How to form an LLC in Florida (2026)

This walkthrough is for someone who lives and works in Florida. If you are still deciding whether you need an LLC at all, compare the structures on LLC vs sole proprietorship. If you live and work in another state, start with that state’s guide instead; filing in Florida does not replace registering where you actually do business.

How much does it cost to form an LLC in Florida?

Sunbiz’s LLC Fees page lists a required new-LLC total of $125: $100 filing plus $25 registered-agent designation. The e-file page’s $160 line adds an optional certified copy ($30) and certificate of status ($5). Those optionals are not required to form. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt; the card biller may read “NIC DOS DIVISION OF CORP.”

Fees re-checked on the LLC Fees page and the Florida LLC e-file / instructions pages on 7 October 2026. If the portal shows another line item at checkout, pay what Sunbiz shows and keep the receipt.

How do I file Articles of Organization on Sunbiz?

Start on the Division’s Florida LLC page, then open the e-file form at efile.sunbiz.org/llc_file.html. Have a distinguishable name, principal and mailing addresses, a Florida street registered agent with consent, an authorized-representative signature, and a working email. Paper mail with a check is allowed; credit-card payments must use the online application.

1. Choose a name and search Sunbiz records. Pick a name that is distinguishable on Division of Corporations records and ends in “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC,” or “L.L.C.” Run a preliminary name search on Sunbiz first. Do not treat the name as approved until the Division sends a filing acknowledgment.
2. Gather name, addresses, and Florida street agent. Have a distinguishable LLC name, principal and mailing addresses, a Florida street registered-agent address with the agent’s consent, an authorized representative signature, and a working email.
3. E-file Articles of Organization on Sunbiz. Start on the Division’s Florida LLC page at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/start-business/efile/fl-llc, then the e-file form at efile.sunbiz.org/llc_file.html.
4. Pay the required $125. Pay the required new-LLC total of $125 ($100 filing + $25 registered-agent designation). Skip the optional certified copy ($30) and certificate of status ($5) unless you need them. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.
5. Sign an operating agreement. Florida does not collect an operating agreement and does not require one to be filed. Sign one anyway so ownership, voting, and exits are written down; banks often ask for it.
6. Get an EIN after articles are accepted. After the articles are accepted, obtain an Employer Identification Number free on IRS.gov. Form the state entity first.

A company already formed somewhere else that wants to transact business in Florida is a foreign LLC and uses a different filing. Filing in Wyoming, Delaware, or Georgia does not move Florida work out of Florida. Home-state filing is the cheaper default for a one-state operator. Overview: Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.

What goes on the Florida Articles of Organization (field by field)

These are the items in Sunbiz’s instructions for Articles of Organization under section 605.0201 of the Florida Statutes. The form is short; most rejections come from the name or the registered agent.

What name can a Florida LLC use?

The Division’s instructions say the name must be distinguishable on its records and must include “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC,” or “L.L.C.” A professional LLC uses “Chartered,” “Professional Limited Liability Company,” “P.L.L.C.,” or “PLLC.” Run a preliminary search on Sunbiz’s name search before you file, and do not order signs or a domain on the assumption the name is approved until you get the filing acknowledgment. Separate brand name for marketing: LLC DBA / assumed name.

Florida LLC fees and timeline at a glance

Do I need a Florida registered agent with a street address?

Yes. Florida requires a physical Florida street address for the registered office; a P.O. box is not the registered office. The agent must accept the statutory obligations, and an entity cannot serve as its own registered agent. Online, typing a name is an electronic signature; typing someone else’s name without permission is forgery. DIY versus commercial: Registered agent basics for a new LLC.

When is the Florida LLC annual report due?

File from 1 January through 1 May of the calendar year after the LLC’s filing date or effective date. The LLC Fees page lists $138.75 for a timely report; after 1 May it is $538.75 ($138.75 + $400 late). For 2026, Sunbiz states that profit corporation, LLC, limited partnership, and LLLP annual reports have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday 1 May 2026 before that late fee. Missing the third Friday in September leads to administrative dissolution.

Cross-state renewals: LLC annual report and annual registration. Overview of admin status vs reinstate: Reinstate an administratively dissolved or revoked LLC (reinstatement fee $100 plus each year of annual-report fees — confirm on the portal).

Florida LLC forms after you file

Sunbiz keeps every change form on its Florida LLC forms page. Fees below are from the LLC Fees page, checked 12 October 2026.

An LLC formed or effective after 1 January of this year is not yet due an annual report, so it must use the matching amendment form by mail for changes.

After Sunbiz: state tax and local registrations

• Florida Department of Revenue. If you sell taxable goods or services, register for sales and use tax before you start. If you hire employees, register for reemployment tax (Florida’s unemployment tax). Both use the Florida Business Tax Application.
• County and city business tax receipt. Many Florida counties and cities charge a local business tax under Chapter 205 of the Florida Statutes. Check with your county tax collector and city.
• Professional or trade licenses. Licensed trades and professions register separately with their licensing board.
• Operating agreement. Not filed with the state, but worth signing now: LLC operating agreement basics (free template).

Do I get an EIN before or after the Florida LLC?

After the articles are accepted. The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first, and the EIN application on IRS.gov is free. Use the EIN to open a separate business account so LLC money stays out of your personal checking from day one.

Walk through it on Get an EIN after the state entity exists, then First business checking account. Formation with Sunbiz is not a local business-tax receipt, a sales-tax account, or a professional license. Those have their own filings.

Florida does not require an operating agreement to be filed with the Division of Corporations. A written agreement still matters between members, and banks often ask for one. See LLC operating agreement basics.

Florida LLC FAQ

How much does it cost to form an LLC in Florida?

Required new-LLC total is $125 ($100 filing + $25 registered-agent designation) on the LLC Fees page. The e-file and instructions $160 line is $125 plus optional certified copy ($30) and certificate of status ($5) — not required to form. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt. The biller on a statement may read “NIC DOS DIVISION OF CORP.”

How do I file Articles of Organization on Sunbiz?

Start on the Division’s Florida LLC page, then open the e-file form at efile.sunbiz.org/llc_file.html. Enter the LLC name, principal and mailing addresses, a Florida street registered agent with consent, an authorized-representative signature, and a working email, then pay the required $125. Paper mail with a check is allowed; credit-card payments must use the online application.

Do I need a Florida registered agent with a street address?

Yes. Florida requires a physical Florida street address for the registered office; a P.O. box is not the registered office. An entity cannot serve as its own registered agent. DIY versus commercial tradeoffs: Registered agent basics for a new LLC.

When is the Florida LLC annual report due?

1 January through 1 May of the calendar year after the LLC’s date of filing or, if listed, its effective date. The fee on Sunbiz’s LLC Fees page is $138.75; after 1 May it is $538.75 ($138.75 + a $400 late fee). For 2026, Sunbiz states filings have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday 1 May 2026 before that late fee. Failure to file by the third Friday in September leads to administrative dissolution. Cross-state renewals: LLC annual report and annual registration.

Do I get an EIN before or after the Florida LLC?

After the articles are accepted. The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first, and the EIN application on IRS.gov is free. Walkthrough: Get an EIN after the state entity exists. After the EIN, park operating cash in a dedicated account — see First business checking account.

Do I need the certified copy and certificate of status to form?

No. The instructions say a certified copy and a certificate of status are optional. After the articles post, Sunbiz also lets a filer download an image of the filed articles free of charge.

Should I form a Florida LLC if I live and work in Georgia?

No as a default “upgrade.” This page is for Florida operators. A Georgia operator who lives and works in Georgia should use How to form an LLC in Georgia. Filing Florida (or Wyoming or Delaware) while working in Georgia does not remove home-state obligations if you transact there — see Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.

What is the optional effective date on Florida articles?

An optional effective date may be up to five business days before, or 90 days after, receipt. Articles filed between 1 October and 31 December can list an effective date of the following 1 January so the first annual report is not due the next calendar year. Confirm on Sunbiz instructions at filing.

What name can a Florida LLC use?

The name must be distinguishable on Division of Corporations records and include “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC,” or “L.L.C.” (a professional LLC uses “Chartered,” “Professional Limited Liability Company,” “P.L.L.C.,” or “PLLC”). Search Sunbiz records first, and do not use the name as approved until the Division sends a filing acknowledgment. Doing business under a different brand name is a separate fictitious-name filing — see LLC DBA / assumed name.

Can I file a Florida LLC by mail instead of online?

Yes. Print the Articles of Organization PDF from Sunbiz, sign it, and mail it with a check or money order payable to the Florida Department of State. Credit-card payments must use the online application. Both online and mail filings are processed in the order received.

How long does Sunbiz take to process?

Online filings are processed in the order received. This page does not treat a 2–3 day blog estimate as a guaranteed SLA. Check Sunbiz’s current processing dates before promising anyone a file date.

Can I form a Florida PLLC?

Yes, if you are a licensed professional. A professional LLC is formed under both Chapter 605 and Chapter 621 of the Florida Statutes. Its name must end in “Chartered,” “Professional Limited Liability Company,” “P.L.L.C.,” or “PLLC,” and the articles must state one specific professional purpose, such as the practice of law, accounting, or medicine. Ordinary LLCs do not have to list a purpose.

Should I file in the fourth quarter or wait until January?

You do not have to wait. Sunbiz’s instructions say that if you form between 1 October and 31 December but do not expect to do business until the next year, you can list 1 January as the effective date. The LLC is on the Division’s records right away, but it legally begins on 1 January, which pushes the first annual report back one calendar year.

Can my LLC be its own registered agent?

No. Sunbiz’s instructions say an entity cannot serve as its own registered agent. An individual member, manager, or other person tied to the business can be the agent, as long as they have a physical Florida street address and sign to accept the agent’s duties.

How do I reinstate an administratively dissolved Florida LLC?

File for reinstatement with the Division of Corporations. The LLC Fees page lists $100 plus the annual report fee for each year that was missed. Details: Reinstate an administratively dissolved LLC. If you want to close the LLC instead, see How to dissolve (close) an LLC.

What this page does not cover

• Professional LLCs, conversions, mergers, or foreign qualification of an out-of-state company (see Foreign LLC and certificate of authority).
• Detailed sales-tax, reemployment-tax, or local business-tax filing steps beyond the overview above.
• Whether an S corporation election is worth the payroll. That is a CPA conversation after there is real net income — desk map: LLC S corp election.
• Any promise that an LLC prevents a personal guarantee on a bank account or a business card. It usually does not.
• Voluntary dissolution, termination, or cancellation — see Dissolve or cancel an LLC.
• Telling a Georgia operator to file Florida as a sophistication upgrade.