Form an LLC in Florida

Here's what forming an LLC in Florida actually involves — the fees, the timeline, the ongoing obligations, and the official registry link, so you can file with confidence.

Florida LLC at a glance

State filing fee	$125 total ($100 filing fee + $25 registered agent designation)
Processing time	Processing times change — check current times on the official registry
Annual report / franchise	Annual Report — $138.75, due January 1 through May 1; $400 late fee after May 1.
Registered agent required?	Yes — physical Florida address required
Official registry	Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations business search  →

Florida LLC cost: understand the $125 state charge

The current state record lists $125 total ($100 filing fee + $25 registered agent designation), checked 2026-11-02. The Sunbiz LLC fee table identifies the two required components. The agent-designation charge is a state filing fee; it does not purchase a year of commercial registered-agent service.

Sunbiz lists a certified copy and a certificate of status as optional purchases. Its filing instructions show a $160 total when both optional items are included. That does not change the ordinary $125 required filing total. Select the documents you actually need instead of assuming every line in a package is mandatory.

If a private provider prepares the filing, separate its service price, selected extras and renewals from the money paid to Florida. A promotional package does not remove the state charge or guarantee approval.

Start with the correct Florida filing

A new domestic Florida LLC uses Articles of Organization. An existing company organized in another jurisdiction needs to assess the registration route appropriate to that entity. A founder living outside the United States is not, by that fact alone, filing a foreign-company registration.

Before submitting, decide which company is being formed or registered, what its name will be, who is authorized to act and which addresses belong in each field. A name search is a useful starting check, not a promise that the name is approved. Retain the state's acknowledgment before treating the filing as accepted.

Registered agent and address requirements

The Florida division FAQs distinguish the registered agent from the LLC itself: the company cannot serve as its own agent, although an eligible individual associated with the business may serve. Paid commercial service is an option, not automatically the only route for every founder.

The domestic filing packet requires a Florida street address for the registered agent and the agent's acceptance. Do not substitute an ordinary mailbox for an eligible agent arrangement. Separately identify the principal-office and mailing-address fields and review what will become public.

An agent's address is not a universal answer to banking, licensing or operating-address questions. Our registered-agent versus virtual-mailbox article explains what to ask before paying for an address package.

A formation checklist for Florida

1. Search the official Sunbiz registry and review the name requirements for the intended filing.
2. Arrange an eligible registered agent, the Florida office address and acceptance of the appointment.
3. Prepare the Articles of Organization, checking the principal office, mailing details, contact information, authorized entries and effective date.
4. Review the required fee and any optional documents before payment. Save the submission receipt and approved filing.
5. Document the members' ownership and management arrangements in the company's internal records.
6. Assess the EIN application, relevant tax accounts, local permissions and banking documentation for the actual business.

Use the formation planning checklist to track the work. A checked box is a planning aid; your approved documents and confirmations are the actual records.

Annual report: a separate recurring obligation

Florida's domestic filing packet says the first annual report is due in the year following formation. Its ordinary filing period is January 1 through May 1. The annual report updates the entity record; it is not the same document as an income-tax return.

The annual-report filing page supports the recurring charge in our state record: Annual Report — $138.75, due January 1 through May 1; $400 late fee after May 1. Do not treat the later administrative-dissolution timetable as permission to ignore the May fee deadline. Confirm the current year's instructions for the particular entity before paying.

Keep the document number, contact details and reporting calendar accessible to whoever manages the company. An unchanged business record does not mean you can ignore a required annual report, and buying a reminder service does not itself complete the filing.

Effective dates and year-end formation

Sunbiz's Articles instructions discuss a January 1 effective date for certain filings submitted late in the preceding year when business will not start until the next calendar year. Review that guidance before choosing a date; do not assume the payment date alone determines every reporting period.

An effective-date choice also needs to match the business's actual plans. Do not use a delayed date as a workaround for activities already being carried on. State entity timing, federal reporting and contract dates should be considered separately.

Formation does not complete tax and licensing registrations

The Florida Department of Revenue registration guidance covers tax accounts tied to the business's activities. Sales, employees and other operations can create registration or reporting duties beyond Sunbiz. Check local and professional requirements as applicable.

Federal tax treatment depends on ownership, elections and activity. Read single-member versus multi-member LLCs and the EIN guide. International ownership can require a separate Form 5472 assessment. Neither state approval nor an absence of sales settles every filing question.

A useful two-obligation cost example

Combine the ordinary formation charge and a later on-time annual report only when comparing those two specific obligations. They are not necessarily both due on the formation date or both payable within your first twelve months.

Agent subscriptions, selected copies, professional work, licenses, tax obligations, additional-state registrations and any late charges sit outside that example. Use the LLC cost planner to add the costs you actually expect, and review the state cost comparison before choosing a state purely on its opening fee.

Before you pay a notice or a provider

Check whether the sender is Sunbiz, another agency or a private company. Match the proposed service to a real task. State records and public contact details can be used by third parties, so an entity number or a familiar address on a letter does not itself establish official status.

If you choose assistance, ask whether the price covers preparation, submission, the state fee, agent service or later reports. Obtain the terms and renewal price. You can use the official filing route directly; paying a private provider should be a decision about the work you want help with.

Optional filing assistance

You can file directly with the state. If you prefer paid help, check the provider’s package, state charges, scope and renewal terms first.

We may earn a commission through this partner link.

Formation assistance via Northwest Registered Agent

Budget and filing checks for Florida

The $25 state agent-designation charge is included in $125; commercial agent service is separate. Optional copies are extra.

• Formation source — recorded check 2026-11-02.
• Recurring requirement source — recorded check 2026-11-02.

Compare the source-qualified Florida cost row with your own first-year and recurring budget. Then check licenses and permits for the actual business activity. A filing fee is not a complete operating-cost quote.

Frequently asked questions