LLP Form 3: File Your LLP Agreement and Changes with the MCA Within 30 Days
LLP Form 3 is the form you use to give the Registrar of Companies a copy of your LLP agreement, whether it is the first agreement signed after incorporation or a later amendment. The deadline is 30 days: from the date of incorporation for the original agreement, and from the date of the change for any amendment. Miss it and the MCA charges an additional fee that grows with every slab of delay.
Legal Basis
Section 23, LLP Act, 2008
Key Takeaways
- Form 3 is filed under Section 23 of the LLP Act, 2008 and Rule 21 of the LLP Rules, 2009.
- You file it twice over the life of an LLP, at least: once for the initial agreement, and again for every change to that agreement.
- The government fee follows the LLP’s total contribution, from ₹50 to ₹600. Stamp duty on the agreement is a separate cost set by your state.
- Many websites still quote ₹100 per day for late filing. The multiplier system in force since 1 April 2022 replaced that.
- A partner joining or leaving usually triggers Form 4 as well, and Form 3 too if the agreement itself changes.
What LLP Form 3 Does
An LLP is built on its agreement, which sets out profit-sharing, each partner’s contribution, who the designated partners are, and how decisions get made. Form 3 puts a copy of that agreement on the public MCA record. The Act expects the filing within 30 days, so the form reports what was signed rather than what is planned.
Form 3 covers two situations:
| Situation |
What You Attach |
Time Limit |
| Newly incorporated LLP | Signed LLP agreement | 30 days from the date of incorporation |
| Change to an existing agreement | Supplementary or amended agreement | 30 days from the date of the change |
For the first filing, the clock starts from the date printed on your Certificate of Incorporation, not from the day you receive the documents.
Under Section 23, an LLP that has no agreement is governed by the default rules in the Act’s First Schedule. That fallback rarely suits a real business, so a proper agreement is worth drafting even before the form is due. You can read the section on
India Code.
What Counts as a Change That Needs Form 3
Any alteration to the agreement’s terms needs a fresh filing. Common triggers:
A change in profit-sharing ratios
A change in partner contributions
Admission or retirement of a partner, where the agreement is amended as a result
A change in designated partners recorded in the agreement
New or altered clauses on powers, capital, or dispute resolution
Changes that do not alter the agreement, such as an address change, go through other forms. Keep the line clear: if the signed document changes, file Form 3. If only the partner register changes, Form 4 may be enough. Our LLP Form 4 filing page covers that side.
LLP Form 3 Due Date, With Examples
| Event |
Date of Event |
Last Date for Form 3 |
| LLP incorporated | 1 October 2026 | 31 October 2026 |
| Agreement amended | 15 November 2026 | 15 December 2026 |
The limit is 30 days, so count the day after the event as day one. If you are close to the line, file first and tidy the paperwork later, because the cost of a day late is not zero.
MCA LLP Form 3 Filing Fees
The normal fee depends on total contribution. As published in common filing guides, it runs from ₹50 to ₹600:
| Total Contribution |
Fee |
| Up to ₹1 lakh | ₹50 |
| ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh | ₹100 |
| ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh | ₹150 |
| ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lakh | ₹200 |
| ₹25 lakh to ₹1 crore | ₹400 |
| Above ₹1 crore | ₹600 |
Confirm the current figures on the LLP portal before paying. Stamp duty on the agreement and any professional fees sit outside this table.
Penalty for Late Filing of LLP Form 3
Since 1 April 2022, the additional fee on a late Form 3 is a multiple of the normal fee, set by the LLP (Amendment) Rules, 2022. Small LLPs, meaning contribution up to ₹25 lakh and turnover up to ₹40 lakh, pay lower multiples.
| Delay |
Small LLP |
Other LLP |
| Up to 15 days | 1× | 1× |
| 16 to 30 days | 2× | 4× |
| 31 to 60 days | 4× | 8× |
| 61 to 90 days | 6× | 12× |
| 91 to 180 days | 10× | 20× |
| 181 to 360 days | 15× | 30× |
| Beyond 360 days | 25× | 50× |
Example 1: Small LLP
₹3 lakh contribution, so the normal fee is ₹100. Filing 45 days late adds 4 × ₹100 = ₹400.
Example 2: Other LLP
₹30 lakh contribution is not small, and its normal fee is ₹400. Filing 100 days late adds 20 × ₹400 = ₹8,000.
Unlike Forms 8 and 11, a Form 3 delay beyond 360 days stops at a fixed multiple, with no further per-day charge. The statute also provides separate penalties on the LLP and its partners for breaching Section 23, so a long default carries more risk than the fee table suggests.
Documents Required for LLP Form 3
Keep these ready before you open the form.
Signed LLP agreement, executed by all partners, in PDF form
Proof of stamp duty, since the agreement must be on stamp paper as per the stamp law of the state concerned
Supplementary agreement or amendment document, if you are reporting a change
Partner resolution or consent, where the change requires one
Digital signature certificate (DSC) of a designated partner
LLPIN and basic LLP details
Stamp duty varies by state and, in many states, by contribution. Many practitioners also notarise the agreement. Check your state’s rules, because stamp duty errors are a common reason agreements need redoing.
How to File LLP Form 3 on the MCA V3 Portal
Ten steps from signed agreement to acknowledgement.
1
Finalise the agreement
Have all partners sign on correctly stamped paper, and scan it as a clear PDF.
2
Check your DSC
Make sure the designated partner’s DSC is valid and registered on the portal.
3
Log in to the MCA V3 portal
Go to the LLP e-filing section.
4
Select Form 3
Enter the LLPIN.
5
Choose the filing type
Initial agreement, or change in the existing agreement.
6
Fill in the details
Include the agreement date and the nature of the change.
7
Attach documents
The agreement or amendment, and the other supporting files.
8
Sign digitally
Use the designated partner’s DSC.
9
Pay the fee
Include any additional fee if you are late.
10
Save the acknowledgement
Keep the acknowledgement and the SRN with your records.
Keep the stamped original with your statutory books. The portal copy is the public record; the original is your proof.
Mistakes That Cost Time and Money
- Treating the date you receive the incorporation certificate as day one, rather than the date printed on it
- Filing a Form 3 for a change that was never actually signed
- Uploading an unstamped or under-stamped agreement
- Forgetting that a partner change often needs Form 4 as well
- Expired DSC on the filing day
Where Form 3 Sits in Your LLP Compliance
Form 3 is a one-time or as-needed filing. The yearly obligations are separate: Form 11 and Form 8, covered on our LLP annual filing page. If you are just getting started, our LLP registration service includes Form 3 as part of the setup.
How LegalDev India Files Your Form 3
A simple process from first call to filed copy.
1
You share your details
Your incorporation details or the change you plan.
2
We draft or review the agreement
Our CA and legal team drafts or reviews the agreement or amendment.
3
We check stamp duty
We confirm the stamp duty requirement for your state.
4
Sign, file and pay
The designated partner signs; we file and pay the fee.
5
You receive the filed copy
The acknowledgement and the filed copy, delivered to you.
Our team brings over ten years of hands-on work in Indian corporate compliance, MCA filings, LLP incorporation, and tax audit support for startups and SMEs.
Pricing
| Service |
Includes |
Price |
| Form 3, initial agreement |
Review, filing, acknowledgement |
₹ [insert] |
| Form 3, amendment |
Supplementary agreement review, filing |
₹ [insert] |
| LLP agreement drafting |
Custom agreement, stamp duty guidance |
₹ [insert] |
| Late-filing recovery |
Quoted after review of dates |
Quote on request |
Government fees, stamp duty, and any additional late fee are paid at actuals. See the full pricing page.
Frequently Asked Questions