New Mexico LLC Cost in 2026: $50 Filing Fee and Why There Is No Annual Report Fee
New Mexico LLC Cost in 2026: $50 Filing Fee and Why There Is No Annual Report Fee
If you want the short answer on new mexico llc cost, it is $50 to file Articles of Organization with the New Mexico Secretary of State. Checkout on the state's online system usually totals about $52 once the payment charge is added. New Mexico then charges an LLC no annual or biennial report fee, so the state side of the bill ends at formation. The recurring cost most owners actually pay is a city or county business registration, which is usually about $35 a year.
This guide breaks down the new mexico llc fees line by line: the required filing fee, the optional charges you may choose, the taxes that do and do not apply, and the local costs that depend on where you operate. It is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Before you choose between an LLC and a corporation, or decide how the business will be taxed, talk with a New Mexico attorney or a CPA.
The core state cost: the $50 Articles of Organization fee
Every LLC is formed by filing Articles of Organization. The new mexico llc filing fee for that document is $50, set by statute at NMSA 53-19-63. It is the only state charge you must pay to create the entity. Three practical details affect what you actually pay and how long formation takes:
- Filing is online only. All business filings go through the SOS Enterprise Business Filing System at enterprise.sos.nm.gov. Do not plan on a paper filing.
- Budget about $52, not $50. The checkout total often lands near $52 because of a payment charge.
- There is no published standard turnaround. The Secretary of State does not publish a processing time. Your filing is reviewed before the certificate of organization is issued, and the state emails you if it is approved, rejected or needs a correction. Plan around that email, not a fixed date.
Optional state charges: name reservation, expedited service and agent changes
None of these charges is required, but each one shows up in a real budget.
| Item | Cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Name reservation | $20 | Holds a name for 120 days. The reservation cannot be renewed. |
| Expedited, same business day | $150 | Filing received before 2:00 p.m. Later filings move to the next business day. Paid separately and nonrefundable under 12.3.1.9 NMAC. |
| Expedited, two business days | $100 | Paid separately and nonrefundable under 12.3.1.9 NMAC. |
| Registered agent change | $20 | Applies to an LLC. Corporations pay $25. |
Expedited service is not guaranteed for every filing. Confirm availability with the Secretary of State before you pay for it. A name reservation is useful when you need time to finish the paperwork. It is not a long-term hold, because the 120 days cannot be extended.
Registered agent: optional to buy, and you can be your own
Every LLC must maintain a registered office in New Mexico and a registered agent to accept legal papers. The registered office can be the same address as your principal place of business. The agent must be either an individual who is a New Mexico resident or a business entity with a New Mexico place of business at that office address.
Buying a registered agent service is optional. If you are a New Mexico resident with a New Mexico street address, you can serve as your own agent. The tradeoff is that service of process goes to that address, so someone has to be there during business hours to receive it. Commercial agent services set their own prices, and the state does not set them, so compare providers directly before you buy.
Why there is no annual report fee for an LLC
New Mexico LLCs file no annual or biennial report with the Secretary of State, and the state charges no annual fee for one. This is the biggest difference from many other states, where a yearly state filing is a regular expense for LLC owners. Once the Articles of Organization are approved, the state has no recurring report to file for the entity.
Corporations follow a different schedule. A New Mexico corporation files a Corporate Report with a $25 fee. The first report is due within 30 days after the certificate of incorporation is issued. After that, reports are due every two years, on or before the fifteenth day of the fourth month following the end of the corporation's taxable year. Forming a corporation also costs $100 for the Articles of Incorporation, compared with $50 for an LLC.
If you are comparing states, Nevada, Arizona and Delaware all have recurring state obligations for LLCs. Check each state's business agency for those figures before you compare totals.
State tax costs: what applies to your entity
Taxes are separate from formation fees, and they depend on how the entity is classified. The points below are informational only.
- Default LLC. An LLC taxed as a default pass-through does not owe the $50 annual corporate franchise tax. Its income generally flows to the owners' personal returns, which New Mexico taxes at graduated rates from 1.5% to 5.9% for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.
- LLC taxed as a corporation. An LLC that elects corporate treatment files form CIT-1 with the Taxation and Revenue Department, owes the $50 annual corporate franchise tax, and pays a flat 5.9% corporate income tax for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.
- Corporations. The same CIT-1 filing, the $50 franchise tax and the 5.9% corporate income tax apply.
Confirm the right classification with a CPA before you file, because that choice affects more than the $50 franchise tax.
Gross receipts tax, not sales tax
New Mexico has no sales tax. The gross receipts tax is imposed on the seller instead. The state rate is 4.875%, and combined state and local rates run from 5.25% to 9.4375% under the schedule effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Gross receipts tax is not a formation fee. It is a cost of doing business that grows with your sales, and the Taxation and Revenue Department explains who must register at its who must register a business page.
Business Tax Identification Number
The Taxation and Revenue Department issues a Business Tax Identification Number (BTIN, formerly called a CRS number) at no charge. The BTIN is a tax registration, not a license. You request it through the department at tax.newmexico.gov.
Local registration: the recurring cost that matters
New Mexico issues no general statewide business license. The state's own business navigator lists three universal steps: register the legal entity with the Secretary of State, obtain tax ID numbers through the Taxation and Revenue Department at no charge, and obtain any activity-specific licenses through the Regulation and Licensing Department. Activity licenses vary by trade, so confirm with that department which licenses your business needs and what they cost.
Cities and some counties require their own business registration, usually a flat annual charge. This is where most of your recurring cost will land. State law caps a municipal registration fee at $35 a year under NMSA 3-38-3. Hobbs charges $25. Albuquerque posted $36.75 as of July 1, 2026. That Albuquerque amount is above the $35 cap cited above, so confirm the current figure and its legal basis with the City of Albuquerque before you budget. Your city or county may differ, so ask the clerk's office where your business will be located.
Trade names: no state DBA filing, but the name still matters
New Mexico has no statewide DBA or assumed-name registration. Sole proprietors, general partnerships, LLCs and corporations have no state filing to pay for under a trade name. If your LLC will trade under a different name, state that name in its Articles of Organization, which is the same $50 filing.
The LLC name itself must include limited liability company, limited company, or an abbreviation such as LLC, L.L.C., LC or L.C. Limited may be abbreviated ltd. and company may be abbreviated co. The name must also be distinguishable from the names of existing New Mexico LLCs, limited partnerships and corporations, from foreign entities authorized to do business here, and from any reserved name. Search the SOS business search before you file.
Your first-year budget at a glance
| Cost | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization | $50 | Statutory fee under NMSA 53-19-63 |
| Secretary of State checkout total | About $52 | Includes a payment charge |
| Business Tax Identification Number | Free | Tax registration from the Taxation and Revenue Department |
| LLC annual or biennial report | $0 | No state report is required for an LLC |
| Name reservation | $20 | Optional, holds the name for 120 days |
| Expedited filing | $150 same day or $100 in two days | Optional, paid separately, nonrefundable, availability to confirm |
| Registered agent change | $20 | Only if you change the agent later |
| Local registration | Usually about $35 a year | Depends on city or county. Hobbs $25. Albuquerque $36.75 posted, confirm |
| Corporate franchise tax | $50 a year | Only if the LLC is taxed as a corporation, reported on CIT-1 |
A default LLC in a location with no local registration fee can form for about $52 in state charges. Add local registration if your city or county charges it, and add the optional items only if you need them.
Bottom line
To form a New Mexico LLC, budget about $52 for the Articles of Organization filing and a free BTIN. Expect no state annual or biennial report. Expect a local registration, usually about $35 a year, depending on where you operate. If you elect corporate taxation or form a corporation, add the $50 franchise tax and the 5.9% corporate income tax, and for a corporation the $25 biennial report as well.
Where to confirm the numbers
- New Mexico Secretary of State business services: sos.nm.gov/business-services
- SOS Enterprise Business Filing System: enterprise.sos.nm.gov
- New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department: tax.newmexico.gov
- New Mexico Small Business Development Center: nmsbdc.org
- SBA New Mexico district office information: sba.gov/district/new-mexico
This article is informational only. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Fees and rules change, so confirm current amounts with the agency named before you file. For decisions about entity structure, taxes or personal liability, consult a qualified New Mexico attorney or CPA.