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How to start an LLC in Florida

Every step to form your LLC in Florida, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$125
Regular report
$138.75
What you file
Articles of Organization
Where
The Florida Division of Corporations

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in Florida

Filing Articles of Organization with the Florida Division of Corporations$125
The regular report that keeps it in good standing$138.75
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the Florida Division of Corporations's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    In Florida, your registered agent signs the articles to accept the job. The agent needs a street address in Florida (not a P.O. box). Your LLC or corporation can't be its own agent, but you or another person in the business can be.

  3. With the state

    File your Articles of Organization

    File them with the Florida Division of Corporations online at Sunbiz, paying by credit or debit card, or by mail with a check. The fee is $125, which includes $25 for designating your registered agent. Once they're filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  5. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Articles of Organization are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  6. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    If you'll sell taxable goods or services, register with the Florida Department of Revenue as a sales and use tax dealer before you start; you can apply online. Employers also register with the Department of Revenue for reemployment tax, Florida's unemployment insurance tax.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  7. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    Many professions in Florida need a license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Your county, and your city, may require a local occupational license, and you may need permits or zoning approval, such as to work from home.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  8. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization and your EIN.

  9. With the state

    Put the yearly report in your calendar

    Every Florida LLC files an annual report with the Division of Corporations between January 1 and May 1 each year, starting the year after it's formed. The fee is $138.75. After May 1 a $400 late fee is added, and an LLC that hasn't filed by the third Friday in September is administratively dissolved.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in Florida

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

The state's fee to file Articles of Organization is $125. To stay in good standing, it also files a regular report, which costs $138.75. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does Florida require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. Florida asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It costs $138.75, and the step below says when it's due and where to file it.

Can I form an LLC in Florida myself?

Yes. You file Articles of Organization with the Florida Division of Corporations and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from Florida's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

Florida's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states