How to Start an LLC in Florida (2026)
A Florida LLC costs $125 to file, all of it online through the Division of Corporations. Here is the filing, end to end. Name search, registered agent, articles of organization, EIN, and the annual report that follows.
In This Article
- Overview
- Quick Facts
- Introduction
- Choose a Name for Your Florida LLC
- Choose a Registered Agent in Florida
- File Your Articles of Organization with Florida
- Get an EIN from the IRS
- Create an Operating Agreement for Your Florida LLC
- Open a Business Bank Account for Your Florida LLC
- Federal BOI Reporting
- Top 3 LLC Services
- FAQ
- Next Steps
What You'll Learn in This Guide
This guide walks you through every step to legally form a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in Florida, from picking a name to staying compliant year after year. We've kept it practical, current, and free of unnecessary fluff.
Note
Florida LLC formation costs $125 in state fees. Most founders complete the process in 1-5 business days, either DIY or through a formation service starting at $0.
Florida LLC: Quick Facts
Last Verified: Aug 2026- Filing Fee (Online)
- $125
- Processing Time
- 1-5 business days
- Expedited Available
- No
- Annual Report
- $138.75 (annual)*
- State Income Tax
- No
- Sales Tax Rate
- 6%
- Filed With
- Florida Department of State,…**
- Last Verified
- August 15, 2026
* Annual Report: $138.75, due May 1st each year
** Filed With: Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations
What You Need to Know About Forming an LLC in Florida
A Florida LLC puts a legal wall between your own money and the company's debts. Someone sues the business, and your house, car and savings sit on the far side of it. That wall is the point. Florida keeps the paperwork light.
There is no state income tax here. That is the draw. You do owe an annual report. It is $138.75, due between January 1 and May 1, starting the year after you form. Miss that date and the price becomes $538.75. Still unfiled by the third Friday in September, and the state dissolves the company.
The filing itself is short. Pick a name. Name a registered agent. File the articles of organization. Get an EIN from the IRS. Call it an afternoon. Then you wait on the state queue. In mid August 2026 it ran about four business days for online filings. Florida never asks who owns the LLC on the articles. The first annual report does.
Choose a Name for Your Florida LLC
Your name must differ from every business already on file in Florida. Their test is narrow. Check it first.
Florida requires your name to be distinguishable from every entity on file with the Division of Corporations. The test is narrow. Suffixes are not a difference, and neither are the words the and a, ampersands, plurals or punctuation. Tallahassee Sport, Inc. and Tallahassee's Sports, LLC read as one name to the state. Search before you print anything. Not ready to file? You can hold a free name for 120 days for $25.
Search available names →Florida LLC Naming Rules
Name Reservation (Optional)
- Fee: $25, which holds the name for 120 days
- No form, no online option. You post a signed letter with the name, plus your own name and address
- A name marked INACTIVE/UA is still held. A year if the state dissolved it, 120 days if voluntary
Pro Tip
Search Sunbiz before you fall for a name. It is free and takes about 30 seconds.
Choose a Registered Agent in Florida
Every Florida LLC needs a registered agent with a street address in the state. They take your legal mail.
A registered agent accepts service of process and official state mail for your LLC. In Florida that means a person living here, or a company cleared to do business here. The address must be a real street, not a P.O. Box, staffed in business hours. One detail catches people out. Whoever you name signs the articles themselves, accepting the duties in section 605.0113(3). Typing another person's name into that block is forgery under Florida law.
Compare Florida registered agent services →Your Three Options
- Serve as your own agent, if you live in Florida and keep business hours at a street address
- A trusted friend, family member, or business associate who meets the same requirements can serve for free
- A professional service does it for $50 to $150 a year, and keeps your home address off the record
State Specific
Florida's $125 filing fee already covers the $25 agent designation. Naming your agent costs nothing extra.
File Your Articles of Organization with Florida
This is the filing that creates the company. It goes to the Division of Corporations, online or by post.
The form asks for the company name, its principal street address, and a mailing address if that differs. Then your agent's name, Florida street address and signature. Then one authorized representative signs. That is the whole minimum. Manager and representative names are optional, and the Division says not to list members. Leaving that block blank is fine. Banks and the state workers' compensation office often want a manager on record. Fill it in if either is coming.
File your articles on Sunbiz →Online Filing
Mail Filing
State Specific
Florida does not ask for manager or member names on the articles. Your first annual report collects them.
Pro Tip
The $125 covers the $100 filing fee and the $25 agent designation. Nothing is hidden.
Recommended: Northwest Registered Agent
$39 + state fee. Includes registered agent, business address, domain, website, email, and phone. No upsells.
Get an EIN from the IRS
An EIN is your federal tax ID. You need it for a bank account, for staff, and for tax filings.
Apply on the IRS website. It costs nothing. The online form takes about five minutes and the number comes back immediately. You can send Form SS-4 by fax or post instead. There is no reason to wait.
Apply for your EIN on IRS.gov →Create an Operating Agreement for Your Florida LLC
An operating agreement sets out who owns the LLC and how it runs. Florida does not require one.
Florida does not require an operating agreement. Skipping it is still a mistake. Without one the state's LLC Act fills every gap. Its defaults may not match how you want to run things. It also tells banks, investors and courts that your LLC is a real business, not a name on a certificate.
Key Sections to Include
Pro Tip
Single-member LLCs need one too. It hardens the line between you and the business, which is the protection you filed for.
Open a Business Bank Account for Your Florida LLC
A separate business account keeps the liability wall standing. Open it as soon as the state approves you.
Once Florida approves the LLC and the IRS issues your EIN, open a business checking account. This is what keeps the legal wall intact. Mix personal and business money and a court can rule the company was never separate. That defeats the point of forming one.
How to open a business bank account →What to Bring to the Bank
- Your filed and approved articles of organization
- Your EIN confirmation letter from the IRS
- A valid government-issued photo ID
- Your operating agreement (some banks require it)
- An initial deposit (amount varies by bank)
Important
Mixing funds lets a court pierce the corporate veil. Your personal assets lose their protection. Keep every business transaction in the business account.
Federal BOI Reporting
No. FinCEN's final rule, published 11 Aug 2026 and effective 14 Aug 2026, permanently exempts entities formed in the United States from BOI reporting and removes reporting of US person beneficial owners. Only entities formed under foreign law and registered to do business in a US state still report.
Top 3 LLC Formation Services
We've independently reviewed the top LLC formation services in Florida. Here's how they compare.
| Feature | Northwest Registered Agent Best Overall | ZenBusiness Best for LLC Formation | Tailor Brands Best for Branding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $39 + state fees | $0 + state fees | $0 + state fees |
| Formation Speed | Same-day filing | 7-10 days, 1 day on Pro | 2-14 business days |
| Support | Lifetime Corporate Guides | Phone, Chat, Email | Phone, Chat, Email |
| States Covered | 50 states | 50 states | 50 states |
| In Business Since | 1998 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Get Started → | Get Started → | Get Started → |
Frequently Asked Questions
What to Do Next
Once your Florida LLC is approved, take these steps to set your business up for success.
Get an EIN
Apply for free in about 10 minutes at IRS.gov, required before opening a bank account or hiring anyone.
Open a Business Bank Account
Keep personal and business finances separate from day one. Bring your EIN, Articles of Organization, and a government ID.
Create an Operating Agreement
Even if Florida does not require one, an operating agreement protects your liability shield and defines how the LLC is managed.
File Your Annual Report
Set a calendar reminder now. Missing your Annual Report deadline can result in late fees or administrative dissolution.
Ready To File?
Start your Florida LLC with Northwest Registered Agent. $39 + state fee includes registered agent, business address, domain, and more.
About the Author
Legal & Compliance Analyst
Daniel grew up in the shadow of Silicon Valley but chose the legal route over engineering, working as a paralegal for a corporate law firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions. He realized that early-stage founders were constantly making catastrophic legal mistakes because they couldn't afford a $500/hour attorney, prompting his move to B2B media.
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