How to Start an LLC in Florida in 2026: Sunbiz Filing, Annual Report and First-Year Cost

Florida is one of the most popular states in the country to form an LLC, and the filing itself is simple: one online form on Sunbiz, the Division of Corporations website, and a $125 fee. What trips people up is everything around it: the registered agent rules, the annual report that costs more than the formation, the $400 late charge that cannot be waived, and the tax registrations that come once you sell or hire. This guide walks a first-time Florida founder through each step, explains what every fee is for, and builds a realistic first-year budget. Every fee was checked against the Florida Statutes and the Department of Revenue in October 2026.

Quick answer

To start an LLC in Florida, file articles of organization on Sunbiz and pay $125 ($100 filing fee plus $25 registered agent designation). Then file an annual report every January 1 – May 1 for $138.75, or pay a $400 late charge.

• You need a registered agent with a Florida street address who signs an acceptance

• Your name must end in LLC, L.L.C. or Limited Liability Company and be distinguishable on Sunbiz

• Optional: certificate of status $5, certified copy $30, fictitious name $50

• Hiring? Register for reemployment tax: 2.7% on the first $7,000 per employee

• A typical first-year state budget is $125–$200, before any registered agent service

What a Florida LLC is and who should form one

A limited liability company is a business entity created under Chapter 605 of the Florida Statutes, the Florida Revised Limited Liability Company Act. It separates your business debts and lawsuits from your personal assets, provided you keep the company's money separate from your own and sign contracts in the company's name. For tax purposes the IRS treats a one-owner LLC as a disregarded entity and a multi-owner LLC as a partnership, unless you elect to be taxed as a corporation.

Florida's LLC suits most small businesses that operate in the state: contractors, cleaning and landscaping companies, online sellers, consultants, short-term rental owners and restaurants. You do not need to live in Florida or be a US citizen to form one, and there is no minimum capital. What you do need is a registered agent in Florida, which matters most to out-of-state owners.

If your business actually operates somewhere else, a Florida LLC does not save you that state's fees. You would form in Florida and then register as a foreign LLC in your home state, paying both states every year. Form where you do business. If you live and work in Florida, the Florida LLC is the natural choice.

Florida LLC at a glance (2026)

$125

Formation fee

$100 articles + $25 agent

$138.75

Annual report

due Jan 1 – May 1

$400

Late charge

after May 1

$100

Reinstatement fee

plus reports owed

Step 1: choose a name that Sunbiz will accept

Section 605.0112 sets three rules. The name must contain "limited liability company", "L.L.C." or "LLC". It must be distinguishable from every other entity already on the Division's records. And it cannot imply a connection with a government agency or suggest the company is organized for a purpose the law does not allow.

"Distinguishable" is stricter than most founders expect. The Division ignores the entity suffix, articles such as "the", the word "and" versus an ampersand, singular versus plural forms, and punctuation. So "Sunshine Pools LLC" is not distinguishable from "The Sunshine Pool, Inc." Search the Sunbiz entity database before you file, and try variations, because a rejected name delays the filing. Fictitious names registered by other businesses are not part of the comparison, so a name can be available on Sunbiz while someone else trades under it as a DBA; a trademark search is a separate, worthwhile check.

Florida does not offer a paid name reservation for LLCs. The way to claim a name is to file the articles. If you plan to trade under a brand that differs from your legal name, register a fictitious name for $50 after the LLC exists. A registration lasts 5 years (to Dec 31 of the 5th year).

Step 2: appoint a registered agent

Every Florida LLC must designate and keep a registered agent at a registered office in the state (section 605.0113). The agent receives lawsuits, subpoenas and official notices for the company and must forward them to you.

Who can serve:

• An individual who lives in Florida, including you or another member, with a Florida street address.
• A business entity authorized in Florida, such as a commercial registered agent company.

The agent's business address must be the same as the registered office address. The agent also signs a written statement accepting the appointment and confirming they understand the duties; on Sunbiz this is part of the articles. Use a real street address where someone is present during business hours. A mailbox at a shipping store is a common reason for trouble later, because service of process can't be completed there.

Registered agent options in Florida

	You or another member	Commercial agent
State fee to designate	$25 (part of the $125)	$25 (part of the $125)
Yearly cost	$0	About $50–$300 (market estimate)
Address on Sunbiz	Your home or office	The agent's office
Must be present in business hours	Yes	Handled by the agent
Change later	$25 filing	$25 filing

State fee to designate

You or another member

$25 (part of the $125)

Commercial agent

$25 (part of the $125)

Yearly cost

You or another member

$0

Commercial agent

About $50–$300 (market estimate)

Address on Sunbiz

You or another member

Your home or office

Commercial agent

The agent's office

Must be present in business hours

You or another member

Yes

Commercial agent

Handled by the agent

Change later

You or another member

$25 filing

Commercial agent

$25 filing

The yearly price for commercial agents is our estimate from published pricing, not an official figure. The real decision is privacy and reliability. Sunbiz is public and heavily scraped, so a home address listed as the registered office invites junk mail and solicitations. Missing a lawsuit because you were away from home can lead to a default judgment, and that risk is the strongest reason to pay for an agent.

If an agent you hire later resigns, the statute charges them $85 to file the resignation, and you must appoint a new agent with a $25 filing. A company without a valid agent can be administratively dissolved, and under section 605.0113 it cannot bring a lawsuit in a Florida court until it fixes the problem.

Step 3: file articles of organization on Sunbiz

The articles of organization are the document that creates the LLC. Section 605.0201 requires only a short list: the company name, the street and mailing addresses of the principal office, and the registered agent's name, Florida street address and signed acceptance. Everything else is optional, although the Sunbiz form also asks for the people authorized to manage the company, and banks will want to see them.

Filing a Florida LLC on Sunbiz

1. 1

   Search the name

   Check the Sunbiz entity search for anything that is not distinguishable from your proposed name.

2. 2

   Open the online LLC filing

   From the Sunbiz home page, open the online filing for a Florida limited liability company and work through the articles of organization.

3. 3

   Enter addresses and the registered agent

   Give a principal office street address, a mailing address and the agent's Florida street address. The agent types their name to accept.

4. 4

   List managers or authorized members

   Name at least one person with authority to manage the LLC. This list appears publicly and on your annual reports.

5. 5

   Choose an effective date

   Leave it as the filing date, set a future date up to 90 days ahead, or backdate up to five business days.

6. 6

   Pay $125

   Add a certificate of status ($5) or certified copy ($30) if your bank or landlord asks for one.

   Tip: Keep the tracking number; you need it to check the status of the filing.

Who signs. One or more "authorized representatives" sign the articles. The signer affirms the LLC has, or will have, at least one member when the articles take effect. The signer does not have to be a member, so an attorney or formation service can file on your behalf.

The effective date matters more than people think. Under section 605.0207, articles can take effect on a later date, up to 90 days after filing. This is useful in the last quarter of the year. Your first annual report is due in the calendar year after the year your articles take effect. If you file in October 2026 with a January 1, 2027 effective date, the LLC first reports in 2028 instead of 2027, which saves one $138.75 report and keeps a clean first tax year. The trade-off is that the company does not exist until that date, so you cannot sign a lease or open a bank account in its name before then.

Processing. Online filing is the fastest route, but the Division does not guarantee a turnaround, so check the processing dates it posts on Sunbiz before you promise a landlord or bank a date. If the Division finds a problem, it sends the filing back with a note explaining what to correct.

Step 4: after filing — EIN, operating agreement and bank account

Once Sunbiz shows your LLC as active, apply for a federal employer identification number from the IRS. It is free and takes minutes online; see our EIN guide. You need the EIN to open a business bank account and to register for Florida taxes, and the annual report asks for it.

Florida does not require you to file an operating agreement, but you should sign one. It sets out ownership percentages, who can sign for the company, how profits are shared and what happens if a member leaves or dies. Without one, Chapter 605's default rules apply, and those may not match what you and your partners agreed verbally. A single-member LLC benefits too, because a written agreement helps show the company is separate from you if a creditor ever challenges it.

Beneficial ownership reporting to FinCEN is Not required for US-formed companies, so a Florida-formed LLC does not file a BOI report under the current federal rule.

Step 5: Florida tax registrations

Forming the LLC does not register it for any Florida tax. You register separately with the Department of Revenue through one online business tax application.

Sales and use tax. If you sell taxable goods or services, or rent commercial property, register before you start. Florida's state rate is 6% plus any county discretionary surtax. Our Florida sales tax guide covers rates, filing frequency and the October 1, 2025 repeal of the tax on commercial rent.

Reemployment tax. This is Florida's name for state unemployment insurance, paid by employers only. You become liable once you pay $1,500 or more in wages in a calendar quarter, or have at least one employee for some part of a day in 20 different weeks of a calendar year. Register by the end of the month after the quarter in which you become liable. New employers pay an initial rate of 2.7% on the first $7,000 of each employee's wages per year, and file Form RT-6 quarterly, by April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31, even for quarters with no wages.

A single-member LLC owner who takes draws rather than a salary is not an employee of the LLC for reemployment tax, so a one-person business usually doesn't register until it hires.

Corporate income tax. An LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship or partnership does not file a Florida corporate income tax return; profits flow to the owners. If the LLC elects to be taxed as a corporation, it is subject to the Florida corporate income tax and files a Florida return. A partnership-taxed LLC with a corporate member files Form F-1065.

Local business tax receipts. Florida has no general state business licence, but most counties and cities require a local business tax receipt, and many trades need a state professional licence. Our Florida business license guide lists county and city rules, including the September 30 renewal deadline.

The annual report: $138.75 every spring

Every Florida LLC files an annual report with the Division of Corporations between January 1 and May 1, starting the year after its articles take effect (section 605.0212). The report confirms the principal office and mailing addresses, the EIN, the registered agent and at least one person authorized to manage the company. It is filed online on Sunbiz.

The fee is made up of two parts. Section 605.0213 sets a $50 annual report fee, and section 607.193 adds an $88.75 supplemental corporate fee to every business entity that files an annual report. Together they make $138.75, which is more than the cost of forming the LLC.

The Florida annual report calendar

January 1

Annual report window opens on Sunbiz

May 1

Last day to file for $138.75

May 2 onward

$400 late charge added — total $138.75 + $400

Third Friday in September

Final deadline (5:00 p.m. ET) to avoid dissolution

Fourth Friday in September

Non-filers administratively dissolved

The late fee. Pay after May 1 and section 607.193 adds a $400 late charge, so the report costs $538.75. The statute's only exception is for an entity that was dissolved for not filing and then paid to reinstate. Because the charge is set by statute, it is not something to plan on talking your way out of.

Dissolution. If the report is still missing by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the third Friday in September, the Division administratively dissolves the LLC on the fourth Friday (section 605.0714). No warning letter is required first for this ground. A dissolved LLC can only wind up its affairs, and while it is non-compliant it cannot maintain a lawsuit in a Florida court.

Reinstatement. You can reinstate by filing an application, the missing annual reports and paying the $100 reinstatement fee plus the report fees owed. While the LLC is dissolved it may only wind up its affairs, so carrying on business in that period is risky, and until it is compliant again it cannot sue in a Florida court. It is far cheaper to put May 1 in the calendar.

Florida LLC cost: a worked first-year budget

The table shows three realistic paths for an LLC formed in 2026. State fees come from the statutes; registered agent pricing is a market estimate.

The reemployment tax line. Two employees each paid $30,000 a year generate taxable wages of $7,000 each, or $14,000. At the 2.7% initial rate, the tax is $378 for the year, paid quarterly on Form RT-6. Most of it lands in the first quarters of the year, because each employee's first $7,000 is reached early.

Local tax receipts are not in the table because they vary widely by county and city. Expect tens to a few hundred dollars depending on your location and business category; check our Florida business license guide.

Year two and after. A Florida LLC that names its own registered agent pays $138.75 a year in state fees, plus local tax receipt renewals. Add the agent if you use one, and renew the fictitious name every 5 years (to Dec 31 of the 5th year). Over five years, an owner who files on time spends about $694 in annual reports; one who misses May 1 once spends an extra $400.

Worked examples

A Tampa landscaping company formed in March. Luis files his articles on Sunbiz on March 10, 2026, names himself registered agent at his shop address and pays $125. He gets his EIN the same day. He hires two seasonal workers in May, crosses the $1,500 quarterly payroll test in the second quarter and registers for reemployment tax by July 31. His first annual report is due between January 1 and May 1, 2027, for $138.75.

An Orlando online shop formed in late October. Priya files on October 20, 2026, choosing a January 1, 2027 effective date, which is within the 90 days limit. The company comes into existence on January 1, so her first annual report is not due until the January 1 – May 1, 2028 window. She waits until January to open the business bank account and register for sales tax, since she can't do either in the LLC's name before it exists.

A Miami consultant who missed May 1. Andre's LLC was formed in 2025. He forgets his first annual report and files on June 15, 2026. He pays $138.75 plus the $400 late charge, $538.75 in total. Had he waited past the third Friday of September, the LLC would have been dissolved and he would also owe the $100 reinstatement fee.

Florida LLC launch checklist

0/10

• Name searched on Sunbiz and checked for trademarks
• Registered agent chosen, with a Florida street address and acceptance
• Articles of organization filed and $125 paid
• EIN obtained from the IRS
• Operating agreement signed by all members
• Business bank account opened
• Sales tax registration (if selling taxable goods or services)
• Reemployment tax registration once you hire
• County and city business tax receipts
• Calendar reminder: annual report between January 1 and May 1

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Common mistakes and how rejected filings are fixed

A name that is not distinguishable. The most common rejection. Adding "Group" or "Services" may be enough, but changing only "LLC" to "Inc." or adding "The" never is. Search first and refile with a new name if the Division writes back.

A registered agent who hasn't accepted. The articles must carry the agent's acceptance. If you name a friend or a commercial agent, make sure they type their name in the acceptance field, and confirm the agent's address is a Florida street address.

Treating the annual report as optional. Owners who form in one year often forget the report is due the next spring, not on the anniversary of formation. Florida uses one window for everyone: January 1 to May 1.

Paying "annual report services" that mimic the state. Look-alike notices offering to file your annual report or provide a "certificate of status" for a high fee arrive every year. The state's annual report costs $138.75 on Sunbiz and the certificate of status is $5.

Forgetting to update the agent or address. If your agent resigns or you move, file the change. A dissolution for having no agent is avoidable and costs more to fix.

Official links

• Sunbiz — Florida Division of CorporationsName search, articles of organization, annual reports
• Florida Statutes 605.0213 — LLC feesFiling, agent, annual report and reinstatement fees
• Florida Statutes 607.193 — Supplemental fee and $400 late charge
• Florida Statutes 605.0212 — Annual report
• Florida DOR — Reemployment taxLiability, rates and RT-6 filing
• Florida DOR — Corporate income tax
• IRS — apply for an EINFree, online

What to do next

Check your name with our LLC name checker, decide on a registered agent and file your articles on Sunbiz. Get your EIN, then work through the Florida business license guide for county and city receipts and the Florida sales tax guide if you sell taxable goods or services. Set a recurring reminder for January each year so the annual report never runs past May 1. To compare Florida with other states, see our LLC registration guide and our Texas LLC cost guide.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

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

The state charges $125 to file articles of organization on Sunbiz: $100 for the articles plus $25 to designate the registered agent. Optional extras are a $5 certificate of status, a $30 certified copy and a $50 fictitious name. Budget $138.75 each year after that for the annual report.

When is the Florida LLC annual report due?

Between January 1 and May 1 every year, starting the year after your articles take effect. An LLC formed in October 2026 files its first report between January 1 and May 1, 2027. The fee is $138.75. Filing after May 1 adds a $400 late charge, and an LLC that still has not filed by the third Friday of September is administratively dissolved the following Friday.

Can the $400 Florida annual report late fee be waived?

The $400 charge is set by statute (section 607.193) and applies to any report paid after May 1, whether or not you received a reminder. The only exception in the statute is for an LLC that was administratively dissolved and then reinstated by paying the reinstatement fee. In practice the cheapest fix is to file between January 1 and May 1 every year.

Can I be my own registered agent in Florida?

Yes. Any Florida resident, including a member of the LLC, can be the registered agent as long as there is a Florida street address where legal papers can be delivered. A business entity authorized in Florida can also serve. The agent must sign a written acceptance, which is part of the Sunbiz articles. Your agent's address becomes public, so many home-based owners pay a commercial agent instead.

How long does it take to form an LLC in Florida?

Online filings on Sunbiz are faster than paper, but the Division of Corporations does not publish a guaranteed turnaround, so check the current processing dates on Sunbiz before you plan around a date. If you need the LLC to exist on a specific date, you can set a delayed effective date up to 90 days after filing, or backdate initial articles by up to five business days.

Does a Florida LLC pay state income tax?

An LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship or partnership does not file a Florida corporate income tax return; profits pass through to the owners' federal returns. An LLC that elects to be taxed as a corporation is subject to Florida corporate income tax, and a partnership-taxed LLC with a corporate owner files Form F-1065. Sales tax and reemployment tax are separate registrations.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 9 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Florida Statutes 605.0213 — Fees of the department (2026) — The Florida Senate · accessed 9 October 2026
2. 2.Florida Statutes 607.193 — Supplemental corporate fee (2026) — The Florida Senate · accessed 9 October 2026
3. 3.Florida Statutes 605.0212 — Annual report (2026) — The Florida Senate · accessed 9 October 2026
4. 4.Florida Statutes 605.0714 — Administrative dissolution (2026) — The Florida Senate · accessed 9 October 2026
5. 5.Florida Statutes 605.0113, 605.0112, 605.0201 and 605.0207 (2026) — The Florida Senate · accessed 9 October 2026
6. 6.Reemployment Tax — Florida Department of Revenue · accessed 9 October 2026
7. 7.Florida Corporate Income Tax — Florida Department of Revenue · accessed 9 October 2026
8. 8.Fictitious Name FAQ — Florida Division of Corporations · accessed 9 October 2026
9. 9.Beneficial Ownership Information — FinCEN · accessed 9 October 2026