How to File an LLC in Florida in 2026: Fees, Steps, and Mistakes to Avoid

The state fee for a new Florida LLC is $125, made up of a $100 filing fee plus a $25 registered agent designation fee. Online filings paid by credit or debit card go through the state's third-party payment processor and may carry a small convenience fee.

Optional extras include a certified copy of your articles ($30) and a certificate of status ($5), which some banks request when you open a business account. Everything else—name searches, the filing forms, and the online portal—is free to use.

• Articles of Organization filing fee: $100
• Registered agent designation: $25
• Certified copy (optional): $30
• Certificate of status (optional): $5
• Annual report, due every year after formation: $138.75

First, your name. Florida requires the name to contain “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.,” or “LLC,” and it must be distinguishable from every other entity on the Sunbiz registry. Search the state's database before you get attached to a name; distinguishability rules ignore punctuation and small word differences.

Second, your registered agent. Every Florida LLC needs a registered agent with a Florida street address who accepts legal documents during business hours. You can serve as your own agent if you have a Florida address and are comfortable with your address becoming public record—many owners hire a service instead to keep their home address off the filing.

Third, management structure. The form asks whether the LLC is member-managed (the owners run it) or manager-managed (designated managers run it). Single-owner businesses are almost always member-managed.

Online filings are typically processed within a few business days. Once approved, your Articles of Organization appear in the public Sunbiz record, and your LLC legally exists.

• Search your proposed name in the Sunbiz records to confirm it is available.
• Go to the Division of Corporations online filing portal (efile.sunbiz.org) and choose “Florida Limited Liability Company.”
• Enter the LLC name, principal street address, and mailing address.
• Name your registered agent and their Florida street address. The agent must accept the designation.
• State whether the LLC is member-managed or manager-managed, and list the authorized members or managers.
• Add an effective date if you want one other than the filing date (you can set it up to 90 days in the future).
• Provide the name, address, and signature of the organizer—the person submitting the filing.
• Pay the $125 fee by card and save the confirmation email and your document number.

Get an EIN from the IRS. It is free on irs.gov, takes minutes online, and you need it to open a business bank account, hire employees, and file federal taxes.

Open a dedicated business bank account before any money moves. Mixing personal and business spending is the most common way owners weaken the liability protection the LLC exists to provide.

Write an operating agreement. Florida does not require you to file one, but without it your LLC defaults to the state's statutory rules—and banks, partners, and courts all treat a written agreement as the real document. Even a single-member LLC should have one.

Check local licenses. Depending on your city, county, and industry you may need a business tax receipt or professional license. And if you will sell taxable goods or services in Florida, register with the Florida Department of Revenue for sales tax.

Florida LLCs must file an annual report with Sunbiz every year to stay active. It costs $138.75 and is due between January 1 and May 1. Miss the deadline and the state adds a $400 late fee; ignore it entirely and the state can administratively dissolve your LLC.

The report takes minutes—mostly confirming your addresses and agent—but there is no grace period on the late fee. Put a recurring reminder on the calendar for early April, or hand the whole compliance calendar to software that tracks it for you.

None of these are complicated—they are just easy to defer forever. The owners who stay in good standing are the ones who turn each of them into a dated, recurring task.

• Using a PO Box as the registered agent address—the state requires a Florida street address.
• Paying a third-party “formation service” hundreds of dollars for what is a $125, 20-minute state filing. Their convenience can be worth it, but know what the state actually charges first.
• Skipping the operating agreement because the state doesn't ask for it.
• Forgetting the annual report and learning about it through a $400 late fee.
• Running business revenue through a personal account before the LLC's bank account exists.