How to Start an LLC in Florida (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

Every business day, more than 2,000 new LLCs are filed in Florida. Most of them are filed correctly. A surprising number are filed in ways that quietly cost the owner money for years — wrong registered agent, wrong management structure, name conflicts that surface later when applying for a business loan.

This guide walks through the seven steps in the order they actually matter, with the real fees, the real timing, and a clear note on the choices that have downstream consequences.

It assumes you're forming a single-member or small multi-member LLC for an active business. If you're setting up a holding structure, an asset-protection vehicle, or a non-US-resident formation, talk to an attorney instead.

What it costs to form a Florida LLC in 2026

The state fee is $125 total, broken into two line items inside the same form:

• $100 — filing the Articles of Organization
• $25 — designating your registered agent

That's the entire required state cost. There are no separate name-reservation fees, no certificate-of-formation fees, no monthly fees. You pay $125 once.

After year one, the only recurring state fee is the annual report at $138.75, due May 1 of every year. Miss it and the late fee is $400 (we'll come back to this).

If you'd rather not handle the paperwork yourself, formation services charge $0–$299 on top of the state fee. Northwest Registered Agent is the most common pick at $39 + state fee, with one year of registered agent service included. ZenBusiness runs $0 + state fee for the basic plan. doola is the option to consider if you're a non-US resident or if you want EIN handling bundled in.

Step 1: Pick a name that won't cause problems later

Florida requires three things in your LLC name:

1. The phrase "Limited Liability Company" or an abbreviation — "LLC", "L.L.C.", or "Ltd. Liability Co." work.
2. The name must be distinguishable from every other entity already on file with the Florida Division of Corporations.
3. The name can't include language suggesting you're a government agency or a regulated profession you aren't licensed for ("Bank", "Attorney", "Insurance" without proof).

Run your candidate name through the Sunbiz business name search at sunbiz.org/Search/ByName before you do anything else. The state's "distinguishable" rule isn't permissive — adding "the" or "and company" to an existing name typically isn't enough.

A common trap: registering an LLC with a name that's too similar to an existing trademark. Florida's database will accept the filing because the trademark check isn't part of state review, but you can be forced to rebrand later. Run a free USPTO TESS search at uspto.gov/trademarks before settling on a name with any commercial weight.

If you want to operate under a name different from your legal LLC name (a "doing business as" or DBA), Florida calls that a Fictitious Name and charges $50 to register. You don't need one to start.

Step 2: Pick your registered agent

Every Florida LLC needs a registered agent — a person or company with a Florida street address who can receive legal documents on behalf of the LLC.

You have three options:

Option A — Be your own registered agent. Free. You list your home or business address. The downsides: that address becomes public record on Sunbiz forever, you have to be physically present during business hours to receive service of process, and if you move out of state or take a long trip, you're out of compliance.

Option B — Use a friend or family member. Also free. Same downsides as Option A, and you're now relying on someone else to forward you legal notices on time.

Option C — Hire a commercial registered agent. $99–$300/year. Their address goes on the public record instead of yours, they accept service of process during business hours, and they forward documents the same day. Northwest Registered Agent is the longest-running operator in this space, charges $125/year after the first year, and includes mail scanning at no extra cost. ZenBusiness runs $199/year. Harbor Compliance is closer to $89/year but is the lowest-touch of the three.

If your home address is also where you do business and you don't mind it being public, Option A is genuinely fine. If you're forming an LLC for asset protection or privacy, Option C is worth the $125/year.

Hire Northwest as your registered agent →

Step 3: File your Articles of Organization

This is the document that legally creates your LLC. File online through the Sunbiz portal at services.sunbiz.org/Filings/CorporateFilings/FilingMenu — that's the only official site, despite hundreds of lookalike domains in Google ads.

You'll need:

• LLC name (must include "LLC" or equivalent)
• Principal business address (can be your home; doesn't have to be in Florida)
• Mailing address (if different)
• Registered agent name and Florida street address
• Registered agent's signature (electronic; if you're being your own agent, that's just typing your name)
• At least one authorized representative's name and address
• Optional: management structure, effective date

Online filings are typically processed in 1–5 business days. Mail filings take 10–15 business days plus mail transit time. There's no faster paid expedited option.

Once approved, you'll get a confirmation email with your LLC's document number. Save this — every annual report, amendment, and bank application will ask for it.

If you'd rather hand the paperwork to someone else, Northwest charges $39 plus the $125 state fee, includes the first year of registered agent service, and won't upsell you on a stack of "premium" add-ons during checkout.

Form your LLC with Northwest →

Step 4: Get an EIN from the IRS (free, takes 15 minutes)

Your LLC needs an Employer Identification Number from the IRS to open a business bank account, hire employees, or file taxes. Single-member LLCs without employees can technically use the owner's SSN, but every bank and almost every vendor will ask for an EIN anyway.

Apply directly at irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online. The application is free. It takes about 15 minutes if you have your LLC's document number and your SSN handy. The IRS issues the EIN immediately at the end of the session — don't pay anyone $79–$299 to "expedite" it.

A few practical notes:

• The IRS application is only available 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday. Plan accordingly.
• You can only apply for one EIN per responsible party per day.
• If you're a non-US resident without an SSN or ITIN, the online application won't work; you have to file Form SS-4 by fax or mail, which takes 4–6 weeks. doola specializes in this for international founders and runs $297.

doola — EIN as a non-resident →

Step 5: Write an operating agreement

Florida doesn't require an LLC to have an operating agreement. You should still write one.

The operating agreement is the internal document that says who owns what percentage, who has authority to sign contracts, how profits are distributed, what happens if a member wants to leave or sell, and how you'll handle disputes. Without one, you're operating under Florida's default LLC statute (Chapter 605), which has answers to all those questions but probably not the answers you want.

For a single-member LLC, the operating agreement is mostly a formality — but banks ask to see one when opening a business account, and it's the document that proves your LLC is a real entity separate from you (the "corporate veil" courts examine in lawsuits).

You can write one yourself in an hour using a free template from Florida Bar's Business Law Section or legaltemplates.net. Northwest and ZenBusiness include a free operating agreement template with their formation packages. For a multi-member LLC where partners are putting in unequal amounts of money or unequal amounts of work, pay a Florida business attorney $300–$800 to draft a custom one.

Step 6: Open a business bank account

This is where most owners stop being a "side hustle" and start being a real business. Mixing personal and business funds is the fastest way to lose the liability protection your LLC was supposed to provide.

The 2026 Florida small-business banking landscape splits into two camps:

Online-first business banks — Mercury, Bluevine, Relay, Novo, Found. No monthly fees. Fast online application. No physical branches. Best for ecommerce, software, professional services, anyone who doesn't deposit cash.

Traditional banks — Chase Business Complete, Bank of America Business Advantage, Wells Fargo Business, plus Florida regionals like Seacoast Bank and Amerant. Branch access. Cash deposits. Higher monthly fees ($15–$30, often waivable with minimum balance).

For most new LLCs in Florida, Mercury is the cleanest starting point: no monthly fee, no minimum balance, $0 to open, fast approval (most accounts approved in 1–2 business days), built-in expense management.

Open a Mercury account →

If you handle significant cash — restaurants, salons, retail — you'll want a traditional bank with branch deposits in addition to or instead of Mercury. Our full comparison of business banks for Florida LLCs walks through the tradeoffs in detail.

Step 7: Take care of the post-formation checklist

You're legally a Florida LLC at this point. There are still six things to do in the first 30 days that most owners forget:

1. State sales tax registration. If you sell taxable goods or services in Florida, register for a Florida sales and use tax account at floridarevenue.com. Free.
2. Local business tax receipt (the old "occupational license"). Most Florida cities and counties require one. $25–$200/year, depending on jurisdiction.
3. Industry-specific licensing. Florida licenses contractors, real-estate agents, food-service businesses, salons, healthcare providers, and many others through the Department of Business & Professional Regulation (myfloridalicense.com). Check before you start operating.
4. Workers' comp registration if you have or plan to have employees. Some industries require it from the first employee; construction requires it for any non-owner working on a job site, period.
5. Calendar your annual report. Due every May 1, $138.75. Miss it and the late fee is $400. Set a calendar reminder for March 1 of every year.
6. Skip federal BOI reporting. As of March 21, 2025, FinCEN exempted all domestic LLCs from federal beneficial ownership information reporting. If you find a guide telling you to file a BOI report with FinCEN within 90 days of formation, the guide is out of date. (Foreign-formed entities registering in Florida still have to file.)

What about the annual report?

Every Florida LLC has to file an annual report between January 1 and May 1 of each year following the year of formation. The fee is $138.75. The late fee for filing after May 1 is $400, with no exceptions and no appeals.

If you formed your LLC on, say, August 15, 2026, your first annual report is due between January 1 and May 1, 2027 — not 2026.

We've written a separate complete guide on the Florida annual report — what it is, what to update, how to file it, and what happens if you miss the deadline. Read the Florida Annual Report Guide →

What this should cost you, end to end

You don't need a $499 formation package. You don't need an "expedited" filing service. The $125 state fee plus a $39 Northwest formation plus a $0 EIN gets you a properly-formed Florida LLC in 1–5 business days for under $200.

The next thing to read

Once your LLC is approved, the next decision is your business bank account. We compare Mercury, Bluevine, Relay, Novo, Found, Chase Business, and Bank of America Business in detail in The Best Business Bank for Florida LLCs (2026 Comparison) →