This varies extremely across various states and cities. If you live in new York city for example, to incoroerate an llc, you need to take out a section in a news paper to say you created an llc of name so and so, every day, for like a week, within a year (if I remember right) of your incorporation. Across three news papers too.

If you go "OK fine, I will incorporate elsewhere, like Delaware", then NYC views you as a foreign investor and mandates you still do the news paper thing.

Here is the kicker though, the news paper you are allowed to do this in vary based on county. You live in queens? That's a solid few thousand dollars. Brooklyn? Also a few thousand. Staten island? Less than $300.

If you do not do this then the enforcement mechanism is that when you get sued, then a court can take back the corporate veil perk of your llc (llc is void so it turns into a sole proprietorship I think) and go after your personal assets if you loose a lawsuit.