwork digitally organized. It will become available once the state approves your Wyoming LLC.

When you get your physical paperwork back from the state after it approves your Wyoming LLC, keep it in a safe location with your other important documents. This includes your operating agreement, member certificates, contracts, compliance checklists, transfer ledger, etc. We offer a customized business kit to help you keep these documents organized and looking professional.

An operating agreement is not always required. It also isn’t mandatory according to Wyoming law. They do help create governance for an LLC, however. This document outlines your business structure and covers the rules your company will follow. It also highlights how finances will be handled, lists specific LLC members, details how decisions will be made (including member voting structure), and details any additional regulations.

If you’re starting your Wyoming LLC alone, you may feel that an LLC operating agreement is unnecessary, especially since Wyoming doesn’t require one. However, a Wyoming LLC operating agreement can also outline what happens to your company if you leave or become incapacitated. It can also help protect you and your assets in case of dissolution or bankruptcy. If you’re starting your Wyoming LLC with other members, each will need to agree to the terms and sign the document.

Unsure of how to write an operating agreement? Let us help you create your Wyoming LLC operating agreement with our interactive template today.

To finalize your Wyoming LLC, you’ll need a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN), also known as an EIN. This nine-digit number is required for tax and financial paperwork when filing taxes, hiring new employees, and opening business bank accounts.

You can get your Wyoming LLC’s Employer Identification Number through the Internal Revenue Service website, by mail, or by fax. We can also get it for you. Our Employer Identification Number service is quick and eliminates the hassle. Find out how it works.

Once you have an EIN, you’ll be able to open a business bank account. Having a business checking account separate from your personal banking is critical for sorting out your finances at tax time. And it helps you avoid commingling funds. Commingling funds can make your taxes more difficult and can be used against you if someone takes you to court to challenge whether you and your Wyoming LLC are truly separate entities. This means if they want to sue you not just for your business assets, but also your personal assets.

Open a Business Bank Account for your Wyoming LLC

We offer a discounted bank account for your new business. This allows unlimited transactions, online banking, a debit card, and more. If you want to authorize others in your business to use the bank account, then we offer a banking resolution template to simplify the process.

For more help on managing your new business’s finances, try ZenBusiness Money. It can help you create invoices, receive payments, transfer money, and manage clients all in one place. From here, your LLC formation is complete.

Starting an LLC in Wyoming is relatively affordable. The state fees for forming an LLC can range from $100 to $150, depending on factors such as whether you choose to reserve your business name. Note that filing fees change over time, so check the Wyoming Secretary of State website for the most recent filing fee schedule.

Of course, these costs are just the beginning. Add in the cost of fees for licenses, permits, and insurance, and starting a business in Wyoming becomes significantly more expensive.

When starting a business, there are various forms it can take. Despite the options, 90% of our customers choose to form an LLC. Compared to corporations, limited partnerships, and other forms of entities, LLCs come with important benefits.

Forming a Wyoming LLC means you’ll reap the following benefits:

• Tax incentives: There is no personal income tax in Wyoming.
• Ability to form a Series LLC: Wyoming is one of the few states that permits a Series LLC.
• Additional privacy: Public filings for Wyoming LLCs like annual reports do not require members’ names to be disclosed.

LLCs are typically considered “pass-through entities,” meaning they are not subject to corporate taxes. Instead, the profits are passed through to the owner’s personal income, and the responsibility to pay LLC taxes falls on the individual. This is unlike most corporations, in which profits are taxed twice, first at the business level and again at the individual shareholder level. 

However, Wyoming is one of the very few states with no state income tax, for both corporations and individuals. Therefore, LLCs are not required to pay state income taxes in Wyoming at the business level, and LLC owners are not responsible for personal state income taxes, either. 

Nevertheless, your LLC could be subject to other taxes, including:

• State employer taxes, if you have employees
• State unemployment insurance taxes, if you have employees
• Sales and use tax, if you sell goods
• Excise tax, if you sell beverages, fuel, cigarettes, or tobacco

You can find more information on specific taxes in Wyoming by visiting the Wyoming Department of Revenue’s site.

Those who purchase any of our plans get a free accounting consultation and tax assessment from our specialists to receive helpful resources and no-obligation recommendations around your bookkeeping, accounting, and tax needs. Read our small business tax guide for more information.

In just three to five business days, your LLC Articles of Organization will be processed with the Wyoming Secretary of State. If you file online, the turnaround time is immediately after receiving payment.

No. The operating agreement is an internal document that you should keep on file for future reference. While a few states legally require LLCs to have an operating agreement, Wyoming does not.

Most LLCs elect the default tax status, which is to be taxed as a sole proprietorship (for a single-member LLC) or a partnership (for a multi-member LLC). For either of these options, the LLC itself does not pay federal income tax, but the LLC members pay taxes on their portion of its profits on their individual tax returns.

Some LLCs (particularly those with very high earnings) may choose to file taxes as corporations. This option has some distinct advantages for certain LLCs. In evaluating these options, it can be extremely helpful to get advice from qualified accounting professionals.

Yes. Wyoming is one of the states that permit Series LLCs. A Series LLC is a group of limited liability companies operating under one “parent” entity. While each entity under the parent is considered independent, entrepreneurs are often attracted to the structure if they wish to create numerous companies to explore different avenues but not risk one’s success due to the liabilities of another.

Many LLCs require licensing in Wyoming, so to find out if you’re required to apply for a business license, review the Wyoming Business Council’s Business Permitting and Licensing guide. Keep in mind that your LLC could need licenses or permits on the federal, state, and/or local levels, and many licenses are industry-specific, so you’ll need to do additional research to discover all the licensing your new business needs.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to do all this research, or if you just want the peace of mind to know that your business has all the licenses and permits it’s legally required to have, our business license report service can do the work for you.

When it comes to insurance, you’ll want to visit the Wyoming Department of Insurance’s site to find guidance on your particular industry.

Before starting the dissolution process, the members of an LLC should vote to dissolve it. For the subsequent steps, please refer to our Wyoming business dissolution guide.