How to File Pennsylvania's Certificate of Organization
Pennsylvania calls its articles of organization a Certificate of Organization. What goes on it, what is filed with it and what it costs, read from Pennsylvania government sources.
The short answer. To form an LLC in Pennsylvania, you file the Certificate of Organization with the state. The state filing fee is $125. Of the 15 items this page tracks, the form requires 3, asks for 3 only in some cases, makes 2 optional and leaves out 6, and 1 is not checked yet.
The Pennsylvania Certificate of Organization at a Glance
| What Pennsylvania calls it | Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821) |
| State filing fee | $125 |
| Processing time | 2-4 days |
| Where to file | Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations |
| File online | Yes, online, open the filing portal |
| Blank form | Download it from the state |
| Law that sets its contents | 15 Pa.C.S. § 8821 |
| Filed with it or right after | 2 filings, listed below |
Read from a Pennsylvania government source, last checked September 23, 2026. The filing fee and processing time come from our Pennsylvania cost record. See the sources.
What Goes on Pennsylvania's Certificate of Organization
Each row is one of the 15 items this page tracks, with what Pennsylvania's Certificate of Organization asks for. "Not on the form" means we checked and found no place for it on the Certificate of Organization. "Not checked" means we have not confirmed it either way.
| Item | On the form |
|---|---|
| LLC name | Required |
| Registered agent's name | Only when a commercial registered office provider is used in place of a Pennsylvania street address. |
| Registered office address | Only in some cases. Required unless a commercial registered office provider is named instead. |
| Principal office address | Not on the form |
| Mailing address | Not checked |
| Organizer's name | Required |
| Members' names | Not on the form |
| Managers' names | Not on the form |
| Member-managed or manager-managed | Not on the form |
| Business purpose | Only for a restricted professional company, which must check the profession, or a benefit company, which must state its public benefit purpose. |
| Duration | Not on the form |
| Effective date | Optional |
| County | Required |
| Email address | Optional |
| Registered agent's consent | Not on the form |
These entries are confirmed public record: LLC name, registered agent's name, registered office address, organizer's name, business purpose, effective date, county and email address.
The registered agent rows are covered in more depth in Pennsylvania's registered agent requirements, and the steps before and after this filing are in how to start an LLC in Pennsylvania.
What the LLC's Name Must Include
The LLC's name must include an LLC ending. Accepted endings include "Company", "Limited", "Limited Liability Company", "Co.", "Ltd.", "LLC" and "L.L.C.", and the law allows others as well.
Rule: 15 Pa.C.S. § 204(c).
File These With It or Right After
Pennsylvania has 2 more filings that go with it or follow it.
| Filing | Required? | When |
|---|---|---|
| Docketing Statement (DSCB:15-134A) | Required | Filed together with the Certificate of Organization |
| Consent to Appropriation of Name (DSCB:19-17.2) | Only when the chosen name needs another entity's consent. | Filed together with the Certificate of Organization. |
Draft Your Certificate of Organization
The generator below starts with Pennsylvania selected and drafts the document from what you enter. Compare the draft with the state's current form before you file.
MyStateLLC.com is not a law firm, not an attorney, and not a document preparation service. This is a self-service tool: it formats information you enter into a state template, and no one at MyStateLLC reviews, corrects, or files it for you. This tool and the document it generates are informational and are not legal, financial, or tax advice, and are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. MyStateLLC cannot give legal advice, does not prepare or file documents itself, and communications with MyStateLLC are not privileged. Using this tool does not create an attorney-client relationship. LLC laws vary by state and this document is not reviewed by anyone before you file it. Consult a licensed attorney or CPA in your state before you sign or file it.
Where are you forming your LLC?
After It Is Approved
| Certified copy of the filed Certificate of Organization | See note below |
| Changing it later (Certificate of Amendment) | $70 |
Where these fees come from: the sources.
Professional LLCs in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, a professional LLC is formed with the same Certificate of Organization. Your profession's licensing board may have requirements of its own, so check with it before you file.
Worth Knowing in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania requires a registered office address or a commercial registered office provider, not a named registered agent. The Certificate of Organization lists either a Pennsylvania street address for the registered office or a commercial registered office provider and county. A certified copy costs $55 plus $3 per page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dos/programs/business/forms/offsite-forms/15-8821-Cert-of-Org-Dom-LLC.pdfPennsylvania DSCB:15-8821 Certificate of Organization, Domestic Limited Liability Company
- palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=PDF&ttl=15&div=0&chapter=88§ion=21&subsctn=015 Pa.C.S. § 8821
- palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=PDF&ttl=15&div=0&chapter=88§ion=22&subsctn=015 Pa.C.S. § 8822
- palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=PDF&ttl=15&div=0&chapter=2§ion=4&subsctn=015 Pa.C.S. § 204
- palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=PDF&ttl=15&div=0&chapter=1§ion=34&subsctn=015 Pa.C.S. § 134
- pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dos/resources/business/forms/15-134A%20Docketing%20statement%20creation.pdfPennsylvania DSCB:15-134A Docketing Statement, New Entity
- pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/fees-and-paymentsPennsylvania Department of State Fees and Payments
- pa.gov/agencies/dos/resources/business-resources/forms-and-documents1Pennsylvania Bureau of Corporations forms and documents
- file.dos.pa.govPennsylvania Business Filing Services
The rows and fees on this page were read from the Pennsylvania government sources above, not from a formation service, and anything we could not confirm there is marked Not checked. See our editorial policy for how these are verified and corrected.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's filing office publishes about the document that forms an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity or a separate professional form, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.