To get an LLC in Florida, you file Articles of Organization with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) and pay a $125 fee. That single filing creates the company. Everything else on the checklist below either prepares you to file correctly or keeps the LLC in good standing after it exists.
Pick a Name That Meets Florida’s Rules
Your LLC name has to include “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.,” or “LLC” so anyone dealing with your business can see it’s a limited liability entity.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 605.0112 – Name It also has to be distinguishable from every other entity already on file. That word has a narrow meaning here: two names are not distinguishable if they differ only by their suffix, an article like “the,” singular versus plural form, or punctuation.
Search the Sunbiz database at sunbiz.org before you commit to anything. The search is free and shows every active corporation, LLC, and reserved name in the state. If your first choice is taken, you’ll know in seconds instead of after paying the filing fee.
Appoint a Registered Agent
Every Florida LLC needs a registered agent with a physical street address in Florida. This is the person or company authorized to receive lawsuits and official state correspondence for the LLC.2Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 605.0113 – Registered Agent If someone sues your LLC, the agent gets served.
An individual agent must live in Florida, and their business address has to match the registered office address. A business entity can serve as agent if it’s authorized to operate in the state. You can name yourself, but your address becomes public record and someone has to be at that address during business hours to accept service. That’s why many owners who work from home or travel frequently pay for a commercial registered agent service.
The agent’s name, Florida street address, and signed acceptance of the role go directly into the Articles of Organization. A P.O. box does not satisfy the street-address requirement.
File the Articles of Organization
The Articles of Organization are the document that creates the LLC. Florida law requires only three things: the LLC’s name, the street and mailing addresses of its principal office, and the registered agent’s name and Florida street address along with their written acceptance.3Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 605.0201 – Formation of Limited Liability Company; Articles of Organization That’s the statutory minimum.
The Sunbiz online form also asks whether your LLC will be member-managed, meaning all owners run day-to-day operations, or manager-managed, meaning designated managers do. Decide before you start filling in fields, because the choice controls who has authority to bind the company in contracts.
How and Where to File
Most filers use the electronic system at efile.sunbiz.org, which walks through each required field.4Sunbiz. Articles of Organization for Florida Limited Liability Company Paper filings go by mail to the Division of Corporations in Tallahassee. Either way the total is $125: a $100 filing fee plus a $25 registered agent designation fee.5Florida Department of State. LLC Fees
How Long It Takes
Processing times shift with the Division’s workload. As of early 2026, online filings were taking roughly two weeks.6Florida Department of State. Document Processing Dates Check the current processing dates page before you file. The Division does not offer formal expedited processing for LLC formations, so build the wait into your plans.
Get an EIN and Register for State Taxes
Once your Articles are approved, get an Employer Identification Number from the IRS if your LLC has more than one member or plans to hire employees. The EIN is a nine-digit federal number your business uses to open a bank account, file tax returns, and pay workers.7Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number Applying through the IRS is free and takes minutes.
A single-member LLC with no employees and no excise tax liability can technically use the owner’s Social Security number for federal purposes.8Internal Revenue Service. Single Member Limited Liability Companies Most banks still ask for an EIN to open a business account, so solo owners generally get one anyway.
Florida State Taxes
Florida has no personal income tax, so LLC profits that pass through to members aren’t taxed at the state level. Federal income tax on those profits still applies.
If your LLC will sell taxable goods or services, register as a sales and use tax dealer with the Florida Department of Revenue before your first sale.9Florida Department of Revenue. Account Management and Registration The Department’s online Florida Business Tax Application identifies which taxes apply to your specific activity. If you’ll hire employees, register for Florida’s reemployment tax as well; employers pay it on the first $7,000 of each employee’s annual wages.10Florida Department of Revenue. Florida Reemployment Tax
Put an Operating Agreement in Writing
Florida does not require a written operating agreement. Under state law, an operating agreement can be written, oral, or even implied by how the members act.11Justia Law. Florida Statutes 605.0105 – Operating Agreement; Scope, Function, and Limitations Oral and implied agreements are nearly impossible to enforce when a disagreement surfaces, and disagreements between co-owners are more common than new owners expect.
A written agreement should cover ownership percentages, how profits and losses are split, what happens when a member wants out or wants to sell their interest, and who has authority to make binding decisions. It also governs how the LLC may alter fiduciary duties among members, within statutory limits. The document is not filed with the state and stays private. Single-member LLCs benefit too, because a written agreement reinforces the legal separation between owner and business that gives the LLC its liability protection.
Get Local Licenses and Any Professional Licenses
State filing does not, by itself, authorize you to open for business. Most Florida counties and municipalities require a local business tax receipt (formerly the occupational license) before you start operating. These receipts run on an annual cycle, are due by September 30, and late renewals face escalating monthly penalties up to 25% of the tax owed.12Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 205.053 – Business Tax Receipts; Dates Due and Delinquent; Penalties Some cities issue their own receipt on top of the county’s, so check both the county tax collector and the city clerk.
Certain professions and industries also need a state license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Contractors, cosmetologists, CPAs, architects, real estate professionals, and businesses selling alcohol or tobacco all fall under DBPR, among others.13MyFloridaLicense.com. Services Requiring a DBPR License If your work is regulated, get the professional license in place before taking clients. Practicing without one carries penalties separate from anything on the LLC side.
File the Annual Report Every Year
Every Florida LLC has to file an annual report with the Division of Corporations between January 1 and May 1 each year. The first report is due the year after formation, so an LLC formed in 2026 files its first report between January 1 and May 1 of 2027.14Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 605.0212 – Annual Report The report updates the state on current members, managers, principal office address, and registered agent.
The fee is $138.75 on time. Miss May 1 and it becomes $538.75, a $400 late penalty.15Florida Department of State. Fees Skip the report entirely and the state administratively dissolves the LLC, which strips your liability protection and your right to do business under the name. Reinstatement is available but adds fees and paperwork, and you’re personally exposed during the gap. A January calendar reminder is the simplest defense; missing this deadline is the single most common way Florida LLCs lose active status.
Federal Beneficial Ownership Reporting
If you’ve heard about the federal beneficial ownership requirement, it no longer applies to domestic LLCs. As of March 2025, FinCEN exempted all domestic companies from the Corporate Transparency Act’s reporting requirements, and it has stated it will not enforce penalties against domestic reporting companies or their owners.16FinCEN.gov. Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting The requirement now applies only to foreign entities registered to do business in a U.S. state.