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Pennsylvania LLC Operating Agreement Template

Not required by statute. The operating agreement may be oral, implied, in record form or any combination (15 Pa.C.S. § 8812); where it is silent, Title 15 governs (§ 8815(b)). Fill in the form to build a Pennsylvania operating agreement for a single-member or multi-member LLC, governed by the Pennsylvania Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 2016. Download it as PDF or Word and keep the signed copy with the company records; it is not filed with the state.

This template is a starting point, not legal advice, and Jupid is not a law firm. LLC law differs by state, and Pennsylvania courts apply Pennsylvania law. Have an attorney licensed in your state review the agreement before every member signs, especially if members contribute property, receive unequal rights, or plan to bring in investors.

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Governed by the Pennsylvania Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 2016. Not required by statute, but strongly recommended. Pennsylvania rules

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Match what your Certificate of Organization says, if it states the management structure.

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Lets the LLC continue without a gap in ownership. Coordinate with your will or trust.

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Operating Agreement of Blue Harbor Studio LLC

A Pennsylvania single-member, member-managed limited liability company

This Operating Agreement (this "Agreement") of Blue Harbor Studio LLC (the "Company") is made effective as of March 2, 2026 (the "Effective Date") by its sole member listed in Schedule A (the "Member").

Article 1. Formation

1.1 Formation. Blue Harbor Studio LLC (the "Company") was formed as a Pennsylvania limited liability company on March 2, 2026 by filing its Certificate of Organization with the Pennsylvania Department of State. The Pennsylvania Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 2016 (the "Act") and this Agreement govern the Company. Where this Agreement differs from a default rule of the Act, this Agreement controls to the extent the Act allows.

1.2 Purpose. The purpose of the Company is graphic design, branding and marketing services, and any other lawful business for which a limited liability company may be formed under the Act.

1.3 Principal Office. The Company's principal office is at 1200 Main Street, Suite 300, Harrisburg, PA, or at another place the Member chooses.

1.4 Registered Agent. The Company's registered agent and registered office in Pennsylvania are those stated in its most recent filing with the Pennsylvania Department of State.

1.5 Term. The Company continues until it is dissolved and its affairs are wound up under Article 10.

Article 2. Sole Member and Capital

2.1 Sole Member. Alex Rivera (the "Member") is the sole member of the Company and owns 100% of the membership interests. The Member's address and Capital Contribution are listed in Schedule A.

2.2 Capital Contribution. The Member has contributed or will contribute the money, property or services stated in Schedule A. The Member is not required to make any additional contribution but may do so at any time.

2.3 No Interest on Capital. The Member earns no interest on its Capital Contributions. A loan from the Member to the Company is not a Capital Contribution.

Article 3. Allocations and Distributions

3.1 Profits and Losses. All profits and losses of the Company are allocated to the Member.

3.2 Distributions. The Member decides when the Company makes distributions and in what amounts.

3.3 Limits on Distributions. The Company will not make a distribution if, after the distribution, the Company could not pay its debts as they become due in the ordinary course of business, its total liabilities would exceed its total assets, or the distribution would otherwise violate the Act.

Article 4. Tax Classification

4.1 Classification. The Company has one Member. Under Treasury Regulations Section 301.7701-3(b)(1)(ii), it is disregarded as an entity separate from its owner for federal income tax purposes unless the Member elects otherwise by filing IRS Form 8832 or Form 2553. Being disregarded for income tax purposes does not change the Company's separate legal existence or the Member's limited liability under the Act.

Article 5. Management

5.1 Management by the Member. The Company is member-managed. The Member has full authority to run the business, sign contracts, open accounts and take any other action for the Company. The Member may act by signing a written consent and is not required to hold meetings.

5.2 Officers and Agents. The Member may appoint officers or agents, give them titles and delegate authority to them in writing.

Article 6. Transfers and Additional Members

6.1 Transfers. The Member may transfer all or part of its membership interest. A person who receives the Member's entire interest is admitted as a member when the transfer takes effect.

6.2 Additional Members. The Member may admit additional members by written consent. When a second member is admitted, the members will sign an amended operating agreement that covers voting, distributions and transfers. Once the Company has two or more members, it is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes unless it has elected to be taxed as a corporation.

Article 7. Death or Incapacity of the Member

7.1 Successor on Death. On the Member's death, the person who inherits the Member's interest under the Member's will or trust or under the laws of intestacy succeeds to the Member's entire interest and is admitted as the member effective as of the date of death, so that the Company continues without dissolution. Until the successor is admitted, the Member's personal representative may exercise all of the Member's rights to manage the Company.

7.2 Incapacity. If the Member becomes unable to manage the Company because of a physical or mental condition, the Member's agent under a durable power of attorney, or a court-appointed guardian or conservator, may exercise the Member's management rights until the Member can act again.

Article 8. Books, Records, Bank Accounts and Separateness

8.1 Books and Fiscal Year. The Company keeps complete and accurate books of account. Its fiscal year is the calendar year unless tax law requires otherwise, and its books are kept on the cash or accrual method the Member chooses for its tax returns.

8.2 Records. The Company keeps at its principal office the records the Act requires, including a copy of its Certificate of Organization and all amendments, this Agreement and all amendments, a current list of its Member with addresses, Capital Contributions, and its federal, state and local tax returns and financial statements for at least the three most recent years.

8.3 Bank Accounts. All Company money is deposited in accounts in the Company's name and used only for Company purposes. Company funds are never mixed with the personal funds of the Member. The Member, and anyone they authorize in writing, may sign on Company accounts.

8.4 Separate Existence. The Company holds itself out as a legal entity separate from the Member. It signs contracts in its own name, pays its debts from its own funds, keeps its own books and accounts, and does not pay the personal expenses of the Member. These practices help preserve the limited liability the Act gives to the Member.

Article 9. Limited Liability, Exculpation and Indemnification

9.1 Limited Liability. To the fullest extent the Act allows, no Member or officer is personally liable for any debt, obligation or liability of the Company, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise, solely because of that role. A failure of the Company to observe formalities is not a ground for imposing personal liability on the Member.

9.2 Exculpation. No Member or officer is liable to the Company for any act or omission in good faith on behalf of the Company, except for gross negligence, willful misconduct, a knowing violation of law, a transaction from which the person received an improper personal benefit, or a breach of this Agreement.

9.3 Indemnification. To the fullest extent the Act allows, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Member and each officer against losses, judgments, settlements and reasonable legal fees arising from claims related to the Company's business, except for conduct listed as an exception in Section 9.2. The Company may advance legal fees if the person agrees in writing to repay them if it is later determined that the person was not entitled to indemnification.

9.4 Insurance. The Company may buy insurance on behalf of any person it may indemnify.

Article 10. Dissolution and Winding Up

10.1 Events of Dissolution. The Company dissolves only on:

  1. the Member's written decision to dissolve;
  2. the sale of all or substantially all of its assets, after the sale proceeds are collected;
  3. the Company having no member, if no successor is admitted under Article 7 and the Company is not otherwise continued as the Act permits;
  4. entry of a court order of dissolution; or
  5. any other event that requires dissolution under the Act.

10.2 Winding Up. On dissolution, the Member will wind up the Company's affairs, sell or distribute its assets, and file the dissolution or cancellation documents the Pennsylvania Department of State requires.

10.3 Order of Payment. Company assets are applied in this order: first, to creditors, including the Member if it is a creditor, in satisfaction of the Company's debts; second, to reasonable reserves for contingent liabilities; and third, to the Member.

Article 11. General Provisions

11.1 Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Pennsylvania, including the Pennsylvania Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 2016 (15 Pa.C.S. § 8811 et seq.).

11.2 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including its schedules, is the entire agreement of the Member about the Company and replaces any earlier oral or written agreement on the same subject.

11.3 Amendments. This Agreement may be amended only by a writing signed by the Member.

11.4 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, the rest of the Agreement stays in effect, and the provision is enforced to the greatest extent allowed.

11.5 Binding Effect; No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement binds and benefits the Member and its permitted successors and assigns. No creditor or other third party may enforce it.

Signatures

The Member signs this Agreement effective as of the Effective Date.

Member: Alex Rivera

Date: ________________

Schedule A: Member

MemberAddressCapital contributionPercentage interest
Alex Rivera48 Oak Lane, Harrisburg, PA$5,000 (Cash)100%
Total$5,000100%

Template from jupid.com. Not legal advice; Pennsylvania law varies, so have an attorney review this document before signing.

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Pennsylvania Operating Agreement Facts

LLC statute

Pennsylvania Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 2016 (15 Pa.C.S. § 8811 et seq.)

Required?

Not required by statute. The operating agreement may be oral, implied, in record form or any combination (15 Pa.C.S. § 8812); where it is silent, Title 15 governs (§ 8815(b)).

Filed with the state?

No. You file the Certificate of Organization with the Pennsylvania Department of State; the operating agreement stays with the company records.

What the statute calls it

operating agreement

Annual or biennial report

Annual Report, $7, due January 1 to September 30 each year (required since 2025).

Series LLCs

Not authorized (Chapter 88 has no series subchapter)

Community property state

No.

Pennsylvania's 2016 Act and the operating agreement

Pennsylvania LLCs are governed by the Pennsylvania Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 2016, Chapter 88 of Title 15, which has applied to all LLCs since April 1, 2017 (15 Pa.C.S. § 8811). The Act does not require an operating agreement. It defines the term as the agreement of all the members, including a sole member, "whether oral, implied, in record form or in any combination thereof" (§ 8812). The agreement governs relations among members, the company's activities and the way the agreement itself is amended, and where it says nothing, Title 15 governs (§ 8815(a), (b)).

A Pennsylvania LLC is formed by filing a Certificate of Organization and a docketing statement with the Department of State; the operating agreement is not one of the formation documents. Some terms are off limits: the agreement cannot eliminate the duty of loyalty, vary the obligation of good faith and fair dealing or restrict members' information rights except as the Act permits (§ 8815(c)).

Pennsylvania default rules

An LLC is member-managed unless the operating agreement expressly provides for managers (§ 8847(a)). In a member-managed company each member has equal rights, ordinary matters are decided by a majority of the members, and acts outside the ordinary course, amendments to the certificate of organization and amendments to the operating agreement need the vote or consent of all members (§ 8847(b)). In a manager-managed company, managers are chosen and removed by a majority of the members (§ 8847(c)(4)).

Distributions before dissolution are made in equal shares among members and dissociated members, not in proportion to contributions (§ 8844(a)). A member has the power to dissociate at any time by express will (§ 8862(a)), and the dissociated person then holds the transferable interest solely as a transferee (§ 8863(a)(3)). The Act gives a fair value payout election when a Chapter 3 entity transaction or an amendment causes a member's dissociation without dissolving the company (§ 8844(e)). A transferee receives distributions but cannot manage or, as a rule, see company records (§ 8852).

Pennsylvania annual report and other details

Starting in 2025, every Pennsylvania LLC files an annual report with the Department of State between January 1 and September 30; the fee is $7. Chapter 88 has no series LLC subchapter, and Pennsylvania is not a community property state.

Because the equal-share default ignores capital contributions, members who put in unequal amounts can set distribution percentages in the agreement; § 8844 is not among the provisions that § 8815(c) puts off limits. The same goes for buyout terms, since the Act gives a departing member no general right to be paid out on withdrawal. Check the current statute before relying on a default rule.

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