Does Wisconsin have a Certificate of Formation?
No. Wisconsin does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. To create an LLC you file Articles of Organization (Form 502) with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions for $130 online. Certificate of Formation is the term used in Texas, Delaware, Washington, New Jersey, and a few other states.
How Wisconsin compares
- Wisconsin
- $130
- Rank
- 10 of 11 states, lowest to highest
- Median
- $50 - Wisconsin sits above it
- Range
- $40 (Kentucky) to $500 (Massachusetts)
Quick facts
- Certificate of Formation?
- No - Wisconsin does not use that document
- LLC formation doc
- Articles of Organization (Form 502), filed with the DFI
- LLC filing fee
- $130 online / $170 paper (2026)
- Corporation formation doc
- Articles of Incorporation (Form 2), filed with the DFI
- Certificate of Status
- Proof of good standing for an existing entity - not a formation document
- Agency
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI)
The same question in every other state
This requirement is set at state level, so the answer changes when you cross a state line. Below is how 27 other states answer the same question, each linked to the page that cites the agency it came from. The full breakdown is on How to Form an LLC.
| State | Answer |
|---|---|
| Arizona | No. Arizona does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| California | No. California does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Colorado | No. Colorado does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Connecticut | No. Connecticut does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Florida | No. Florida does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Idaho | Not by that name. Idaho's LLC formation document is called the Certificate of Organization, filed with the Idaho Secretary of State. |
| Iowa | No. Iowa does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Kentucky | No. Kentucky forms an LLC by filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State for a $40 fee. |
| Louisiana | No. Louisiana does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Maryland | No. Maryland does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Massachusetts | No. Massachusetts does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Michigan | No. Michigan does not use the term Certificate of Formation. |
| Minnesota | No. Minnesota does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Missouri | No. Missouri does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Nevada | No. Nevada does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| New Mexico | No. New Mexico does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| New York | No. New York does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Ohio | No. Ohio does not use the term Certificate of Formation. |
| Oklahoma | No. Oklahoma does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation' for LLCs. |
| Oregon | No. Oregon does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation' for LLCs. |
| Pennsylvania | No. Pennsylvania does not use a Certificate of Formation. |
| South Carolina | No. South Carolina does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Tennessee | No. Tennessee does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Utah | No. Utah does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation.' The document that forms a Utah LLC is the Certificate of Organization, filed with the Utah Division of Corporations & Commercial Code under Utah Code ยง 48-3a-201. |
| Vermont | No. Vermont creates an LLC through Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State under 11 V.S.A. |
| Virginia | No. Virginia does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| West Virginia | No. West Virginia LLCs file Articles of Organization on Form LLD-1 with the Secretary of State. |
Full context for Wisconsin
This page answers one question. The complete Wisconsin guide -- covering the surrounding requirements, the forms, the agency, and what happens if you get it wrong -- is at Wisconsin Certificate of Formation: What to File (2026).
Sources
- https://dfi.wi.gov/Documents/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/Forms/CORP502.pdf
- https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/183.0201
- https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/180
- https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/183
- https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/Businesses/New-Business-home.aspx
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