Glossary

Glossary of LLC terms

Fifteen terms from LLC forms and state sites, each defined in a line and expanded on its own page.

LLC Q and A editorial team · Last updated November 13, 2026

All fifteen

Annual report: A periodic update of address, agent and managers.
Articles of organization: A short state form, with a fee, that names the company, its agent and the filer.
Certificate of good standing: Proof from home that the LLC's filings are up to date.
EIN: The LLC's federal tax ID, used for banking, hiring and returns.
Foreign LLC: The state's label for an LLC formed elsewhere.
Foreign registration: How an LLC formed elsewhere gets leave to do business in a new state. A few states name the approval a certificate of authority.
Member: An owner of the LLC. One owner is a single-member LLC; two or more, multi-member.
Minimum LLC tax: A fixed yearly tax that a few states charge LLCs even when they have no income. It is billed apart from the report fee, and it continues for as long as the LLC stays registered in that state.
Operating agreement: The owners' internal agreement on how the LLC runs and who owns what. Kept in company records, usually not filed.
Organizer: Whoever signs and files the formation paperwork. A filing service can serve as organizer.
Publication requirement: Some states want a newspaper notice announcing the new LLC, plus proof that it ran. The cost depends on the paper and the length of the run, so it is a separate expense from the state filing fee.
Registered agent: The person or company your LLC names to accept lawsuits and official state mail on its behalf, using a street address located inside the state where the LLC is registered.
Registered office: The in-state street address where the agent takes delivery. P.O. boxes generally fail.
Service of process: Official handing-over of court papers to the company, via the agent.
Statutory agent, resident agent and other names: Statutory agent, resident agent and similar titles all name the registered agent role.