Series LLC States: Where Can You Form One

What a Series LLC Is, Briefly

A series LLC is a single LLC formed under a state's series statute that can create internal divisions, called series, each potentially holding its own assets, liabilities, and members separate from the other series and from the parent LLC. The appeal is similar to forming several separate LLCs under one holding company, often used for separating individual rental properties, but typically with one formation filing and one registered agent for the whole structure, rather than a separate filing for every property or line of business. Whether a series actually gets the same liability separation as a standalone LLC depends entirely on your state's specific statute, so the details below matter more than the general concept.

The Full List of States That Allow a Series LLC

As of October 2026, these 23 states and the District of Columbia have a series LLC statute: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Florida's Series LLC Law Is the Newest

Florida's protected series LLC provisions took effect July 1, 2026, under Chapter 605, Florida Statutes. A series is created by filing a protected series designation, and its name must begin with the parent LLC's name and include "protected series," "P.S.," or "PS." Before this law took effect, Florida had no series LLC option at all, so this is a meaningful recent change for anyone considering Florida for a multi-property or multi-line-of-business structure.

States With No Series LLC Option

Most states still have no series LLC statute, including several of the most populous: California, New York, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey, Washington, and Massachusetts, among others. If your state isn't on the list above, forming a series LLC there isn't an option; you'd instead need to form in a state that allows one and then register as a foreign LLC in your home state, or use a traditional multi-LLC holding structure instead.

Registered vs. Protected Series, and Why It Matters

Some states, including Delaware, distinguish between a "protected series," created privately through the LLC's own records, and a "registered series," created by filing a separate document with the state and paying its own fee. Delaware's registered series, for example, requires its own $110 formation filing and its own $100 annual tax, on top of the parent LLC's own $110 filing and $400 annual tax. Check whether your state of interest offers one type, both, or uses different terminology, since this affects both the cost and the formality of setting up each series.

Using a Series LLC Across State Lines

If you form a series LLC in a state that allows one, but operate in a state that doesn't recognize series LLCs at all, that state may not acknowledge the liability separation between series, treating the entire structure as a single LLC for its own legal purposes. This is a developing and inconsistent area of law across states, so a series LLC used outside its formation state deserves specific legal review before you rely on it.

Why Owners Choose a Series LLC Over Several Separate LLCs

The main draw is cost and paperwork: one Articles of Organization filing, one registered agent (in states that allow a single agent for the whole structure), and often one annual report, instead of a separate filing, fee, and registered agent for every property or line of business. For an owner with several similar assets, like a handful of rental properties, this can meaningfully reduce the administrative load compared to a traditional multi-LLC holding company structure.

Keeping Series Separate in Practice

Even where state law allows a series LLC, the liability separation between series generally depends on keeping each series' records, bank accounts, and contracts distinct, the same discipline a standalone multi-LLC structure requires. A series LLC reduces the number of state filings, not the bookkeeping discipline needed to keep each series's liabilities from bleeding into the others.

A Series LLC Isn't Automatically Simpler

While a series LLC can mean one state filing instead of several, many states still require separate records, separate bank accounts, and sometimes separate registered agent designations for each series to preserve the liability separation between them. The administrative simplicity a series LLC promises doesn't always materialize once you account for maintaining each series properly.

Banks and Title Companies May Be Unfamiliar With the Structure

Some banks, title companies, and lenders are less familiar with series LLCs than with standalone LLCs, which can slow down opening an account or closing a transaction for a specific series. Ask early whether the institution you're working with has experience with series LLCs in your state before assuming the process will be as smooth as a standalone LLC.

This Isn't Legal Advice

Whether a series LLC actually provides the liability separation you're expecting, especially if you operate across state lines, depends on your specific state's statute and how courts in that state have interpreted it. Talk to an attorney experienced with series LLCs in your specific state before relying on this structure for asset protection.

Check for Updates Before You File

Series LLC laws are a relatively active area of state legislation, as Florida's 2026 addition shows. Confirm your state's current rules directly with its Secretary of State or equivalent agency before filing, since a state not on this list today could add a series LLC law in the future.

Weigh a Series LLC Against Forming in a Series State as a Foreign Entity

If your home state doesn't allow a series LLC, forming one in a state that does and then registering as a foreign LLC back home adds a second state's fees and a second registered agent, similar to any other out-of-state formation decision. Compare that total cost against simply forming separate LLCs in your home state before assuming the series structure saves money for your specific situation.

Get the Structure Reviewed Before You Rely on It for a Specific Deal

If a lender, investor, or buyer is evaluating a transaction involving one of your series specifically, have your attorney confirm in advance that the counterparty's own counsel recognizes series LLC structures, since an unfamiliar structure can slow down or complicate a closing at the worst possible time.