LLC Cost in Nebraska (2025-2026): Filing Fee, Publication Requirement, and Biennial Report Costs

Forming an LLC in Nebraska costs $100 online ($110 in-office). Most first-year budgets land around $165–$260 because Nebraska also requires a 3-week newspaper Notice of Organization plus a separate Proof of Publication filing. As of Dec 2025, we verified these numbers using the Nebraska SOS fee schedule and reporting rules, and the breakdown below includes the odd-year biennial report deadline (due April 1, delinquent June 16).

One-time Nebraska LLC formation and setup fees

Most of your upfront LLC Cost in Nebraska comes from a few one-time items: filing your Certificate of Organization, publication + proof filing, and any extras like name reservation, DBA, or foreign registration. Below is the short, cost-only breakdown.

If you want the step-by-step filing process alongside these costs, see how to start a Nebraska LLC.

Certificate of Organization filing fee

To legally create a Nebraska LLC, you file a Certificate of Organization with the Secretary of State. In 2025, that’s $100 online through the eDelivery system or $110 if you file by mail/in person, and you pay the fee at the time you submit the Certificate.

In our experience, filing online is usually the smoothest path because you can see your filing details on-screen, review everything before checkout, and avoid the “paper bounce-back” that happens when a form is missing something small.

Portal reality check (so your budget matches the process):
Nebraska’s eDelivery system doesn’t automatically confirm name availability, so we check the name separately before we pay anything. After we submit, we track status in Transaction/Filing History and download the file-stamped copies from there as soon as they’re accepted.

Offline filing reality (mail/in-person):
If we file by mail or in person, we send the Certificate to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s mailing address (P.O. Box 94608, Lincoln, NE 68509-4608). To avoid common avoidable delays, we double-check the basics that are easy to miss on paper, including an organizer signature and the required street address fields.

For a practical breakdown of typical approval speed and what can slow things down, see our Nebraska LLC approval timeline.

Nebraska LLC publication requirement and proof-of-publication fee

Every domestic Nebraska LLC must publish a Notice of Organization after approval, then file Proof of Publication with the state. This is the “hidden cost” that often makes starting a Nebraska LLC more expensive than it first appears.

The notice has to run for 3 consecutive weeks in a legal newspaper of general circulation in the county of your LLC’s designated office. If there is no legal newspaper in that county, publication can be done in the registered agent’s county. Newspapers set their own rates, so costs vary a lot.

In our experience, quotes often land around $40–$250+ depending on the county and the paper. Once the run is complete, you file an Affidavit/Proof of Publication with the Secretary of State, which costs $25 online or $30 paper/in-office. Nebraska also lists Proof of Publication as an eDelivery filing option, so you can upload the affidavit PDF and file it online instead of doing it on paper. In total, most LLCs end up budgeting roughly $65–$280+ for the publication plus proof filing, with the newspaper price being the main variable.

Optional name reservation fee

If you’re not ready to file the LLC but want to “hold” the name, you can reserve it with the state.

• Name reservation fee: $30.
• Reservation period: 120 days of exclusive use of that name.
• How it’s filed: By written application to the Nebraska Secretary of State (no online reservation form).

If you’re planning to form your LLC soon anyway, it’s usually cheaper to skip this fee and file the Certificate of Organization directly.

Nebraska DBA / trade name registration costs

If you want to operate under a different brand than your LLC’s legal name, Nebraska lets you register a trade name (DBA). The Application for Trade Name costs $100 online or $110 paper/in-office, and the registration lasts 10 years before renewal.

Nebraska also requires trade name publication in a legal newspaper, so you should budget the newspaper’s charge separately. The important compliance detail is timing. The Affidavit of Publication must be received by the Secretary of State within 45 days of the registration date or the trade name registration can be canceled.

Aaron Kra’s rule of thumb is to request the affidavit from the newspaper as soon as the notice runs, so the 45-day window never becomes a problem. The good news is that the proof-of-publication affidavit for a trade name is filed with the Secretary of State at no additional state fee, which is different from the LLC proof-of-publication filing fee.

If you’re comfortable using your exact LLC legal name on your website, signage, and invoices, you can skip the trade name entirely and avoid all DBA-related costs.

Certified copies and certificate of good standing costs

You don’t need these to form your LLC, but banks, lenders, and other states may ask for them. They’re usually cheap, one-off costs. Certified copies of LLC filings follow a simple fee structure: about $1 per page for copies plus $10 for the state’s certificate with seal, so a typical 2–4 page filing runs roughly $12–$14 total.

A Certificate of Good Standing costs $6.50 online or $10 by mail, and you only order it when someone specifically requests it. You can get both certified copies and good standing certificates directly through the Nebraska Secretary of State’s corporate and business search portal.

Foreign LLC registration in Nebraska

If your LLC was formed in another state but you are officially “doing business” in Nebraska, you register as a foreign LLC instead of starting a brand-new Nebraska entity. The main one-time cost is the Certificate of Authority. Nebraska charges $100 online or $110 paper/in-office, and there is also a required $10 certificate fee, so the total state cost typically lands around $110 online or $120 paper/in-office.

You will also need a recent Certificate of Good Standing (or Existence) from your home state. In our experience, that extra document is usually $0–$50, depending on the state.

One practical upside is that foreign LLCs generally do not have Nebraska’s newspaper publication step. That means you usually avoid the extra publication spend that many domestic Nebraska LLCs have to budget for.

Ongoing Nebraska LLC state fees and filings

Once your LLC is formed, your regular Nebraska LLC state costs are pretty light. The big one is the biennial report, plus occasional small fees if you change your registered agent, amend your filing, dissolve, or reinstate the company.

Nebraska LLC biennial report fee and schedule

Nebraska does not charge an annual franchise tax just for being an LLC. Instead, you keep the company active by filing a biennial report every two years. In 2025, the report is commonly listed as $25 online or $30 on paper, and it applies to both domestic and foreign LLCs.

The report is due in odd-numbered years. The due date is April 1, and the main Secretary of State reporting page lists it as delinquent after June 16. Aaron Kra also points out that an older Secretary of State page still references June 1. Either way, we treat April 1 as the real must-file-by deadline and file early so we are not relying on a delinquency window.

Missed filings can lead to administrative dissolution and reinstatement fees, so it is always cheaper to stay on schedule. If you let a dissolution sit too long, the bill can jump fast. Nebraska’s SOS notes that entities inactive for more than 5 years may require a late reinstatement, and the late reinstatement application fee is $500. The state also warns that other amounts may apply, such as past-due reports and interest, so it is almost always cheaper to file the biennial report on time. For exact dates and the current online form, check the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Annual/Biennial Reporting page.

If you’re used to states that require yearly filings, this overview of LLC annual report rules helps explain how “annual” vs “biennial” reporting works.

Fees to change your registered agent or business office

When you change your registered agent or designated office, you file a Statement of Change with the state. The fee is $25 online via eDelivery or $30 in office/by mail, and you pay it each time you file a change. This is separate from any registered agent service fee, which typically runs around $100–$300 per year if you use a commercial provider. If you’re only updating the agent’s address for the same company, the state uses similar forms and the same $25–$30 fee range.

Amendment filing fees

If you change your LLC’s legal name, adjust key terms, or need to fix a mistake, Nebraska treats that as an amendment, not just a simple update. An Amended Certificate of Organization costs $25 online or $30 in office/by mail, and a Statement of Correction uses the same fee levels. If you need to amend or correct a biennial report, the state charges a flat $30. You only pay these when you actually change or correct information; many small LLCs go years without any amendment beyond a basic Statement of Change.

Dissolution and reinstatement fees

If you close your Nebraska LLC voluntarily, you file a Statement of Dissolution, which costs $25 online or $30 in office/by mail. If you change your mind soon after, you can file a Rescind Voluntary Dissolution for $30. When the state dissolves or revokes your LLC for missed filings, reinstatement requires an Application for Reinstatement ($30) or, in late cases, an Application for Late Reinstatement at $500, plus any overdue reports and taxes. Because late reinstatement can be so expensive, it’s almost always cheaper to keep up with the $25–$30 biennial report instead of letting the LLC lapse.

Other common Nebraska LLC costs

On top of official state filing fees, most Nebraska LLC owners spend extra on support services, licenses, banking, and tax tools. These aren’t paid to the Secretary of State, but they still affect your real LLC budget.

Registered agent service pricing in Nebraska

Nebraska requires every LLC to have a registered agent with a Nebraska street address, but you can serve as your own agent for free if you’re okay using your personal address. If you hire a commercial registered agent instead, expect roughly $100–$300 per year, with some bundled formation packages giving the first year free and then renewing around $119–$249 per year.

If you want to compare providers before choosing, see the best Nebraska registered agent services.

Business licenses and local permit costs

Forming an LLC doesn’t replace local licenses. Nebraska handles licensing mostly at the city/county and industry level. In practice, basic business licenses often run about $25–$100 per year in smaller cities, $50–$200 in mid-sized cities, and $100–$500+ in Omaha or Lincoln, depending on your activity. Some industries (like restaurants, bars, or salons) also need health, fire, or building permits that can add roughly $50–$300+. A simple rule of thumb is to budget $50–$300+ per year for local licensing and confirm exact numbers with your city or county.

For a wider benchmark beyond Nebraska, see this roundup of business license costs by state.

Operating agreement, legal templates, and professional help

Nebraska doesn’t legally force you to have an LLC operating agreement, but banks and partners often expect one. You can use free templates (cost $0, but requires more DIY effort), pay for a document or legal template service (usually around $35–$199 one time, or about $20–$40 per month on subscription platforms), or hire an attorney to draft a custom agreement (commonly $500+ for a small business LLC). For most simple Nebraska LLCs, a realistic budget is $0–$200 for templates or $500+ for fully custom legal work.

EIN, business bank account, and basic setup tools

Getting an EIN directly from the IRS is completely free, so you should never pay the government for that; paid services just charge for convenience. For banking, many online business checking accounts have no monthly fee, while traditional banks often charge $15–$30 per month unless you meet balance or activity requirements. So annual banking cost can range from $0 up to roughly $180–$360+.

For bookkeeping, you can start with free tools for invoicing and expense tracking, or step up to cloud accounting like QuickBooks at about $20–$50 per month. In total, most small LLCs can expect $0–$600 per year for banking plus basic bookkeeping software, depending on whether they stick to free options or pay for upgrades.

Tax compliance costs

Tax isn’t paid through the Secretary of State, but it’s a major ongoing cost line. If you use DIY tax software, small-business plans are often under $100 per year for federal + state filing, which can work fine for a simple single-member LLC. If you’d rather hire a CPA or enrolled agent, typical small-business tax preparation usually runs about $400–$1,000+ per year, depending on how complex your income and deductions are. In practice, a modest Nebraska service business might budget $0–$100 per year for DIY software or $400–$1,000+ per year if they want a professional to handle the returns.

If you want a quick refresher on why LLC taxes can look “cheaper” on paper (and when they don’t), see these LLC tax benefits.

Protected Series designation (Series LLC) – Only if applicable

Most Nebraska LLCs can ignore this. You only pay this fee if you are creating a Series LLC and need to establish one or more protected series. The Nebraska Secretary of State lists the Protected Series Designation fee as $110 per protected series established.

Example Nebraska LLC cost scenarios (first year and ongoing)

To see how all these fees play out in real life, here’s a quick comparison of three common Nebraska LLC setups, using the 2025 costs from this guide.

A bare-bones DIY Nebraska LLC assumes you file online, use a low-cost local newspaper, act as your own registered agent, get a free EIN from the IRS, and use free/basic tools. That puts mandatory first-year state and publication costs around $215, with a practical range of $215–$350 once you add banking and local licenses. Ongoing, you mainly pay the averaged $12–$13/year biennial report plus whatever your city or county charges for a business license.

A Nebraska LLC formed with a package and paid registered agent typically lands near $495 in the first year, combining a mid-range formation + RA bundle (about $250), the $100 online filing, a mid-range newspaper notice, and the $25 proof filing. After that, you’re usually looking at roughly $160–$180 per year in predictable fees (registered agent renewal and the averaged biennial report), plus local licensing. If you want to compare providers before you buy a package, see our Nebraska LLC formation service reviews.

A small active Nebraska LLC with modest professional support typically costs around $1,300 in the first year. This setup usually includes a paid registered agent, one trade name with publication, entry-level accounting software, and a tax professional once per year. Ongoing costs are usually about $875–$900 per year, covering the registered agent, software, annual tax preparation, and the averaged biennial report, with any required local license fees added on top.

Nebraska LLC cost FAQs

These FAQs cover the most common money questions around Nebraska LLCs, including startup costs, ways to save, and what you can expect to pay each year to keep your company in good standing.