What is different about forming an LLC in Florida.
Every state runs its own filing office, its own fee schedule and its own ongoing obligations. These are the ones that apply in Florida.
| Item | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| LLC filing fee | $125 | Paid to the state, at cost. File.Business charges $0 to prepare and file it. |
| Corporation, for comparison | $70 | |
| Nonprofit | $70 | |
| Professional LLC (PLLC) | $125 | |
| Series LLC | Not offered | Florida has no Series LLC filing. |
| Ongoing state report for an LLC | $138.75 | Annual Report, annual, due between January 1 and May 1 each year. After May 1 the 400 late fee applies, and an entity that has still not filed by the third Friday in September is administratively dissolved or revoked. |
| Registering an out-of-state LLC here | $125 | A certificate of good standing from your home state is required. Filed on the Application by Foreign Limited Liability Company for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida, Application by Foreign Corporation for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida. |
What the Florida fee schedule actually says
Florida publishes these to the cent and the cents are real: LLC 138.75, profit corporation 150.00, nonprofit corporation 61.25, limited partnership and LLLP 500.00. A 400 late fee is added after May 1 to profit corporations, LLCs, LPs and LLLPs, taking the LLC to 538.75 and the profit corporation to 550.00. Nonprofit corporations are not subject to the 400 late fee. Florida limited partnership formation is 1,000 (965 filing plus 35 registered agent designation), which is far above every other Florida entity and is the single figure most often wrong in fee tables.
Verified 2026-08-17 · against the agency's own fee schedule
What forming an LLC in Florida actually involves.
Articles of Organization
The Articles of Organization is the founding Florida document. We prepare and file with the SOS using your entity name, organizer info, RA, and member structure.
~5 day Florida processing
Florida SOS typically processes standard LLC filings in 5 business days. Expedited options available for an extra state fee (varies $25-$200).
Registered Agent included
Florida requires every LLC to maintain a Registered Agent. RA service is included year one in every formation bundle.
EIN from the IRS
Your Florida LLC needs a federal EIN for banking, taxes, and payroll. We file Form SS-4 with the IRS, typically 1-2 business days, faster than DIY filings.
Operating Agreement
Florida doesn't require filing an Operating Agreement with the SOS, but every Florida LLC needs one to define member rights, voting, profit splits, and dissolution rules. Included in Domestic Complete.
Year-one compliance
Forming the LLC is step one. Florida requires ongoing compliance: Annual Report (May 1), state tax registrations, license renewals. Domestic Complete includes year-one AR AutoFile.
A clean handoff, in 6 steps.
Pick your Florida LLC name
We check Florida SOS name availability live. Your chosen name must include "LLC" or variant and not conflict with existing Florida registrations.
Designate Registered Agent
Every Florida LLC needs a RA with a physical Florida address. We provide one (included year one) or you can designate your own.
Prepare Articles of Organization
Member info, RA, principal office, management structure (member-managed vs manager-managed), effective date. We draft and review with you.
File with Florida SOS
Submitted electronically with $125 state fee. 5-day standard processing. State-stamped Articles return to your BOS vault.
EIN + Operating Agreement
After SOS acceptance: IRS EIN application (1-2 days), Operating Agreement drafted, S-Corp election if requested (Form 2553).
Year-one compliance setup
Florida Annual Report added to your calendar (due May 1). RA active. Compliance Score baseline established.
Formation is free. Everything else is optional.
We do not charge a service fee to form your LLC or Corporation. State filing fees still apply and pass through at cost. Add the Compliance Bundle to handle the year-one filings everyone needs.
- LLC or Corporation formation (any state)
- EIN application with the IRS
- Articles of Organization or Incorporation drafted and filed
- Free BOS dashboard for ongoing visibility
- Filing receipts to your document vault
- Everything in Free Formation (no add-on fee)
- Registered Agent service in your state (1 entity)
- Annual Report AutoFile, filed every year on time
- Certificate of Good Standing (1 included per year)
- 1 Amendment included per year (address, member, name)
- Operating Agreement (LLC) or Bylaws (Corp)
- Deadline monitoring across all your filings
Common questions.
Do I need to live in Florida to form an LLC there?
No. You do not need to live in Florida or be a resident to form an LLC there. What Florida requires is a registered agent with a physical in-state address to receive legal mail, which we provide, or you can act as your own if you have a Florida address and are available in business hours. Where you live does not limit where you can form.
What is the difference between an LLC and a corporation in Florida?
An LLC is simpler and pass-through: profit lands on your personal return and there is little required formality, which suits most owners in Florida. A corporation is built to raise venture capital and issue stock, but it adds bylaws, a board, and annual meetings. If you plan to raise money, look at forming a corporation; otherwise the LLC-versus-corporation comparison lays out the tradeoffs.
Does Florida require an Operating Agreement?
Florida may not require you to file one, but you should have one. The Operating Agreement sets who owns what, who can sign, and what happens if an owner leaves, and it is the document that shows the LLC is a genuine separate entity, which protects your liability shield. Banks and lenders also ask for it. Generate one that fits your ownership with our Operating Agreement tool.
What about the EIN for my Florida LLC?
The EIN is your business's federal tax ID, and you need it to open a bank account, hire, or file taxes. It is free from the IRS, and we obtain it for you the same day, including for founders without a Social Security Number. Keeping the EIN separate from your SSN also keeps your personal number off vendor and client paperwork. Start with our EIN guide.
Can a foreign person form a Florida LLC?
Yes. You do not need to be a US citizen or resident to own or form a Florida LLC, and you never have to set foot in the state. The one extra step is the EIN, which we obtain from the IRS for you when you have no Social Security Number, and that unlocks US banking and payment processing. Our EIN guide is the right starting point for international founders.
What ongoing compliance does a Florida LLC require?
Forming is the start, not the finish. A Florida LLC generally files a periodic annual report, keeps a registered agent on record, and pays any state franchise tax. Miss the report and Florida can administratively dissolve the LLC, ending the protection you formed it for. A compliance calendar keeps every date in view, and our subscription can file them for you.
Can I change my Florida LLC name later?
Yes. If you outgrow the name or rebrand, you change it by filing Articles of Amendment with Florida, which updates the official record; your EIN and entity stay the same. If you would rather keep the legal name and operate under a different public name, a DBA does that without a full amendment. We handle either the amendment or the DBA for you.
Where to next?
Every filing connects into your File.Business operating system. Pick where to go from here: we keep the rest tracked. Or start by looking up any Florida company on the state record.
Up a level, or across to the neighbors.
Form an LLC by state
The national explainer above this page: what changes between jurisdictions, and why.
Open the hub → SectionForm a business
Every formation route, each with a page per state.
Open the section → StateFlorida business filings
Every filing a business makes in Florida, gathered on one page.
Open Florida → In FloridaHolding company in Florida
The holding company, state by state
Read the guide → In FloridaHow to form a corporation in Florida
How to form a corporation, state by state
Read the guide → In FloridaNonprofit formation in Florida
Starting a nonprofit, state by state
Read the guide → In FloridaPLLC in Florida
The PLLC, state by state
Read the guide →