Does Pennsylvania require an operating agreement?
No. Pennsylvania's LLC law doesn't require an LLC to have one: the operating agreement governs relations among the members and between them and the company, and to the extent it doesn't provide for a matter, Title 15 governs it (15 Pa.C.S. § 8815(a)-(b)). It's still worth having. Without one, the Pennsylvania Uniform Limited Liability Company Act decides how profits are shared, who can act for the LLC and what happens when a member leaves, and banks often ask to see a signed agreement before opening an account for an LLC.
The Pennsylvania Uniform Limited Liability Company Act lets the agreement be oral or implied as well as written (15 Pa.C.S. § 8812(a)). A signed, written agreement is still the only kind a bank, a court or a new member can read.
Pennsylvania's LLC law and this template
Pennsylvania LLCs are governed by the Pennsylvania Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 2016 (15 Pa.C.S. Chapter 88) (15 Pa.C.S. ch. 88). It is Pennsylvania's version of the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. Where your agreement is silent, the act's default rules apply. Where the act lets an operating agreement change one of its rules, your agreement controls.
Choose Pennsylvania in the form and the agreement names the State of Pennsylvania as the LLC's home and governing law, refers to the Certificate of Organization filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State, and defines “the Act” as the Pennsylvania Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. Everything else adapts to your answers: one member or several, run by the members or by managers, with or without a buyout when a member dies.
What the Pennsylvania agreement covers
The agreement follows the order most operating agreements use: formation, name, principal office, registered agent, purpose and term; each member's contribution and, with several members, capital accounts and percentage interests; how profits, losses and cash are shared; management by the members or by managers, with the major decisions that need every member's consent; taxes, books, records and a separate bank account; transfers, new members, withdrawal and what happens when a member dies; and dissolution. Schedule A lists each member's contribution and share.
Forming and keeping a Pennsylvania LLC
The operating agreement stays with the LLC's records; these are the filings that go to the state. Check that the name is free first with our Pennsylvania LLC name search.
| Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Forming the LLC | Certificate of Organization, $125, filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State |
| Name must end with | “limited liability company”, “company”, “limited”, “or an abbreviation of one of those terms (e.g. LLC, L.L.C., Co., Ltd.)”, “or words or abbreviations of like import used in another jurisdiction” |
| Recurring report | $7 each year (due January 1 to September 30) |
| Newspaper notice | Not required |
| Name reservation | $70, 120 days (unconfirmed) |
| Good standing certificate | Subsistence certificate, $40 |
How to finish your Pennsylvania agreement
- Type the LLC's name exactly as it appears on its Certificate of Organization, ending included.
- Fill in or strike out anything left as a blank line, and make Schedule A's percentages add up to 100%.
- Have every member read and sign it. Electronic signatures count, and members can sign separate copies.
- Keep the signed agreement with the LLC's records; don't send it to the Pennsylvania Department of State. Give each member a copy.
For an LLC with one owner, see the single-member operating agreement; with partners, the multi-member version explains shares, voting and buyouts.
Sources
Checked on 2026-10-08 against the state's own pages:
- https://www.palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=HTM&ttl=15&div=0&chpt=88
- https://file.dos.pa.gov
- https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/types-of-filings-and-registrations/annual-reports
- https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/fees-and-payments
Common questions
Does Pennsylvania require an LLC operating agreement?
No. Pennsylvania's LLC law doesn't require one, but it's worth having: without it, the Pennsylvania Uniform Limited Liability Company Act's default rules decide how profits are shared and who can act for the LLC.
Do I file the operating agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of State?
No. The Pennsylvania Department of State receives the Certificate of Organization; the operating agreement is an internal document that stays with the LLC's records.
Is this Pennsylvania operating agreement template free?
Yes. There's no sign-up and no email address, and the agreement is built in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to us.