Start an LLC in Nebraska
Start a Nebraska LLC by filing a Certificate of Organization with the Nebraska Secretary of State for $100 if filing online ($110 if filing by mail or in person).
Use our free tool to do it yourself, or hire us and have your LLC filed with Privacy by Default® for $39. This includes a free domain name, web hosting, email address, phone line, brand protection, and a year of registered agent service.
Nebraska Certificate of Organization
Use our free tool to fill out your Nebraska Certificate of Organization. Submitting this form to the Nebraska Secretary of State officially creates your LLC. Save your progress, download, and print at any time. Or, hire us to prepare and submit your Certificate for you.
How to Start an LLC in Nebraska
A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a permanent public record. Starting one requires sharing personal information with the government, banks, landlords, vendors, and of course, customers. We provide free identity services to anyone who needs them—that’s a domain name, website builder, phone line, email address, and brand protection on day one. This helps protect your privacy and keep you in control of your intellectual property.
1. Name Your LLC
State law requires your Nebraska LLC name to be unique among registered business names. Here are a few tips for ensuring your preferred name works both legally and from a marketing standpoint.
- Run a Nebraska business name search to see if the name you want is available.
- Look up available domain names and aim for one that either matches or complements your preferred LLC name.
- Search the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database to make sure no one’s using a trademark that sounds similar to your company’s name.
Your name should also contain the words Limited Liability Company or an abbreviation like LLC or Ltd. Co.
How to reserve an LLC name in Nebraska
You can reserve a business name for 120 days by filing the Application for Reservation of a Limited Liability Company Name. There is a $30 fee to file the application. Reserving your name isn’t required to get an LLC in Nebraska, but some businesses do it to protect their preferred name until they’re ready to file the formation paperwork.
2. Register Your Domain Name
After choosing your LLC’s name, 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. The earlier you register your domain name, the better chance you have of getting a name meeting those standards.
You’ll need to claim a business domain name through a registrar. When you hire Northwest to form your LLC, we give you a free domain and website builder, plus a professional email address, business phone line, and brand protection.
3. Appoint a Registered Agent
All LLCs in the state are required to appoint a Nebraska registered agent. A registered agent (also called an agent for service of process) is an individual or a company (like Northwest) designated to receive legal and state mail on behalf of your business.
Your Nebraska registered agent must:
- Have a physical address in Nebraska (no P.O. Boxes)
- Be present at that address during regular business hours (9 AM to 5 PM)
- Agree to accept service of process on behalf of your LLC
The registered agent you use is a key part of your business identity. What’s a business identity? It’s the way you present yourself to the world, including potential customers and clients. You start building a business identity as soon as you form a business, and at Northwest, our Registered Agent Service can help strengthen that identity.
4. File Certificate of Organization
A Certificate of Organization is a formation document you submit to the Nebraska Secretary of State to start your LLC in Nebraska.
The fee for submitting a Certificate of Organization is $100 when filed online, $110 if you file in person or by mail. All the information on your Certificate becomes public record, meaning anyone can access it.
When filing a Certificate of Organization for your Nebraska LLC, you need to include:
Business name
Remember, your business name needs to use a qualifier like LLC or Limited and be unique, which means no other registered business in Nebraska has the same name as you.
Designated office
This is your Nebraska business address. You can list your physical office address, or our address if we’re your registered agent. If you have a different mailing address, include that as well.
Registered agent
When you’re adding your registered agent’s information, you’ll need to include their:
- Full legal name (this can be a business name if using a registered agent service)
- Nebraska street address
- Mailing address (if different from above)
Tip: When you hire us, our information goes here.
Effective date (optional)
If you want your LLC formation to go into effect on a specific date, include that here. Otherwise, you can leave it blank.
Organizer
Sometimes called a company applicant, this is whoever signs and submits your Certificate of Organization. It can be you, a business partner, or even someone outside of your LLC. If you hire Northwest as your formation service, it will be us.
How do you file the Idaho Certificate of Organization?
You can file your certificate online for $100. Filing by mail or in person costs $110. It takes about two business days for the state to process your Certificate of Organization.
Nebraska Secretary of State
P.O. Box 94608
Lincoln, NE 68509
Nebraska Secretary of State
Business Services
1201 N Street, Suite 120
Lincoln, NE 68508
5. Publish Your LLC
Nebraska has a publication requirement for LLCs, requiring you to publish all the information filed in your Certificate of Organization in a newspaper and notify the public of your company’s formation. This should be published for three weeks in a legal newspaper near your designated office. You can call the paper to confirm that they’re a legal newspaper and can publish the notice. Publishing fees vary depending on the paper, so it’s a good idea to shop around.
After three weeks, the paper will send you an Affidavit of Publication. This is proof of publication, which you submit to the Nebraska Secretary of State.
How to file your Affidavit of Publication
Some newspapers will send you one automatically, some will file for you, and some will forget all about it. It’s important to follow up once your three weeks are up to make sure you’re on their radar.
Once you’ve got it, the process is easy. Just submit the affidavit to the Secretary of State online via PDF for $25 or send it through the mail with a money order for $30.
6. Create an Operating Agreement
Your LLC’s operating agreement is a document agreed upon by all members that defines the way the business will be run. An operating agreement can establish how to conduct voting, the distribution of losses, and even how to dissolve the business, among many other things.
Operating agreements are not mandatory in Nebraska, though you might need one to open a business bank account. However, even though it’s not required, nearly all LLCs adopt operating agreements to set clear rules and processes. Without an operating agreement, your business may be vulnerable to internal disputes and legal trouble.
Tip: You don’t have to be a lawyer to write an operating agreement, but we know it helps. So we had our attorneys draft a Nebraska operating agreement for you to use.
7. Get an EIN
Employer Identification Numbers (EIN) are assigned by the IRS and work like a Social Security number for the business. Without one, you’ll have to use your personal SSN on things like vendor documents and loan applications.
To get an EIN, file Form SS-4 or apply online via the IRS website. Getting an EIN from the IRS is free. Alternatively, hire us and we’ll get your EIN for you.
EINs are legally required if you are a multi-member LLC, have employees, or are taxed as a corporation. Plus, you need an EIN to open a business bank account.
8. File Biennial Report
Every other year, Nebraska requires LLCs to file a biennial report. This report tells the state who owns your LLC and how to get in touch with your business. It costs $30 by mail or in person or $25 online.
Your Nebraska biennial report is due in odd-numbered years by April 1 and considered delinquent on June 16. That means if you forget to file, or file late, your business may be administratively dissolved. Yikes! If you’re worried about remembering, sign up for Northwest renewal service and we’ll file your Nebraska Biennial Report for you.
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