Tablet, notebook and coffee mug on a clean desk, How Much Does It Cost to Start a Business in Nevada

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Business in Nevada

Last verified: November 5, 2026

A Nevada LLC costs $425 in state fees to open and $350 a year to keep. That is the floor, and it assumes you file yourself and act as your own registered agent. Everything above it comes from choices you make or from your city and industry.

This page lists each state fee with the statute or agency page behind it, then the costs that sit outside the state filing. Fees are read from the Nevada Revised Statutes and agency pages listed under Sources. Confirm the total at checkout before you pay.

Nevada LLC Formation Costs

An LLC is the structure most small Nevada businesses start with, and its state cost is three fees, all set by statute.

Initial Filing Fees

  • Articles of Organization: $75. This is the filing fee in NRS 86.561. You pay it once.
  • Initial List of Managers or Members: $150 (NRS 86.263). The Secretary of State packages it with the articles and the business license in one formation filing.
  • State Business License: $200 (NRS 76.100). It is the same $200 for an LLC and for most non-corporate entities, and it renews every year.

Total first-year state fees for an LLC: $425. That is the minimum to be registered and licensed with the state.

File through the Nevada ORION business portal, the successor to the SilverFlume address that older guides still link. The Secretary of State does not publish a guaranteed turnaround for standard filings. If you need a date, NRS 225.140 lets the office charge up to $125 for service within 24 hours, up to $500 within 2 hours and up to $1,000 within 1 hour. Those are statutory ceilings, not a posted price list, so read the amount at checkout.

Name Reservation (Optional)

A name reservation costs $25 and holds the name for 90 days (Nevada Secretary of State: name reservation, snapshot of September 26, 2026). It only pays off if you need time between choosing the name and filing. If you are filing this week, skip it and run the Nevada Secretary of State entity search instead.

Nevada Corporation Formation Costs

A corporation pays the same three kinds of fee, but two of them cost more.

  • Articles of Incorporation: $75 if the authorized shares total $75,000 or less. It rises to $175 up to $200,000, $275 up to $500,000 and $375 up to $1,000,000 (NRS 78.760).
  • State Business License: $500 for a corporation organized under NRS chapter 78, 78A or 78B (NRS 76.100).
  • Initial List of Officers and Directors: $150 (NRS 78.150).

Total first-year state fees for a corporation at the lowest share tier: $725. On fees alone, an LLC is $300 cheaper in year one and $300 cheaper every year after, because the corporation's recurring bill is $650 against $350. Fees are not the whole choice (ownership, investors and tax treatment matter more), so take that comparison to a CPA before you decide.

Recurring Annual Costs in Nevada

Two filings repeat every year, and both are due by the last day of the month in which your formation anniversary falls (Nevada Secretary of State: State Business License FAQ, snapshot of October 14, 2026).

  • State Business License renewal: $200 for an LLC, $500 for a corporation. The FAQ lists a $100 penalty for a late license.
  • Annual List: $150 for an LLC. A corporation pays $150 at the lowest share tier and more as authorized shares grow, up to a statutory maximum of $11,125 (NRS 78.150).

Recurring state fees: $350 a year for an LLC, $650 a year for a corporation at the lowest tier.

Taxes That Start With Revenue or Payroll

The filing fees above are not taxes. The Nevada Department of Taxation administers the business taxes that can follow, and two of them depend on your size.

  • Commerce Tax: applies only when Nevada gross revenue is over $4,000,000 in a fiscal year, at industry-based rates from 0.051% to 0.331% (Nevada Department of Taxation: Commerce Tax, NRS 363C.200). Under the threshold you file nothing. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026 the return was due August 14, 2026.
  • Modified Business Tax: if you pay wages, the general rate is 1.17% of quarterly wages above $50,000 (rate effective July 1, 2023). Every employer files each quarter even when nothing is due (Nevada Department of Taxation: Modified Business Tax). Owner-only LLCs with no payroll usually have nothing to pay, but the registration with the Department is still your job to confirm.

Other Startup Costs to Plan For

These sit outside the state formation filing. Where we give no number, the cost depends on your provider, city or industry, and we would rather leave it blank than guess.

Registered Agent

Every Nevada entity needs a registered agent with a physical Nevada address (NRS chapter 77). You can act as your own agent if you have a Nevada address. Otherwise you hire one, and the price is set by the provider. Changing agents later costs $60 in state fees for the statement of change. Our Nevada registered agent guide covers the rules, and the Nevada LLC services comparison shows what providers charge.

Local Business Licenses and Permits

The state business license does not replace the city or county license. Where you operate decides which office you pay: see the City of Las Vegas business license page, the City of Reno business license guide, the City of Sparks business licenses page or the Washoe County business license page. Industry permits (food service, contractors, health care) are priced by the board or health district that issues them, so check the guide for your industry in the directory.

Fictitious Firm Name

If you operate under a name other than your registered entity name, you file a fictitious firm name certificate with the county clerk, and each county sets its own fee. Clark County charges $25 for a new or renewed certificate and $20 to terminate it (Clark County Clerk: fees). Nevada does not require a newspaper notice for a fictitious firm name (NRS chapter 602). We could not confirm other counties' fees, so ask your county clerk.

Sales Tax Permit

If you sell taxable goods, you register with the Department of Taxation. The permit is not free: the Department lists $15.00 per location (Nevada Department of Taxation: start and run a business). The Department states the base statewide sales tax rate as 6.85%, and your county adds to it, so use the Department's sales and use tax publications for the rate at your address.

Employer Identification Number (EIN)

An EIN is free from the IRS (IRS: get an EIN). Whether you need one depends on your entity type and whether you have employees, not on how much you earn. Any site that charges for an EIN is a paid look-alike.

Professional Help

An attorney can review an operating agreement or shareholder terms, and a CPA can set up books and advise on entity choice. We do not publish a price range, because quotes vary widely. Ask for a flat fee for the specific task before you hire.

Nevada Startup Costs at a Glance

Item Cost Source and Notes
LLC Articles of Organization $75 one time NRS 86.561
LLC Initial List $150 in year one NRS 86.263
State Business License, LLC $200 a year NRS 76.100; renews by the end of the anniversary month
LLC Annual List $150 a year after year one NRS 86.263
LLC state fees, first year $425 $75 + $150 + $200
LLC state fees, each later year $350 $200 + $150
Corporation state fees, first year $725 at the lowest share tier $75 + $150 + $500; higher tiers cost more (NRS 78.760)
Corporation state fees, each later year $650 at the lowest share tier $500 + $150
Name reservation (optional) $25 for 90 days Secretary of State
Fictitious firm name, Clark County $25 County clerk fee; other counties set their own
Sales tax permit $15 per location Department of Taxation
Registered agent, local licenses, industry permits, professionals Varies Set by the provider, city, county or board

If you file yourself and act as your own agent, $425 is the state-level price of a Nevada LLC. Every other line is added by your location, your industry and how much help you buy.

What Nevada's Cost Structure Means for You

Nevada's fixed fees are the same whether the business earns $20,000 or $2,000,000. An LLC with $200,000 in revenue and no payroll owes $350 a year in state fees, sits far below the Commerce Tax threshold and has no Modified Business Tax, since that tax is on wages you pay. Federal income tax and local licenses still apply, and an industry with its own state board can cost more than every state formation fee combined, so price that line first.

How to File and Keep Costs Down

Filing yourself through the ORION portal costs only the state fees. A formation service adds its own fee on top and makes sense if you want a registered agent, address privacy or speed included. Compare them on our Nevada LLC services page, and read the Nevada LLC guide for the filing steps or the Nevada corporation guide if you are weighing the other structure.

Getting Professional Guidance

This guide is informational, not legal or tax advice. Consider consulting:

  • A Nevada business attorney: if you have employees, are entering partnerships, or need an operating agreement reviewed.
  • A CPA or accountant: if you need help with tax planning or bookkeeping setup, especially with multi-state operations.
  • The Nevada Small Business Development Center: free one-on-one counseling at nevadasbdc.org.
  • The Small Business Administration (SBA): Nevada resources and loan information at sba.gov/district/nevada.

Disclaimer

This content is informational and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. Business formation rules vary by situation, and tax implications depend on your specific circumstances. Consult a qualified Nevada business attorney and CPA before making decisions about your business structure.

Sources

Keep exploring: related Nevada guides