This is step 3 of six. Step 2 settled who your registered agent will be; if that is still open, go back and decide. This lesson walks through the filing that actually creates the LLC: the Articles of Organization, filed online with the Oregon Business Registry. It covers what the form asks for, what it costs, how fast it processes, and what you have when it is done.
Where you file
The Oregon Secretary of State's Corporation Division takes LLC filings through its online Business Registry. You can also file on paper by mail or courier, but there is little reason to for a solo practice. The state's own delivery options page says filings submitted through its online systems are processed the same or the next business day. Mailed documents need 7 to 10 days for delivery before processing starts, and overnight or second-day courier gets priority handling at 2 to 3 business days.
| Method | Processing |
|---|---|
| Online Business Registry | Same or next business day |
| FedEx or UPS overnight or second-day | Priority handling, 2 to 3 business days |
| Regular mail | 7 to 10 days for delivery, then processing |
What the form asks for
I will be direct about the limits of what I verified. I checked the statute that lists what the Articles must contain, and the state's overview pages; I did not capture every screen of the live online form. Read each screen as you go. The items below are the ones I can point to a source for.
- The LLC's name. The name you cleared in Step 1 with the Find a Business search.
- The registered agent and registered office. A name and an Oregon street address, as the state's overview requires. This is the Step 2 decision.
- The professional service the LLC will render. ORS 63.047(1)(g) requires an LLC that will provide professional services to state which service. For a therapist that means naming the licensed service you provide, in the terms your license uses. If you are unsure how to phrase it, this is a good moment to ask the licensing board or an attorney rather than guess.
The form will ask for more than those three things. Whatever else it asks, answer it from documents you have in front of you rather than from memory, and do not enter a PO Box anywhere the form wants a street address.
What it costs
The Business Registry Fee Schedule posted on the Secretary of State's site lists the Articles of Organization for a domestic LLC at $100, as of September 2026. The same schedule lists $100 for articles of amendment and $100 for the annual renewal, so expect that number to come around again in Step 6.
A caveat I would rather state than bury: the fee schedule PDF carries a revision code that reads like July 2013 and shows no 2026 date. The $100 figure is consistent with what I could find elsewhere, but the form itself will show the fee at checkout, and that is the number to trust.
What you get back
Once the filing is processed, the LLC exists as an Oregon entity and appears in the public registry. The Find a Business tool lets anyone search by business name or by Business Registry Number, which tells you two useful things: your LLC will have a registry number, and your filing details, including the registered agent address from Step 2, will be visible to anyone who looks.
Save whatever confirmation the system gives you, and pull up your own entry in Find a Business once it appears. Three things downstream depend on being able to show the LLC exists: the EIN application in Step 4, the bank account in Step 5, and any payer or landlord who asks for proof.
A short checklist before you click submit
- Name searched and clear (Step 1).
- Registered agent named, with an Oregon street address, and the agent has agreed (Step 2).
- Professional service stated in the Articles (ORS 63.047).
- Fee confirmed on the form's own checkout screen.
- A copy of every screen saved before you pay.
This is not legal advice. I have written down what the statute and the state's pages say the filing requires, with links; an attorney gets the final word on how to fill in the professional-services line and anything else that looks specific to your situation.
Real example from my own filing
The document attached below is my LLC's public registry record, rebuilt and redacted: entity type, registry date, registered agent, and the history table. Notice the two lines from 2024 where the annual report slipped, the state administratively dissolved the company, and a reinstatement filing five weeks later put it back to Active. The record keeps those lines forever, and a payer's credentialing analyst will see them; calendar the renewal the day you file.
Further reading
- Oregon SOS: Delivery Options. The processing-time page; read it if you are tempted to file by mail.
- Oregon Business Registry Fee Schedule (PDF). The $100 filing fee and every related fee, on one page.
- ORS 63.047, contents of the Articles of Organization. The statute the online form is built around; item (1)(g) is the professional-services requirement.
- Oregon SOS: Select Your Business Name and Structure. The registered agent and operating agreement requirements in the state's own words.
- Oregon SBDC Network: How to Set Up an LLC. A practical, non-statutory walkthrough that pairs well with the filing screens.
Documents
Templates and worksheets that go with this lesson.
Real example: Oregon Business Registry record (PDF)
Study guide
Where and how to file
- File the Articles of Organization online with the Oregon Business Registry (Secretary of State, Corporation Division); this filing creates the LLC
- Paper by mail or courier is possible, but there is little reason for a solo practice
| Method | Processing (Oregon SOS, September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Online Business Registry | Same or next business day |
| FedEx or UPS, overnight or second-day | Priority handling, 2 to 3 business days |
| Regular mail | 7 to 10 days for delivery, then processing |
What the form asks for
- The LLC's name, cleared in step 1 with Find a Business
- The registered agent and registered office: a name and an Oregon street address (step 2)
- The professional service the LLC will render, required by ORS 63.047(1)(g), in the terms your license uses; ask the board or an attorney if unsure how to phrase it
- Everything else: answer from documents in front of you, not memory, and never enter a PO Box where a street address is wanted
What it costs
- $100 for a domestic LLC per the fee schedule, as of September 2026; amendments and the annual renewal are also $100
- The fee schedule PDF looks dated (a revision code like July 2013), so trust the fee shown at checkout
What you get back
- The LLC exists as an Oregon entity with a Business Registry Number
- Your entry, including the registered agent address, is public in Find a Business
- Save the confirmation and look up your own entry; the EIN (step 4), the bank account (step 5), and any payer or landlord asking for proof all depend on it
Checklist before you submit
- Name searched and clear
- Registered agent named, with an Oregon street address, and the agent has agreed
- Professional service stated
- Fee confirmed on the checkout screen
- A copy of every screen saved before you pay
From my own record
- In 2024 the annual report slipped, the state administratively dissolved the LLC, and a reinstatement filing five weeks later restored Active status
- Those lines stay on the record and credentialing analysts see them: calendar the renewal the day you file
Key terms
- Articles of Organization: the filing that creates the LLC
- Business Registry Number: the state's number for your LLC, searchable in Find a Business
- ORS 63.047(1)(g): the requirement to name the professional service
Check what you learned
10 questions from this lesson. Answers are checked as you go; nothing is recorded.
1 / 10
What is the primary purpose of filing the Articles of Organization with the Oregon Business Registry?
Hint
This is the step that actually creates the LLC
Filing the Articles of Organization creates the LLC as an Oregon entity.
2 / 10
Which filing method typically results in the fastest processing time?
Hint
The lesson lists processing times by delivery method
Online Business Registry filings are processed the same or next business day.
3 / 10
What fee is listed for filing Articles of Organization for a domestic LLC in September 2026?
Hint
The fee schedule is mentioned in the lesson
The Business Registry Fee Schedule lists $100 for Articles of Organization.
4 / 10
Which of the following must be included in the Articles of Organization for a therapist?
Hint
ORS 63.047(1)(g) requires a specific line
ORS 63.047(1)(g) requires naming the licensed service the LLC will provide.
5 / 10
What must the registered agent's address be?
Hint
The lesson specifies the type of address
The registered agent must have an Oregon street address.
6 / 10
Which tool can be used to verify that the LLC name is clear before filing?
Hint
Step 1 involves a name search
The Find a Business tool lets you search by business name.
7 / 10
How does the lesson say to answer the form's questions beyond the name, agent, and professional service?
Hint
Look at the paragraph after the three items.
Whatever else the form asks, answer it from documents in front of you rather than from memory, and never enter a PO Box where it wants a street address.
8 / 10
Which later steps depend on being able to show the LLC exists?
Hint
See "What you get back".
The EIN application in Step 4, the bank account in Step 5, and any payer or landlord who asks for proof all need the LLC on record.
9 / 10
Which of the following is NOT part of the short checklist before submitting the filing?
Hint
The checklist lists three items
The checklist includes name, agent, and professional service, not a tax return.
10 / 10
What happens if the annual report is missed and the LLC is administratively dissolved?
Hint
The example shows a reinstatement filing
The state can reinstate the LLC after a reinstatement filing.
Worth another look