How to file Wisconsin Articles of Organization for an LLC

If you googled how to form an LLC in Wisconsin, and are feeling confused, don’t worry! At LLC University®, we specialize in researching the LLC formation process and turning it into step-by-step instructions.

File Articles of Organization to form an LLC in Wisconsin

In this lesson, we will walk you through filing the Wisconsin LLC Articles of Organization form with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI).

Your Articles of Organization is the legal document that officially forms your Wisconsin LLC. You can file this document online or by mail.

The form asks for basic information like your business name, your LLC address, and your company’s Registered Agent information.

Wisconsin LLC Articles of Organization filing fee

The filing fee for a Wisconsin LLC varies depending on how you file:

• If you file by mail, the fee is $170
• If you file online, the fee is $130

How much is an LLC in Wisconsin explains all the fees you’ll pay, including the Articles of Organization LLC filing fee.

LLC approval times

The approval time for an LLC in Wisconsin varies depending on how you file:

• If you file by mail, your LLC will be approved in 5 business days (plus mail time)
• If you file online, your LLC will be approved immediately

LLC University® recommendation: We recommend filing your Wisconsin Articles of Organization online as it’s cheaper and has a faster approval time. Instructions for online filing are below.

However, if you aren’t very tech-comfortable, you can still file by mail.

Alternatively, you can hire a company to form your LLC instead. Check out Best LLC Services in Wisconsin for our suggestions.

Note: Filing times may take longer due to government delays. For the most up-to-date LLC processing times, check how long does it take to get an LLC in Wisconsin.

How to File a Wisconsin LLC by Mail

If you want to file by mail (instead of online), you need to:

1. Download and complete the Wisconsin LLC Articles of Organization
   • Enter the information about your LLC on page 1
   • If you want your approved Wisconsin Articles of Organization returned by email, enter your email address on page 2. If you want your Articles of Organization returned by regular mail, enter your mailing address on page 2.
2. Print out the form and sign it
   • When printing, use regular white paper (8.5″ x 11″)
3. Prepare a check or money order for $170
   • Make payable to “State of Wisconsin“
   • Put your LLC Name on the memo line
4. Send your payment and the completed form to:
   • State of WI – Dept. of Financial Institutions
     PO Box 93348
     Milwaukee, WI 53293-0348

How to File a Wisconsin LLC Online

These instructions will walk you through filing Wisconsin Articles of Organization using the QuickStart LLC system from the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

You don’t need to create an account to use the QuickStart LLC system. The first page lists the information you’ll need to form your LLC.

Simply click the button at the bottom to start your filing.

Wisconsin Articles of Organization Instructions

Name of Domestic Limited Liability Company

First, make sure your business name follows Wisconsin naming guidelines: Wisconsin LLC Name Search.

Article 1: Name of Domestic Limited Liability Company

Enter your desired business name. Make sure to include the designator at the end.

The designator can be any of these:

• LLC
• L.L.C.
• Limited Liability Co.
• Limited Liability Company
• LC
• L.C.
• Limited Company
• Limited Co.
• Ltd. Liability Co.
• Ltd. Liability Company

Click Next to continue.

Registered Agent and Office Address

• Learn More:
  • Who can be my registered agent in Wisconsin?
  • Is a Registered Agent a Member of an LLC?

If your Registered Agent is a person:

Article 3 (Registered Agent Name):
Enter their first and last name.

Article 4 (Registered Office Address):
Enter their physical address. This Registered Office address must be in Wisconsin and must be a street address. It can’t be a PO Box.

If you hired a Registered Agent Service:

Tip: If you want to hire a Registered Agent Service, we recommend Northwest Registered Agent. After you’ve hired a Registered Agent Service, you can complete the Articles of Organization as follows.

Article 3 (Registered Agent Name):
Click Select Entity. This will take you to the Corporate Records Search page. From here, search the name of the Registered Agent Service.

Click the name of the Registered Agent Service you hired. Scroll down and find their Registered Agent Office address (the one in Wisconsin). Write this address down because you’ll need to enter it in the next step.

Click “Select this Entity” at the top of this page to return to the form.

Article 4 (Registered Office Address): Enter the physical address of your Wisconsin Registered Agent.

Management

• Learn More: Member-managed vs Manager-managed LLC

Article 5: Management

Choose whether your LLC will be Member-managed or Manager-managed.

Wisconsin doesn’t require you to list any specific Members or Managers. You just need to identify which management structure your LLC will use.

Organizer

• Learn More: LLC Organizer vs LLC Member and Registered Agent vs LLC Organizer

Article 6: Name and complete address of each organizer

Enter your first and last name and your address. This address can be an address that’s already on the Articles of Organization, or a:

• street address
• PO Box address
• mailbox rental address
• virtual office address

This address can be in Wisconsin or in any state, or it can be an international address.

Click Save Organizer to confirm. Then click Next to continue.

Drafter

If you’re in Wisconsin, enter your first and last name. And leave the “This document is executed outside of Wisconsin” box unchecked.

If you’re outside of Wisconsin, you can check the “This document is executed outside of Wisconsin” box and you don’t need to enter your name.

(Optional) Delayed Effective Date

• Learn More: What is the LLC Effective Date?

The LLC Effective Date is the date your LLC goes into existence. Think of it like the day your LLC is “born”.

If you don’t declare a Delayed Effective Date, your LLC will become effective the day it is approved by Wisconsin’s Department of Financial Institutions.

If you want your LLC to go into existence on the date it’s approved by the state:
Then you don’t need to do anything here. Most people choose this option.

If you want your LLC to go into existence on a future date:
Click “Declare a Delayed Effective Date” and enter that date (ex: MM/DD/YYYY). This date can’t be more than 90 days ahead. And you can’t back-date your filing.

Tip: You’ll see a note about including a time. This is not necessary or important. So you can just ignore this note.

Pro tip: If you’re forming your Wisconsin LLC later in the year (October, November, December) and you don’t need your LLC open right away, you can give your LLC an effective date of January 1st of the following year. This can save you the hassle of filing taxes for those few months with no business activity.

Signature

Check the box next to the Organizer’s name. That’s all you need to do on this screen.

Click Next to proceed.

Contact

This is the person the Department of Financial Institutions will contact with any questions about the filing information. This person can be the Drafter, the Organizer, or someone else at the LLC.

The Department of Financial Institutions communicates by email, so make sure the email address you enter is monitored.

Enter the Contact Person’s mailing address, email address, and phone number. This address can be an address that’s already on the Articles of Organization, or a:

• street address
• PO Box address
• mailbox rental address
• virtual office address

This address can be in Wisconsin or in any state, or it can be an international address.

Summary

Review the information you entered by scrolling through the page.

You can click the “Edit” button on any of the sections to make changes, if needed.

Optional Expedited Service

Because most LLC filings in Wisconsin are approved immediately, you don’t need to pay extra for Expedited Service. Most people leave this box unchecked.

Click Next to continue.

Payment Details – Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions

The fee for a Wisconsin LLC through QuickStart LLC is $130. There’s nothing to do on the first screen, so click Continue.

On the next screen, you will submit your payment to the state. You can pay this fee with a credit card or debit card.

Congratulations! Your Wisconsin LLC Articles of Organization form has been submitted for processing.

LLC approval time (online filing)

When you file with QuickStart LLC, your LLC is approved immediately.

The state will email you a stamped and approved copy of your Articles of Organization. This email will be sent to the Contact Person you entered in the last step.

We recommend making a few copies of your Wisconsin LLC Articles of Organization and keeping them with your business records.

What if I didn’t get an email approval?

• If you don’t get the email approval within a few minutes, please check your spam folder.
• If you don’t get an email within 30 minutes, there might be an issue with your filing (ex: an incomplete address). If that’s the case, please wait one day for a new email from the state. This new email will explain what was wrong with your filing and how to fix it.
• If you have any questions about your LLC approval, you can call the state.

Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions Contact Info

If you have any questions, you can contact the Corporation Section of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI).

Their phone number is 608-261-7577. And their regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm Central Time.

Wisconsin LLC FAQs

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.