How to Form an LLC in Florida
A clean Florida registered agent setup for $99 per year. You get the office address on file, scanned legal mail, and compliance reminders ahead of state deadlines.
Bringing a Florida LLC to life is a four-or-five-step path: one filing, one agent, an internal agreement, an EIN, and ongoing compliance. Plan on $0 for the state's portion, around about a week for the state to process it, and a modest annual rhythm after that. What's ahead: the steps, the costs in detail, and where our $199 service joins the process.
Start Your Florida LLC — $199
The full filing service is $199. We prepare the Articles, submit through Florida Secretary of State, and wait the about a week for approval.
What A Florida LLC Is (and Why People Form One)
An LLC is a state-recognized business entity that walls off the owner's personal-side assets from business obligations. Statewide in Florida, the LLC is the small-business entity of choice because it offers liability protection paired with simple tax filing.
The Numbers for Florida LLC Formation
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee (Florida Secretary of State) | $0 one-time |
| Registered agent (required for every Florida LLC) | $99/year |
| State annual report fee | $138.75/year |
We bill $199 for our filing service. State fees are paid to Florida Secretary of State separately. The agent product is $99 annually.
Step-by-Step: Forming Your Florida LLC
1. Pick a Compliant Florida LLC Name
Your LLC name in Florida must include one of the LLC suffixes (Limited Liability Company, LLC, or L.L.C.) and must not duplicate or closely resemble any existing business entity. Search Florida Secretary of State's entity database before committing — it's the fastest way to confirm a name is available.
Restricted name terms include the obvious ones — 'bank,' 'insurance,' 'trust,' 'agency' (when implying government). If you're not licensed in those areas, leave them out.
2. Appoint Your Florida Registered Agent
A RA is required for every Florida LLC, full stop. The agent has to have an in-state street address and reasonable business-hour availability. What you list as agent and address becomes public information through Florida Secretary of State. Process servers, marketers, and anybody interested can see it.
For $99 a year, our RA service operates in Florida. Our address takes the public-record slot on your formation paperwork.
3. Send the Articles of Organization to Florida Secretary of State
This is the official formation event: hand off the Articles of Organization to Florida Secretary of State and remit $0 to the state. The filing covers the entity name, the entity's principal location, the RA's name and address, the management designation (member or manager-controlled), and the organizer(s) doing the filing.
Online filing through Florida Secretary of State's filing website is the standard channel and usually moves faster than paper submissions.
Typical processing is about a week from filing to approval. Expedite tiers may shorten the timeline for additional state fees.
4. Put Together an Operating Agreement
While Florida doesn't make you file an operating agreement, you'll need one nearly every time the LLC interacts with a bank or a courtroom. Inside it: ownership percentages, profit-and-loss allocation, voting and management procedures, and exit rules for members. Without a written agreement, Florida's default LLC rules apply — and those rules are generic, not tailored to your situation.
5. Get an EIN from the IRS
An EIN operates as the IRS's tracking number for the LLC. It's referenced by banks, payroll services, and the IRS. Use the IRS website to apply. You'll be done in roughly ten minutes, and your EIN issues at the end.
Third-party EIN services don't add value — the IRS issues EINs at no charge through a short online form.
6. Maintain Compliance Going Forward
Once the LLC is formed, the maintenance phase begins. Florida Secretary of State expects you to:
- Hold the agent of record on the Florida record for the LLC's entire existence
- Get in the LLC's yearly filing annually, by the state's deadline
- Keep a true divide between business banking and your personal banking (distinct cards and accounts)
- Take care of all federal and state tax requirements every year
Florida Secretary of State can dissolve LLCs that fall out of compliance. After dissolution, the liability shield disappears until you reinstate.
Skip the busywork: pay $199 once and our team handles the Florida filing.
Registered Agents in Florida
The Florida agent requirement is unconditional: every limited liability company, every day, agent on file. Agent obligations:
- Hold a verifiable Florida address (PO box alone isn't acceptable)
- Be reachable throughout the workday to accept official mail and lawsuits
- Move along legal documents and state notices quickly enough for the LLC to respond on time
Many people form an LLC partly for privacy. Once it's listed, anyone running a Florida entity search can find it.
For $99/year, our team in Florida takes the agent role. We list our office address on the formation documents in your place.
Questions People Ask
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Florida?
Forming the LLC runs $0 state-based fees. That's well below the national average. The yearly filing adds $138.75/year on top of formation.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Florida?
Florida formations typically clear in about a week.
Does Florida require an annual report?
Yes — The state collects $138.75/year for the annual report.
Do I need a registered agent for my Florida LLC?
Yes. Florida LLCs must appoint an appointed agent with a real Florida address every day the LLC is active.
Can I form an LLC in Florida if I live in another state?
Yes — Residency isn't a Florida LLC requirement. A Florida agent is still required — our $99/year plan handles it.
Get Your Florida LLC Filed
You're free to file directly through Florida Secretary of State via Florida Secretary of State's filing website. $0 is paid to Florida Secretary of State. An agent is still mandatory.
Our team is the appointed agent you put on the Florida formation filing. For At $99 annually, buys a Florida address on the publicly searchable record, same-day document delivery, and deadline-tracking alerts.
Launch Your Florida LLC — $199
Need just the appointed agent piece? Our RA service on its own comes to $99/year on its own.
More to know about Florida LLCs or how the RA service works? See the FAQ or contact us across business hours.
Ready to get started?
Begin coverage today — the annual rate funds office address, scanning, and reminders. No extras tacked on.