The electronic registration filing fee in Florida depends on what you’re forming through the Division of Corporations’ Sunbiz portal: $125 for a limited liability company, $70 for a profit or nonprofit corporation, and $50 for a fictitious name (DBA). Those figures cover the mandatory state fees to create the entity. Optional documents at filing and recurring annual reports are separate.
LLC Filing Fee
A Florida LLC costs $125 to file online. That breaks down as a $100 filing fee for the articles of organization and a $25 registered agent designation fee.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 605.0213 – Fees of the Department The registered agent fee is not optional. Every LLC must have a registered agent with a physical Florida street address on file, and the state charges to record that designation.
Two add-ons are available while you file. A Certificate of Status, which proves the LLC is active and in good standing, costs $5. A certified copy of the filed articles costs $30.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 605.0213 – Fees of the Department Neither is required to form the entity, but banks and lenders sometimes ask for them when opening a business account. You can also request them later at the same price.
Corporation Filing Fee
Profit and nonprofit corporations both cost $70 to file: $35 for the articles of incorporation and $35 for the registered agent designation.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 607.0122 – Fees for Filing Documents and Issuing Certificates The same amount applies to not-for-profit corporations filed through Sunbiz.3Florida Department of State. Florida Non-Profit Corporation
Optional documents at filing cost $8.75 each: a Certificate of Status is $8.75 and a certified copy of the articles of incorporation is $8.75.4Florida Department of State. Fees – Division of Corporations If you later want a certified copy of a corporation’s articles, you pay the same $8.75 rather than the $30 charged for an LLC certified copy.
Fictitious Name (DBA) Filing Fee
If a business operates under a name different from its legal entity name, Florida requires a fictitious name registration. The fee is $50 whether you file online or by mail.5The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 865.09 – Fictitious Name Registration A fictitious name does not need its own registered agent, so there’s no additional agent fee.
Out-of-State (Foreign) Entity Fees
Businesses formed in another state that want to operate in Florida pay the same amount as a new domestic entity. An out-of-state LLC seeking authorization pays $100 plus the $25 registered agent fee, for $125 total.6Florida Department of State. LLC Fees An out-of-state corporation applying for a certificate of authority pays $35 plus $35, for $70.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 607.0122 – Fees for Filing Documents and Issuing Certificates Foreign-qualified entities also owe the same annual reports as domestic ones.
How You Pay
Sunbiz accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit cards, along with debit cards carrying a Visa or MasterCard logo. Businesses that file frequently can set up a prepaid Sunbiz E-File account and draw against the balance.7Florida Department of State. Florida Limited Liability Company Payment is collected at the end of the online submission, and the system generates a tracking number once the transaction is authorized.
What the Filing Fee Doesn’t Cover
The initial filing fee is only the start of the state’s costs. A few recurring and situational fees are worth knowing before you file.
Annual Report
Every Florida LLC and corporation must file an annual report through Sunbiz, whether or not the business earned any revenue. The fee is $138.75 for an LLC and $150.00 for a profit corporation.4Florida Department of State. Fees – Division of Corporations Reports are due by May 1 each year.
Filing after May 1 adds a $400 late fee on top of the base report.8Florida Department of State. File Annual Report – Division of Corporations A late LLC report runs $538.75; a late corporation report runs $550.00. If the report is still not filed by the third Friday of September, the entity is administratively dissolved on the fourth Friday of September.9Florida Department of State. Profit and NonProfit Annual Report Help A dissolved business cannot legally operate, enter into contracts, or pursue litigation, and after one year its name becomes available for others to claim.
Amendments
Changing records after formation carries its own charge. Amending the articles of organization for an LLC costs $25; amending articles of incorporation for a corporation costs $35.4Florida Department of State. Fees – Division of Corporations Common amendments include changing the business name, updating a registered agent, or adding or removing managers.
Reinstatement
Climbing out of administrative dissolution is the most expensive scenario. An LLC pays a $100 reinstatement fee plus $138.75 for each missed annual report.10Florida Department of State. File Reinstatement – Division of Corporations A corporation pays a $600 reinstatement fee plus the annual report amount for each missed year.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 607.0122 – Fees for Filing Documents and Issuing Certificates An LLC two years behind would owe $100 plus $277.50 in back reports, totaling $377.50. A corporation in the same position would owe $600 plus $300, totaling $900. Keeping up with the annual report is far cheaper than reinstating later.