Forming a limited liability company is one of the paths covered in how to register a business in Florida. This article walks through the specific steps to create a Florida LLC: choosing a compliant name, naming a registered agent, filing the Articles of Organization, paying the state fee, and handling what comes after the company exists.
What it takes to form a Florida LLC
A Florida LLC is created under the Florida Revised Limited Liability Company Act, which is Chapter 605 of the Florida Statutes. Under Fla. Stat. § 605.0201, one or more persons form the company by signing and delivering Articles of Organization to the Department of State for filing. The company comes into existence once the articles take effect and at least one person has become a member.
Three items are mandatory on the articles: the LLC’s name, the street and mailing address of its principal office, and the name, Florida street address, and written acceptance of its registered agent. Everything else the form allows, a statement that the company is manager-managed, the names of managers or members, or a stated business purpose, is optional under Fla. Stat. § 605.0201.
The Division of Corporations describes itself as an administrative filing agency and states plainly that it cannot provide legal, accounting, or tax advice, per its Articles of Organization instructions. The clerk checks that the paperwork is complete, not that the structure fits a particular business.
Choose a name that meets Florida’s rules
A Florida LLC name has to include a designator that identifies it as an LLC. The Sunbiz filing instructions require the words “Limited Liability Company,” the abbreviation “LLC,” or “L.L.C.” A professional company that practices a licensed profession uses “Chartered,” “Professional Limited Liability Company,” “P.L.L.C.,” or “PLLC” instead.
The name also must be distinguishable from every other entity already on the Department of State’s records. Running a preliminary search of existing names on Sunbiz before filing avoids a rejected submission. A name is not secured until the Division issues a filing acknowledgment, so the name is not guaranteed just because a search shows it as available.
For a business that is not ready to file yet, Florida offers an optional name reservation for a $25 fee, listed on the Division’s LLC fee schedule as of 2026. Reservation is not required, and most filers simply submit the articles when they are ready.
Name a Florida registered agent
Every Florida LLC must continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in the state. Under Fla. Stat. § 605.0113, the agent must be either an individual who resides in Florida with a business address identical to the registered office, or an authorized business entity with a Florida business address. The agent has to file a written statement accepting the appointment and its obligations.
The registered office must be a physical Florida street address, not a P.O. box, and an entity cannot serve as its own registered agent. An individual associated with the company, a member or manager who lives in Florida, can act as the agent, as the Sunbiz instructions explain.
File the Articles of Organization
The Articles of Organization can be filed online through Sunbiz or submitted by mail. Online filing is the route most new companies use, and the filing acknowledgment is emailed to the address listed on the form.
Gather the required information
Have the LLC’s exact name ready, along with the principal office street and mailing address, and the registered agent’s name, Florida street address, and consent to serve. These are the items the articles must contain under
Fla. Stat. § 605.0201.Confirm the name is available
Search existing entity names on Sunbiz and confirm the proposed name is distinguishable and carries an LLC designator. A name that conflicts with a filed entity is rejected.
Complete the articles
Enter the required information and any optional items, such as a declaration that the company is manager-managed. The registered agent types or signs an acceptance, and at least one authorized representative signs the filing.
Set an effective date if needed
An LLC exists on the date the Division receives and files the articles unless the filing specifies an alternate effective date, which can be up to five business days before or 90 days after the filing date, per the Sunbiz instructions.
Pay the fee and submit
Pay the $125 filing package online by card or through a prepaid Sunbiz account, then submit. The Division emails a filing acknowledgment once the articles are accepted.
A company formed between October 1 and December 31 that does not expect to operate until the next year can list January 1 as the effective date. That delays the company’s official start to January 1 and postpones the first annual report requirement by a calendar year.
## What filing costs and the annual report
The filing package for a new Florida LLC is $125: a $100 filing fee plus a $25 registered agent designation fee, as set out on the Division’s LLC fee schedule as of 2026. Two optional add-ons are available at filing, a certificate of status for $5 and a certified copy of the articles for $30, according to the Sunbiz instructions.
The recurring obligation is the annual report. Every LLC files one to keep an active status, and the report is a confirmation of the company’s information rather than a financial statement.
## After your LLC is formed
An LLC that will hire employees, open a business bank account, or elect corporate tax treatment needs a federal Employer Identification Number. The IRS issues an EIN at no cost, and applications are handled through the IRS Employer Identification Number page.
An operating agreement is not filed with the state and is not required to form the company, but it is the document that sets out how members share profits, vote, and handle a member’s departure. Without one, the default rules in Chapter 605 govern those questions.
Separate licensing is its own step. State-level professional or sales-tax registrations and any city or county local business tax receipts apply based on what the company does and where it operates, and forming the LLC does not by itself satisfy those requirements.
The required filing package is $125, made up of a $100 filing fee and a $25 registered agent designation fee, according to the Division of Corporations LLC fee schedule. A certificate of status ($5) and a certified copy ($30) are optional add-ons. After formation, the annual report costs $138.75 each year. An individual who resides in Florida and has a Florida street address can serve as the LLC’s registered agent, including a member or manager of the company. A company cannot act as its own registered agent, and the agent’s address cannot be a P.O. box, as the Sunbiz instructions describe. No. Florida does not require an operating agreement to file the Articles of Organization or to keep the LLC active, and the agreement is not filed with the state. When a company has no operating agreement, the default provisions of Chapter 605 govern how the LLC is run. The annual report is due between January 1 and May 1 of the year after the LLC is formed. The on-time fee is $138.75, and a report received after May 1 costs $538.75, which includes a $400 late penalty under the LLC fee schedule. An LLC that misses the deadline entirely is administratively dissolved. In a member-managed LLC the owners run the company directly; in a manager-managed LLC they appoint one or more managers to handle operations. The Articles of Organization can include a declaration that the company is manager-managed under Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start an LLC in Florida?
Can I be my own registered agent in Florida?
Do I need an operating agreement to form a Florida LLC?
When is the Florida LLC annual report due?
What is the difference between a member-managed and manager-managed LLC?
Fla. Stat. § 605.0201, and the choice affects who has authority to bind the company.