Iowa Certificate of Authority / Fees
What an Iowa certificate of authority costs, entity by entity
The Iowa fee for authority to operate is $25 for a foreign nonprofit corporation, $100 for an LLC or business corporation, and $100 for a limited partnership. Each type then has its own report cost. We add $199 for preparing and filing, and the home office bills separately for its certificate.
Getting authorized, by entity type
| Entity | Iowa paper | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Nonprofit corporation | Application for Certificate of Authority | $25 |
| Limited liability company | Foreign Registration Statement | $100 |
| Corporation, for profit | Foreign Registration Statement | $100 |
| Limited partnership | Application for certificate of authority | $100 |
| LLP | Statement of foreign qualification | $100 |
| Cooperative association | Application for certificate of authority | $100 |
Changing or ending the authority
| Entity | Amend | Withdraw |
|---|---|---|
| Nonprofit corporation | $25 | $5 |
| LLC | $100 | $10 |
| Business corporation | $100 | $10 |
| Limited partnership | $100 | $20 |
| Limited liability partnership | $20 | $20 |
Keeping it current: the biennial report
| Entity | Years | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Nonprofit corporation | Odd-numbered | No filing fee |
| LLC | Odd-numbered | $30 online, $45 on paper |
| Limited liability partnership | Odd-numbered | $30 online, $45 on paper |
| Business corporation | Even-numbered | $60 |
The report window is January 1 to April 1 in each case.
Speed, review and copies
| Service | Fee | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Faster filing, 2 business days | $50 | Charged on each document unless it is rejected |
| Faster filing, 5 business days | $15 | Charged on each document unless it is rejected |
| Pre-filing review, same day | $250 | Requests must arrive by 10:00 AM |
| Copy of a filed document | $1 | Per page; certifying adds a further charge |
| Certifying a copy | $5 | For the certificate |
Preclearance gives no filing date and is not credited toward the filing. Two-day and three-day tiers exist, priced at twice and at the filing fee.
Three realistic totals
| Path | Iowa total |
|---|---|
| Nonprofit applies, then leaves | $30 |
| LLC registers, then files its first report online | $130 |
| Corporation registers, then files its first report | $160 |
What our fee pays for
Our fee, $199, covers choosing the paper, drafting it from your answers, requesting the home certificate on the right day, recording the agent or office and sending the filing. Iowa's fee is shown on its own line, and the certificate from home is a third item.
Why the nonprofit fee is the lowest
Iowa prices a nonprofit's authority at $25, a quarter of an LLC's $100, and charges nonprofits no fee for their biennial reports. Withdrawing costs only $5. A nonprofit that files the wrong paper, say the LLC statement, would overpay and still miss the certificate it needs.
Costs outside the Iowa schedule
The first four years by entity
| Entity | What it pays Iowa | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Nonprofit corporation | Application $25, reports free | $25 |
| LLC | Registration $100 plus one online report $30 | $130 |
| Business corporation | Registration $100 plus one report $60 | $160 |
The totals count one report each. A further report two years on adds the same amount again, and none for a nonprofit.
Where each fee sits
Iowa groups its forms and fees by entity type and then by domestic or foreign. The registration or certificate of authority fee sits under the foreign heading for your entity, beside the amended form and the withdrawal. Any other statement, report or document filed under the Code is five dollars.
How to pay the state
On a mailed filing the check names the Secretary of State as payee. Frequent filers can open a charge account with the office. An online LLC filing is paid through the portal. If you want a certified copy of a filed document later, it costs $1 a page plus $5 for the certificate.
Registered agent: first year included, then $149 a year
$199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Fee questions
Why does a nonprofit pay less?
Iowa lists its application at $25, against $100 for an LLC or business corporation.
Is the agent change really free?
Yes, at the state. Iowa shows the change as a statement with no fee.
Can a pre-filing review stand in for the faster filing?
No. The review checks a document for errors and gives no filing date; the faster tier shortens the filing itself.
Our fee and Iowa's
We tell you which Iowa fee applies before you pay. An LLC and a nonprofit pay different amounts. $199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Get Iowa authority to operate
IA$199
+ the Iowa fee for your entity type, from $25
- The Iowa paper that fits your entity type, drafted from what you tell us
- The certificate of existence from home, ordered so it lands inside Iowa's ninety days
- An Iowa registered agent or office: ours, or your current one
- The filing sent and the state's record returned, with your report year marked
- Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year
Sources
- Iowa Form 635_0106, nonprofit application for certificate of authority
- Iowa Form 635_0010, LLC foreign registration statement
- Iowa Code 489.903, foreign registration statement
- Iowa Code 490.1503, foreign corporation registration statement
- Iowa Code 504.1503, application for a certificate of authority
- Iowa Form 635_0110a, foreign profit corporation registration statement
- Iowa Code 490.122, business corporation fees
- Iowa Secretary of State, business entity forms and fees
- Iowa Code 489.122, LLC fees
- Iowa Fast Track Filing help, how to file a biennial report
- Iowa Code 489.212, biennial report
- Iowa Code 490.1621, biennial report of a corporation
- Iowa Secretary of State, preclearance and expedited services
Not sure which Iowa paper you need?
Name your entity type and home state and we will say what Iowa asks.