Start an LLC in Iowa
Use our free business tools below to complete an Iowa Certificate of Organization. This is the document you file directly with the Iowa Secretary of State to form your LLC.
If you want more, hire us to form your LLC in Iowa for just $39 + state fees. We’ll get your business stood up in minutes with a free domain, website, email, business phone, and more.
How to Start an LLC in Iowa
An Iowa limited liability company (LLC) is a great business structure for anyone looking for liability protection, tax perks, and flexibility in their business structure. Starting an LLC in Iowa is as simple as picking an Iowa registered agent, submitting a Certificate of Organization document to the Iowa Secretary of State, and paying a $50 filing fee—but there are a few extra steps that you can take to really get your LLC ready to do business, like getting a domain name, EIN and preparing for biennial reports. You can hire us to deal with all the paperwork, or do it yourself with our guide to forming an LLC in Iowa.
Let’s dive in!
1. Naming an LLC in Iowa
Picking your LLC name is almost as important as naming your child, but you might find there are more hoops to jump through in naming an LLC. In Iowa, you’ll need to follow the LLC naming laws outlined in Iowa Code § 23-0.5-3. To sum it up, your name:
- Needs to include the words limited liability company, limited company, or an abbreviation such as LLC
- Must be unique to other active businesses in Iowa
Want to secure that perfect name before someone else snags it? You can reserve a business name in Iowa for 120 days by filing an Application of Reservation of Name with the Iowa Secretary of State for $10.
Tip: Use our handy business name availability guide to check if your name is available to use.
2. Register Your LLC's Domain Name
After choosing the name your LLC will use in Iowa, a good next step is locking down a domain name for your business website. Your domain name (URL) is the web address to your site.
A professional domain name should be easy to remember—and ideally, match or complement your business name. When you register your domain name early, you’re more likely to get a name that meets those standards.
You’ll need to claim a business domain name through a registrar. When you hire Northwest to form your LLC, domain registry is one of many in-house services we provide, so you also get a domain name free for a year, plus your own customizable business website secured with SSL protection, and up to ten email business addresses connected to that domain.
3. File an Iowa Certificate of Organization
Iowa is a bit funky in that there is no official Certificate of Organization to submit to form your LLC. You’ll need to write a document yourself that’ll act as your Certificate. This document is what you’ll submit, plus a $50 filing fee.
Here’s what you need to include.
The name of your LLC in Iowa name must comply with the state’s LLC naming laws.
Your LLC’s principal office is the primary address where people can reach your business. If your principal office has two addresses (the location and how people can contact you), you’ll need to list both of them. For example, if your principal office is your mom’s garage, but you receive mail through your ex-roommate’s P.O. Box, you’ll need to list both of those addresses.
A registered agent is the person authorized to receive legal mail on behalf of your business. You’ll need to include their name and addresses on your Certificate. According to Iowa’s registered agent laws, your registered agent must:
- Have a physical street address in Iowa (not a P.O. Box).
- Be available during regular business hours to receive legal mail.
You can be your own registered agent or designate someone else you know. But remember that you’ll need to list the agent’s address on public forms where anyone can find them. That’s why a lot of people hire registered agent companies like Northwest.
Tip: Northwest is a unique registered agent—you can list our address as your business mailing address on your Certificate instead of using your own personal contact information.
How Do You Submit a Certificate of Organization for an LLC in Iowa?
You can submit your Iowa Certificate of Organization by mail or in person, but online is going to be your fastest option.
By mail or in person:
Secretary of State
Business Services Division
Lucas Building, 1st Floor
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Online:
Once your Certificate of Organization has been processed, your LLC is in business!
What to Do After Forming Your LLC in Iowa?
4. Adopt an LLC Operating Agreement
Your LLC’s operating agreement lays out the essential rules and procedures of how your business will run. An operating agreement usually covers things like:
- Member investments
- Profit distribution
- Dissolution plans
- Member removals or additions
As long as your operating agreement doesn’t go against anything in your Certificate or Iowa law, you have a lot of flexibility to tailor the agreement to the needs of your business. LLCs in Iowa are not required to make an operating agreement, but the benefits of having one are significant.
And if you find the task of coming up with an operating agreement intimidating, don’t sweat it! Our attorneys have already written up an initial Iowa operating agreement that you can personalize for free.
5. Get an EIN for Your LLC in Iowa
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is the ID number the IRS uses to keep tabs on your LLC for tax purposes. Not every LLC in Iowa is required to get an EIN, but you need one to hire employees or start a bank account for your company. You can get an EIN for free directly from the IRS. If you’re a US citizen, you just need to hop online and submit your info. Not a US citizen with a social security number? You can still get an EIN for your LLC by submitting Form SS-4.
Tip: We have a guide covering everything you need to know to get an EIN for your LLC.
6. Get an Iowa LLC Business Bank Account
Getting an EIN opens many doors for your LLC in Iowa, including one of the most crucial steps: opening a business bank account. Your LLC is like its own little legal island, legally separate from you. But if you start mixing business and personal cash, things get messy real quick, leading to legal and tax headaches.
To keep things clean and tidy, set up a separate bank account for your LLC. You’ll need to bring the bank your LLC’s Certificate of Organization, operating agreement and EIN. If your LLC has more than one member, you’ll also need an LLC Resolution to Open a Bank Account.
7. File Iowa's Biennial Report Entity Report & Pay Taxes
Once you’ve formed your business, you’ll still need to do some things to stay in compliance and running smoothly. You’re required to file a biennial report for your LLC in Iowa every two years. This report updates the state on your business’s contact details and informs them of any changes in ownership.
The filing fee for the biennial report is $30. The biennial report is due between January 1st and April 1st of the first odd-numbered year after your LLC was formed. So if you formed your LLC in May 2024, your first report would be due on April 1st, 2025, but if your LLC was formed in August 2023, your report would also be due on April 1st, 2025.
By default, LLCs in Iowa are taxed as pass-through entities. This means that the business itself isn’t taxed; instead, profits are passed through to the owners. Your LLC’s owners, you and your partners, report the business profits as income on your own individual tax returns. LLC profits made in Iowa are also subject to the federal self-employment income tax rate. In addition, LLCs in Iowa have the option to elect to be taxed as an S-Corp or C-Corp instead.
Tip: If dealing with paperwork isn’t your cup of tea, you can have us file your Iowa Biennial Report for you.
Ready to Start an LLC in Iowa?
