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Vl-veterans · pa llc

How to start an LLC in Pennsylvania as a veteran

Data current as of July 2026. Verified against Pennsylvania state sources on the dates shown.

Filing fee: $125 · Standard processing: About 15 business days. · Expedited: In-person only, nonrefundable: same-day (in by 10am) +$100; 3-hour (in by 2pm) +$300; 1-hour (in by 4pm) +$1,000.

The steps

  1. Search and optionally reserve your LLC name ($0) — Reservation is optional and costs $70 for 120 days; most filers skip straight to filing.

  2. Establish a registered office ($0) — Use a Pennsylvania street address (your own, or a Commercial Registered Office Provider).

  3. File the Certificate of Organization (DSCB:15-8821) ($125) — File with the Docketing Statement (DSCB:15-134A), required alongside at no extra fee. Veterans/reservists: sign the filing yourself and attach proof of status to claim the Act 135 fee exemption. A veteran fee waiver applies to this step — see below.

  4. Get an EIN from the IRS ($0) — Free federal step.

  5. Adopt an operating agreement ($0) — Not filed with the state, but recommended.

Veteran fee waivers

Business Fee Exemption for Veteran-Owned and Reservist-Owned Small Businesses (Act 135)

What it saves: $125 Certificate of Organization filing fee

Conditions: Act 135 of 2016 (51 Pa.C.S. §§ 9610-9611). Veterans and reservists starting a small business in the Commonwealth are exempt from the payment of a business fee effective January 2, 2017. A business fee is any fee required to be paid to the Commonwealth or a political subdivision for starting or opening a business within Pennsylvania. The term does not include a fee for maintaining licensure or other requirement for continuing to operate a business. A small business must be independently owned, not dominant in its field of operation and employ 100 or fewer employees. A veteran- or reservist-owned small business must be owned and controlled by a veteran/veterans or reservist/reservists. A veteran is an individual who served in the United States Armed Forces, including a reserve component or the National Guard, and who was discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable. A reservist is a member of a United States Armed Forces reserve component or National Guard. The filing fee for Certificate of Organization [DSCB:15-8821] - $125 will be waived by the Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, when the documents are signed by the veteran or reservist and submitted with proof of the veteran's or reservist's status.

Proof required:

  • A Federal DD-214 form (must be MEMBER-4 form, showing Character of Service), OR
  • A Federal NGB-22 form, OR
  • A valid Federal Veterans' Administration card, OR
  • A valid Department of Defense-issued military identification card

Source: verified 2026-07-08

Registered agent

Pennsylvania uses a "registered office" (not a named agent) — a Pennsylvania street address where legal documents can be delivered. No advertising/publication is required for a domestic LLC.

Do it yourself: You can use your own Pennsylvania street address as the registered office directly; a Commercial Registered Office Provider is only needed if the LLC has no Pennsylvania address of its own.

The free LLC Formation Guide walks these steps interactively — costs, waivers, and the proof documents, state by state.

Open the tool →

Fees and waivers change, so check the tool’s numbers against the state’s own page before you file; the Business pathway shows how to check a plan before you act on it.

Open the Business pathway

Also in Pennsylvania: → Pennsylvania veteran benefits, verified

State coverage today: 10 states (CA, FL, GA, NC, NY, OH, PA, TX, VA, WA). Yours missing? The federal benefits above apply everywhere, and more states are being added.

This is education, not financial advice. Verify numbers against official sources before making decisions.

VetsLearn is an independent company. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Small Business Administration, or any government agency. Our tools use publicly available government data.