How much does it cost to start an LLC in Florida?

The state fee is $125: a $100 filing fee plus a $25 registered agent designation fee, paid when you file Articles of Organization on Sunbiz. A certified copy ($30) and certificate of status ($5) are optional. Expect a $138.75 annual report fee every year after.

How long does it take to form an LLC in Florida?

Online filings on Sunbiz are often processed within a few business days. Getting the EIN online can be done the same day once the LLC is approved.

Do I need an operating agreement in Florida?

Florida does not require a written operating agreement, but you should have one. Banks often ask for it, and without it your LLC is governed by Florida's default statutory rules, which may not match how you want to run the business.

Can I be my own registered agent in Florida?

Yes, if you have a physical Florida street address (not a P.O. box) where you're available during normal business hours to accept legal papers. Many owners use a registered agent service for privacy and reliability.

Do Florida LLCs need to file a beneficial ownership (BOI) report?

As of FinCEN's March 2025 interim final rule, companies formed in the United States are exempt from BOI reporting. Foreign companies registered to do business in the US may still have obligations. Check FinCEN for the latest status.

How to Start an LLC in Florida: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Everything you need to form a Florida LLC in 2026: name rules, registered agent, the $125 Sunbiz filing, EIN, operating agreement, licenses, and the annual report deadline that catches people off guard.

Forming an LLC is the most common way Florida entrepreneurs separate personal assets from business risk. The filing itself is simple. What trips people up is everything around it: the name rules, the documents banks expect, the tax decisions, and the deadlines that come after.

Here's the full process, step by step, with current state fees.

Step 1: Choose and Check Your Business Name

Your LLC name must include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." It must also be distinguishable from other businesses already on record with the Florida Division of Corporations.

Search the name on Sunbiz (the Division of Corporations website) before filing.
Avoid words that imply a regulated business (like "bank" or "insurance") unless you're licensed.
Check that a matching domain name and social handles are available.

Plan to operate under a different name than your legal LLC name? You'll register a fictitious name (a "DBA") separately.

Step 2: Appoint a Registered Agent

Every Florida LLC needs a registered agent with a physical Florida street address who is available during business hours to accept legal documents. You can serve as your own agent, use a friend or employee, or hire a registered agent service. A service keeps your home address off the public record and makes sure you never miss a lawsuit notice.

Step 3: File Articles of Organization

This is the official filing that creates your LLC. You file online through Sunbiz and provide:

LLC name and principal address
Mailing address
Registered agent name, address, and signature
Names of managers or authorized representatives (optional but common)
An effective date (optional)

Florida state fees (2026):

Filing fee: $100
Registered agent designation: $25
Total required: $125
Certified copy (optional): $30
Certificate of status (optional): $5

Step 4: Get an EIN

Your Employer Identification Number is your LLC's federal tax ID. You'll need it to open a business bank account, hire anyone, and file business taxes. It's free from the IRS, and the online application issues the number immediately once your LLC is approved.

Step 5: Write an Operating Agreement

Florida doesn't require one, but skipping it is a mistake. Your operating agreement sets ownership percentages, how profits are split, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves or dies. Without it, Florida's default rules apply, and banks and investors will usually ask for it anyway. A generic template is better than nothing, but one written for your actual ownership structure is better still.

Step 6: Decide How You Want to Be Taxed

This is the step most guides skip, and it's where the money is.

A single-member LLC is taxed like a sole proprietorship by default. See single-member LLC taxes in Florida.
A multi-member LLC is taxed as a partnership by default.
Either can elect S-Corp taxation, which often saves profitable owners thousands a year in self-employment tax.

The S-Corp election has a deadline: generally within 2 months and 15 days of the start of the tax year it takes effect, which for a new LLC means shortly after you form. Decide before you file. Check your numbers with our S-Corp calculator, and if you already missed it, see how late election relief works.

Step 7: Open a Business Bank Account

Your liability protection depends on keeping business and personal money separate. Open a dedicated account as soon as you have your Articles, EIN, and operating agreement, and run every business dollar through it.

Step 8: Handle Licenses and Registrations

Local business tax receipt: most Florida counties and many cities require one to operate.
Professional licenses: required for regulated work like contracting, real estate, and cosmetology.
Sales tax registration with the Florida Department of Revenue if you sell taxable goods or services.
Reemployment tax registration once you have employees.

Step 9: Know Your Ongoing Deadlines

Every Florida LLC must file an annual report between January 1 and May 1. The fee is $138.75, and filing after May 1 adds a $400 late fee. Miss it entirely and the state administratively dissolves your LLC in September. Full details in our Florida LLC annual report guide.

Do It Yourself or Have It Done?

The filing itself is a $125 DIY job. The expensive mistakes come from what surrounds it: a missing operating agreement, mixed personal and business money, and a missed S-Corp window. Read the 5 most expensive LLC formation mistakes before you file.

Want it done for you in 24 hours?

Articles, EIN, custom operating agreement, S-Corp analysis, bank setup, and compliance calendar. $0 until your LLC is filed, or it's free if not delivered in 24 hours. Taxpert is a private service, not a government agency; you can always file yourself on Sunbiz.

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