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How to start an LLC in Florida

From the name check to the first Annual Report, in the order Florida expects them.

A Florida LLC is formed by filing the Articles of Organization with the Florida Division of Corporations, for $125. Keeping it costs $138.75 a year in state fees after that.

File with the Florida Division of Corporations

What is different in Florida

Florida's registry is known as Sunbiz, after its website, and the LLC filing fee includes a $25 charge for designating the registered agent. Of all the deadlines, the May 1 annual report is the one to watch: the late fee is $400, far more than the report itself.

Forming the LLC, step by step

  1. Check that the name is free

    Start from our Florida business lookup or go straight to the official Florida search. Search Sunbiz records by entity name; the results list each matching name with its document number and status. A name must be distinguishable from names already on record, and a name can be reserved for 120 days by letter to the Division.

    Add an ending such as "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company". What counts as too close to an existing name is in the name availability guide.

  2. Reserve the name, if you want to hold it

    Optional. If you are not ready to file, a reservation costs $25 and holds the name for 120 days. Source, checked 2026-10-26

  3. Appoint a registered agent

    The agent receives lawsuits and state mail for the LLC at a street address in Florida. You may serve yourself if you have one there; a commercial agent keeps your own address off the record. See what a registered agent does.

  4. File the Articles of Organization

    File the Articles of Organization (with registered agent designation) with the Florida Division of Corporations. The state fee is $125. $100 filing fee plus the $25 registered agent designation fee. Source, checked 2026-10-26

  5. Get an EIN from the IRS, free

    The IRS issues the EIN free, online, the moment it approves the application. You need it for a business bank account, payroll and most tax filings; how to get an EIN has the details.

  6. Write an operating agreement

    It can be short: who owns what, how profit is shared, who decides and how a member leaves, signed by every member, or by you alone for a one-person LLC. It stays with the company's records rather than being filed (what to put in it).

  7. Keep it in good standing

    Annual Report: $138.75, every year, due May 1; after that a $400 late fee applies to profit corporations and LLCs, and entities that have not filed by the third Friday of September are administratively dissolved or revoked on the fourth Friday of September. Source, checked 2026-10-26

    File an update whenever the registered agent or the LLC's address changes, so the state's notices reach you.

What a Florida LLC costs

To file $125
  • Articles of Organization: $125 Source, checked 2026-10-26
Every year to keep it $138.75 a year
  • Annual Report: $138.75 a year Source, checked 2026-10-26

State fees only. A commercial registered agent, if you use one, and any city or county business license come on top.

After filing, the LLC shows up in the Florida business lookup with its status and agent. The bank account and local licenses come next; how to start an LLC covers them.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Facts checked 2026-10-26 against the official sources linked above; confirm with the state or the IRS before you file. How we check our facts · Report an error