What Documents Do You Need to Open an LLC Bank Account?

Once the state approves your LLC, a business bank account is usually the next thing on the list. It keeps company money apart from personal money, which makes bookkeeping easier and helps protect the liability shield the LLC is meant to provide.

Banks don’t just look at your state approval, though. Federal rules require them to verify who the company is, who owns it and who controls it. If your paperwork is incomplete or inconsistent, the application stalls.

Every bank sets its own list, so ask for it before you apply. Most will ask for some version of the following:

• The approved Articles of Organization (or Certificate of Organization)
• The IRS EIN confirmation letter
• Your Operating Agreement
• Government-issued photo ID for owners and signers
• Proof of the business address
• In some cases: a Certificate of Good Standing, a banking resolution, a DBA registration or a business license

Approved Formation Documents

Bring the approved filing, not the submission receipt. A receipt shows you applied and paid. It doesn’t show the state formed the company. The document’s name depends on the state; Florida calls it Articles of Organization, Pennsylvania calls it a Certificate of Organization.

Use the LLC’s full legal name on the application, exactly as it appears on the approved document. If you plan to receive payments under a brand name, tell the bank and bring your DBA registration.

Still waiting for approval? Use the time to compare banks and collect everything else. Our guide to Pennsylvania LLC formation times explains what affects the wait.

EIN Confirmation Letter

Most banks ask for the EIN and the IRS letter that confirms it, Notice CP 575. Typing the number into a form is rarely enough. If you’ve lost the letter, request a Letter 147C from the IRS.

This applies to single-member LLCs too. The IRS may not require your LLC to have an EIN, but the bank’s own procedures probably will. Our article on whether a single-member LLC needs an EIN explains the difference.

Check that the name on the EIN letter matches the formation documents. If the company changed its name after getting the EIN, bring the amendment that shows the change.

Operating Agreement

Florida and most other states don’t require you to file an Operating Agreement, but banks often ask for one. It’s the document that shows who owns the company and who has authority to act for it.

For a single-member LLC, it confirms the owner’s role. For a multi-member LLC, it shows how management is split and which decisions need the others’ approval. Make sure it’s current. If ownership has changed since formation, an outdated agreement will raise questions.

Some banks also want a separate banking resolution naming who may open and operate the account. Our guide to LLC Operating Agreements covers what the agreement should include.

ID for Owners and Signers

Under the federal Customer Due Diligence rule, banks must identify each person who owns 25% or more of the company, plus one person who controls it, such as a managing member or CEO. Anyone who will sign on the account will also be verified.

Expect to provide a government-issued photo ID, date of birth, residential address and a taxpayer number for each of these people. Non-US owners usually provide a passport, and some banks ask for a second ID or proof of residential address abroad.

Decide in advance who needs which permissions. Ownership and account access are not the same thing. Your bookkeeper may need to view transactions without being able to send payments.

Proof of Business Address

Federal account-opening rules require banks to collect a physical address for a business customer: a principal place of business, a local office or another physical location. Many banks will not accept a registered agent’s address for this purpose, because it only shows where legal papers are received, not where the business operates.

If you run the business from home, use a co-working space or manage it from abroad, ask the bank which address goes in each field and what evidence it accepts, such as a lease or a utility bill. We cover this in more detail in our article on using a registered agent address as your business address.

Business Activity and Licenses

The bank will ask what the LLC sells, who its customers are, where they are and how money will move in and out. Be specific and consistent with your website and documents. “Consulting” is vague. “Bookkeeping services for restaurants in Pittsburgh” gives the bank something it can assess.

If your activity requires a license, the bank may ask to see it. Higher-risk sectors such as money services, cannabis-related businesses or firearms face extra scrutiny, and some banks don’t serve them at all.

Opening an Account as a Non-US Owner

This is where most delays happen. Some institutions open accounts remotely for foreign owners; many traditional banks require an in-branch visit, and some won’t take non-resident owners at all. A US LLC and an EIN don’t change that.

Before booking travel, confirm in writing that the bank accepts your ownership structure, country of residence and business type. Our guide to forming a US LLC as a non-US resident explains how banking fits into the wider setup.