How to start an LLC in Florida

What are the steps to form an LLC in Florida?

1. Search Sunbiz for a distinguishable name

   The name must be distinguishable from others on the Department of State's records and include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC" or "L.L.C." The Division says not to assume the name is yours until it sends a filing acknowledgment.

2. Choose a registered agent who will sign

   The agent can be an individual, including you, or a business with an active Florida filing, but the LLC cannot be its own agent. The agent needs a Florida street address, not a P.O. box, and signs to accept the duties of the role.

3. Gather the addresses and any managers

   You need the principal office's street address and a mailing address, which may be a P.O. box. Listing managers or authorized representatives is optional, and the instructions say not to list members.

4. Pick the effective date

   The LLC exists from the date the Division files the articles unless you name another date, up to five business days earlier or 90 days later than the day the Division receives them.

5. File online or by mail and pay

   Card payments go through the online filing; checks and money orders go with the printed form by mail. Filings are processed in the order received, and online filers get the confirmation by email once the Division approves the document.

6. Get an EIN and register for state taxes

   Apply for a free EIN with the IRS, then register with the Florida Department of Revenue for the state taxes your business must collect or pay.

How much does a Florida LLC cost?

Forming costs $125 and keeping the LLC active costs $138.75 a year. The Division of Corporations' LLC fee list sets these amounts:

A certificate of status certifies that the LLC exists and has paid the Division's fees through a date; a certified copy verifies that your copy of the articles is a true copy of the record. Both are optional. Once the articles post, you can download an image of them from Sunbiz free.

When is the Florida annual report due, and what if I miss it?

Every Florida LLC files an annual report to stay active, whether or not anything changed. It is not a financial statement; it confirms or updates the company's details on record. The timeline:

• January 1 to May 1: the filing window, starting the calendar year after the LLC's filing or effective date. Reports filed online with a card post right away.
• After May 1: a $400 late fee applies to LLCs, which is why the fee list shows $538.75.
• Third Friday of September: the last day to file before the Division administratively dissolves the LLC, at the close of business on the fourth Friday of September. For 2026, the Division set September 18 as the last day to pay by check and 5:00 p.m. on September 25 by card.
• After dissolution: reinstatement means an application, the $100 reinstatement fee and every annual report fee that is due.

The report also lets you change the registered agent, addresses, managers and federal EIN on record. It cannot change the LLC's name; that needs an amendment. One timing tip from the Division's filing instructions: if you form between October 1 and December 31 but will not trade until the new year, an effective date of January 1 puts off the first annual report by a year.

Does a Florida LLC need a fictitious name registration?

Only to trade under a name other than its exact legal name. Florida's Fictitious Name Act requires a fictitious name registration with the Department of State before doing business under that name, for example "Gulf Coast Goods" for an LLC registered as "GCG Holdings LLC". Details:

• The fee is $50, and the registration lasts five years, expiring on December 31 of the final year.
• The name must be advertised at least once in a newspaper in the county of your principal place of business. You certify this when you sign; you do not send proof.
• It is not needed to form the LLC, and it does not give you ownership of the name or stop others from using it.

What other registrations does Florida expect?

The Division's checklist for new businesses points beyond the LLC filing itself:

• Professional licenses: most professions must also register with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
• Local licenses: a business may need to register with its county; county occupational licenses come from the county government.
• State taxes: the Florida Department of Revenue handles registration for the taxes a business collects and pays. See seller's permits and sales tax for how sales tax works.
• Workers' compensation: the Division of Workers' Compensation is on the list of agencies to check, and the managers named on your articles can matter if you apply for an exemption.
• Public records: everything on your filing is public on Sunbiz, and under Florida law email addresses sent to the Division are public records too.