To reinstate an LLC in Florida, file a reinstatement application through the state’s Sunbiz e-filing portal and pay a $100 reinstatement fee plus $138.75 for each annual report that went unfiled. There is no deadline — Florida law lets you reinstate at any point after administrative dissolution, regardless of how many years have passed.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 605.0715 – Reinstatement Most filings are completed online in a single sitting, with a minimum total cost of $238.75.
Confirm Your LLC’s Status First
Look up your business at sunbiz.org before doing anything else. The status label tells you what you’re dealing with. “Admin Dissolved” and “Inact/UA” both mean the LLC can be reinstated. “Active” means nothing needs to be done.2Florida Department of State. Explanation of Status Terms – Division of Corporations
“Inact/UA” means your business name is still reserved for you. That protection lasts one year from the dissolution date. After that, the name is released and anyone can register it.3Florida Department of State. Division FAQs – Division of Corporations If your LLC has been dissolved more than a year, check Sunbiz for your name before you start the application.
What Reinstatement Will Cost You
The fee has two parts: a flat $100 reinstatement fee, plus $138.75 for every annual report that was missed.4Florida Department of State. LLC Fees – Division of Corporations When you file matters:
- If you reinstate on or before December 31 of the year your LLC was dissolved, the total is $100 plus $138.75 for that year’s unfiled report — $238.75 minimum.
- If you reinstate on or after January 1 of the following year, you owe $100 plus $138.75 for each year including the current one — $377.50 minimum.
Every additional year of inactivity adds another $138.75. An LLC that has been dissolved for five years would owe roughly $794. An optional Certificate of Status adds $8.75 if you request it during filing. Sunbiz calculates the exact total before you pay, so you’ll see the final number before committing.5Florida Department of State. Reinstatement Filing Instructions
What to Have Ready Before You Start
Gathering a few pieces of information up front means you can complete the application in one pass:
- Your Florida document number, assigned when the LLC was formed. If you don’t have it, look it up on Sunbiz.
- Current registered agent name and physical Florida street address. You can update this during the filing.6Florida Department of State. File Reinstatement – Division of Corporations
- Your federal Employer Identification Number. If you originally entered “Applied For” and have since received an EIN, enter it now.7Florida Department of State. Reinstatement Filing Instructions – Division of Corporations
- Current principal office address and mailing address. Both can be updated on the application.
- Names, titles, and street addresses for all current managers or authorized members. You can add, edit, or remove principals as part of the filing.7Florida Department of State. Reinstatement Filing Instructions – Division of Corporations
If Your Name Was Taken
For LLCs dissolved more than one calendar year, the Division of Corporations automatically checks name availability before processing. If someone else has registered your name, you cannot change it through the online reinstatement application. You’ll need to download a separate amendment form and mail it with payment to the Division of Corporations.7Florida Department of State. Reinstatement Filing Instructions – Division of Corporations This is the one scenario that forces part of the process offline.
Filing on Sunbiz
Go to the Sunbiz e-filing portal and choose “File Reinstatement” under the manage business menu. Enter your document number and the system pulls up your LLC’s record. You’ll move through screens for the registered agent, principal address, manager details, and payment.
Three payment options are available:
- Credit or debit card. This is the fastest route. Reinstatements for LLCs dissolved less than one year post immediately. For those dissolved more than a year, allow two to three business days while the state verifies the name.6Florida Department of State. File Reinstatement – Division of Corporations
- Prepaid Sunbiz E-File Account. Same processing speed as card payment.
- Check or money order. After completing the online form, print a payment voucher with a unique barcode and mail it with your check (payable to the Florida Department of State) within 10 business days. The reinstatement posts 10 to 14 days after the Division receives payment.5Florida Department of State. Reinstatement Filing Instructions
There is no paper-only path. Even check filers must start on the website. If you ordered a Certificate of Status, it will be emailed once the reinstatement posts.
What Reinstatement Does Legally
Once processed, the reinstatement relates back to the date of dissolution. Florida law treats the LLC as if the dissolution never happened, preserving its existence for contracts, liability protection, and legal proceedings.8Florida Senate. Florida Code 605 – Reinstatement
One caveat matters. If a third party took action in good-faith reliance on the dissolution before learning about the reinstatement, their rights from that action are not undone.8Florida Senate. Florida Code 605 – Reinstatement In practice, this comes up when someone signed a contract or took a legal position based on the belief that your LLC no longer existed.
Your federal EIN carries over. Don’t apply for a new one.7Florida Department of State. Reinstatement Filing Instructions – Division of Corporations Reinstating with Florida does not clear up any unfiled federal or state tax returns from the dormant period; those need to be addressed separately with the IRS and the Florida Department of Revenue.
No Deadline to Apply
Florida sets no cutoff for reinstating an administratively dissolved LLC.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 605.0715 – Reinstatement An LLC dissolved in 2018 can be reinstated in 2026 as long as the back fees are paid. The only real limit is cost, since the $138.75 annual report fees compound over time.
Staying Active Going Forward
When Sunbiz shows your LLC as “Active,” you’re done. File each year’s annual report between January 1 and May 1 to avoid the $400 late fee and to keep the LLC from being dissolved again the following September.9Florida Department of State. File Annual Report – Division of Corporations Confirm that your registered agent information is current while you’re in the system; a lapsed registered agent designation is one of the quieter ways businesses fall back out of compliance.