To change your LLC name in Florida, you file Articles of Amendment to your Articles of Organization with the Division of Corporations and pay a $25 fee. The form itself is one page. The work that matters comes after approval, when you update the IRS, the Florida Department of Revenue, your bank, your licenses, your insurance, and every contract tied to the old name.
Confirm the New Name Is Available
Before filing anything, search the Division of Corporations database at Sunbiz.org to make sure your desired name isn’t already on file. Florida law requires every LLC name to be distinguishable from every other entity registered with the Department of State.1Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 605.0112 – Name The search is free.2Florida Department of State. Division of Corporations – Search Records
Florida’s definition of distinguishable is stricter than most people expect. The state ignores entity suffixes like LLC or Inc., articles like “the” and “a,” the difference between “and” and “&,” singular versus plural forms, and all punctuation. That means “Sunshine Ventures LLC” and “Sunshine Ventures Inc.” are treated as the same name, and your filing would be rejected.3Florida Department of State. Division of Corporations – Division FAQs Drop the suffix when you search so you see a realistic picture of what’s available.
Your new name must include “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.,” or “LLC.” It cannot imply a connection to a government agency or suggest a purpose the LLC statute doesn’t allow.1Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 605.0112 – Name
Handle Internal Approval First
A name change amends your Articles of Organization, which is a significant corporate action. If the LLC has more than one member, check your operating agreement before filing. Most agreements specify whether amendments require unanimous consent, a majority vote, or manager approval. If yours is silent, Florida’s Revised LLC Act puts that authority with the members by default.
Even for single-member LLCs, document the decision with a short written resolution noting the old name, the new name, the date, and your signature. Your bank will likely ask for it.
File the Articles of Amendment
The official form is Articles of Amendment to Articles of Organization, Form CR2E049, available on Sunbiz.org.4Florida Department of State Division of Corporations. Florida Department of State Form CR2E049 – Articles of Amendment to Articles of Organization Online filing isn’t offered for this form. You must submit by mail.5Florida Department of State. Forms and Fees
Under Florida Statute 605.0202, the form asks for four pieces of information:6Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 605.0202 – Amendment or Restatement of Articles of Organization
- Your LLC’s current legal name exactly as filed.
- The Florida document number assigned when the LLC was formed. If you don’t have it, look up your company on Sunbiz.org.
- The amendment itself, stating the new name.
- An effective date, if you want the change to take effect later rather than on filing.
Mail the completed form with a $25 check or money order payable to the Florida Department of State to:
Registration Section
Division of Corporations
P.O. Box 6327
Tallahassee, FL 32314
If you want a certified copy of the approved amendment (your bank will probably want one), add $30. A plain certificate of status is $5.7Florida Department of State. LLC Fees – Division of Corporations
How Long Processing Takes
Don’t count on this being fast. The Division of Corporations publishes current processing dates on Sunbiz.org, and the backlog can be substantial. As of late March 2026, amendments received in late December 2025 were only just being processed, roughly a three-month wait.8Florida Department of State. Document Processing Dates Timelines change, so check that page before you file. You can verify your amendment has been recorded by searching your company’s records on Sunbiz.org.
Notify the IRS
A name change by itself does not require a new Employer Identification Number. Your EIN stays the same unless the business structure changes, such as converting from an LLC to a corporation.9Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change
You have two ways to tell the IRS:
- Check the name-change box on your next tax return. For multi-member LLCs filing Form 1065, that’s Page 1, Line G, Box 3. For LLCs taxed as corporations filing Form 1120, it’s Page 1, Line E, Box 3.
- Send a signed letter to the IRS address where you file your returns. A partner or corporate officer, depending on your tax election, must sign it. Use this option if you’ve already filed for the year.
Certain situations may call for a new EIN or a final return, so review IRS Publication 1635 if the name change is happening alongside any structural change.9Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change
Update State and Local Registrations
Florida Department of Revenue
If your LLC collects sales tax, has employees, or holds any other state tax account, notify the Florida Department of Revenue. Their online portal lets you submit a name change when the legal entity and ownership are staying the same.10Florida Department of Revenue. Request a Change of Business Name, Address, and/or Account Status If the rename accompanies a change in entity type or ownership, file a new Florida Business Tax Application (Form DR-1) instead.
Local Licenses and Permits
Contact the county tax collector and any city or county agency that issued your business license, occupational license, or zoning permit. Each locality is different. Some accept a letter and a copy of the approved amendment; others require a new application. An outdated legal name on a license can trigger fines or compliance problems.
Registrations in Other States
If your LLC is foreign-qualified to do business in other states, file an amendment in each of those states as well. Watch for a common snag: your new Florida name may already be taken elsewhere. Most states will let you adopt an alternate or fictitious name for use within their borders when that happens, though the process and fees vary. Check with each state’s Secretary of State office before you assume a simple amendment will do it.
Update Banks, Lenders, and Business Credit
Bring a certified copy of the approved amendment to your bank and ask them to update your business account name. Most banks also want to see your operating agreement or the member resolution authorizing the change. Until the bank updates its records, checks and deposits under the new name may not clear.
If your LLC has outstanding loans or lines of credit, read the loan documents carefully. Commercial loan agreements often require notice to the lender within a set window, commonly 30 days, before or after a name change. Some go further and require updated financing statements to preserve the lender’s security interest in collateral. Missing these deadlines can put you in technical default even when payments are current.
Business credit profiles also need updating. If your LLC has a D-U-N-S number, you can update your information with Dun & Bradstreet for free.11Dun & Bradstreet. View / Update Company Information
Update Insurance Policies
Contact your agent or carrier as soon as the amendment is approved. Business liability, property, and workers’ compensation policies all list your LLC by its legal name on the declarations page. A mismatch between the name on the policy and the name on your Articles could give an insurer room to raise coverage questions on a claim. Ask the carrier to issue an endorsement reflecting the new name. Most do this at no charge, but the request has to come from you.
Handle Trademark Records
Filing your new name with the state gives you the right to use it as a Florida legal entity. It does not give you exclusive rights to it as a brand. That comes only from a federal trademark. If your old name was registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, record the name change through the USPTO’s Assignment Center. The fee is $40 per trademark.12United States Patent and Trademark Office. USPTO Fee Schedule Processing takes about seven days, and the trademark database updates automatically once the change is recorded.13United States Patent and Trademark Office. Trademark Assignments – Transferring Ownership or Changing Your Name
If your new name will also be your brand, consider filing a fresh trademark application. State entity registration and federal trademark protection do different things, and another company could federally trademark a name identical to your LLC name and force you to rebrand. Sorting this out early is cheaper than fixing it after new marketing goes out.
Work Through Contracts and Public-Facing Materials
Once the legal and financial updates are handled, work through the operational side systematically. The longer mismatched names sit across different platforms and documents, the more likely something slips.
- Review active vendor contracts, leases, and client agreements. Some need a formal amendment or addendum. Others contain assignment or name-change notification clauses with specific deadlines.
- Update your domain registration, website footer, social media profiles, Google Business Profile, and any online directories listing the LLC.
- Reprint business cards, letterhead, invoices, and signage. Update email signatures.
Consider a Fictitious Name if You Only Need a New Brand
If your goal is to operate under a different name without changing your LLC’s legal identity, a fictitious name registration (sometimes called a DBA) is simpler than an amendment. Florida lets LLCs register a fictitious name online through Sunbiz.org for $50. You also have to advertise the name once in a newspaper in the county where your principal office is located.14Florida Department of State. Florida Fictitious Name Registration With a fictitious name, your legal name stays the same on Articles of Organization, tax records, and bank accounts. If what you actually want is to rename the entity itself, the Articles of Amendment is the right filing.