Starting a limited liability company (LLC) in Florida means filing Articles of Organisation with the Division of Corporations and submitting a US$125 total fee. From there, you'll need a registered agent, an Employer Identification Number (EIN), and a business bank account before the LLC is fully up and running. Florida makes this process faster and cheaper than many states, but it adds a strict annual report deadline that can catch owners off guard if they're not tracking it.

Below, we'll discuss each step in a Florida LLC filing, including choosing a compliant name and filing your first annual report, and the tax rules that make Florida appealing to LLC owners.

Key takeaways

• Florida charges a US$125 total filing fee for LLC formation. The Division of Corporations typically processes online submissions within a few business days.

• Every Florida LLC must file an annual report between 1 January and 1 May. Missing that deadline adds a penalty to the filing fee.

• Florida doesn't tax personal income, so profits that pass through the LLC to its owners avoid an extra layer of state taxation.

Why is Florida a good state to start an LLC?

Florida doesn't tax personal income, and that includes profits that pass through an LLC to its owners. Combine that with a US$125 total filing fee through Sunbiz, the state's online business filing portal, and you have one of the cheaper, faster paths to forming a company anywhere in the US. More than 647,700 business applications were filed in Florida in 2025, many for LLCs.

The process moves fast once your paperwork is in order. Sunbiz typically processes online filings within a few business days, so you're not stuck waiting on a mailed certificate before you can open a bank account or start invoicing. Florida's customer market spans tourism, healthcare, agriculture, and a growing tech sector, which gives a new LLC room to operate across more than one industry without registering elsewhere.

What are the requirements to start an LLC in Florida?

An LLC needs a compliant name, a registered agent, and a set management structure before it can begin operating.

Here's what Florida requires for active LLCs:

• Business name: Your LLC's name must include "LLC" or "L.L.C.", and it has to be distinguishable from every other entity on file with the Division of Corporations. A name that's only slightly different from an existing one (e.g., same words with a different suffix) can still get bounced back.

• Registered agent: Every Florida LLC needs a registered agent with a physical street address in the state. Sunbiz won't accept a PO box, and the agent must be reachable during business hours to receive legal and state correspondence on the LLC's behalf.

• Management structure: You'll decide whether the LLC is member-managed, in which owners handle daily operations, or manager-managed, in which you appoint one or more managers to run things instead. This choice shapes how you fill out the Articles of Organisation and how authority gets documented from that point forward.

How do you start an LLC in Florida step-by-step?

You'll move through five stages to get a Florida LLC started. Here's what you need to do:

1. Choose your Florida LLC name

Search the Sunbiz business name database before committing to anything. If your first choice is taken or too close to an existing name, you'll need a variation, though small tweaks such as adding "Group" or "Ventures" sometimes clear the distinguishability check when a straight match wouldn't. Florida doesn't require you to reserve a name, so once it clears the search, you can file right away.

2. Appoint a Florida registered agent

You can act as your own registered agent if you're a Florida resident with a physical address in the state, or you can name another LLC member. The tradeoff is privacy and availability: your agent's address becomes part of the public record, and someone must be reachable there during business hours every business day. Owners who work from home, travel often, or aren't comfortable with having a personal address on public filings usually hire a commercial registered agent service instead.

3. File Articles of Organisation via Sunbiz

This is the document that forms the LLC. You'll enter the business name, principal address, registered agent details, and management structure, then submit the document along with the US$125 total state fee. Sunbiz usually confirms filings within a few business days and returns a stamped copy of the Articles of Organisation plus a document number you'll need for EIN applications and the annual report.

4. Draft an operating agreement

Florida doesn't require you to file an operating agreement with the state, but it's best practice for owners to have one. The document spells out ownership percentages, profit distribution, voting rights, and what happens if a member leaves or the LLC dissolves. This matters most for multimember LLCs, in which it can keep a disagreement between owners from turning into a legal dispute because the rules were settled before anyone had a reason to argue about them.

5. Obtain an EIN, and open a business bank account

An EIN from the IRS is free and takes minutes to get online if you're a US applicant with a valid Social Security number. You'll need the EIN to open a business account, hire employees, and file federal taxes. It also helps keep funds separate: mixing personal and business funds can undercut the liability protection an LLC provides, and it turns tax season into a mess of sorting transactions.

What is the deadline, fee, and late penalty for a Florida LLC annual report?

Every Florida LLC must file an annual report through Sunbiz between 1 January and 1 May, starting the year after formation. If you file on time, it costs US$138.75. If you miss the 1 May deadline, Florida tacks on a US$400 late penalty. There's no grace period and no partial reduction for filing only a few days late.

Sunbiz doesn't send physical reminders by default, and if the report goes unfiled long enough, the state can administratively dissolve the LLC. That strips away the liability protection you formed the company to get. Setting a calendar reminder for early April is a small habit that saves a real cost later.

How does LLC tax work in Florida?

Florida doesn't have a state personal income tax, which is a major tax advantage for LLC owners. Profits that pass through the LLC to its members aren't taxed again at the state level – a real difference compared with states that tax pass-through income on top of federal obligations.

Federally, a single-member LLC is taxed by default as a disregarded entity, which means profits and losses land on the owner's personal tax return. Multimember LLCs default to partnership taxation, with each member reporting their share of profit or loss. Either structure can elect S corporation or C corporation tax treatment, depending on how the owners decide to handle income, though that's a call worth making with an accountant who knows your numbers.

If your LLC sells taxable goods or services in Florida, you'll also need to register with the Florida Department of Revenue for a sales tax certificate and collect and remit sales tax accordingly. Not every business triggers this requirement, but e-commerce sellers, retailers, and businesses with a physical presence in the state usually do.

What tools can help you start an LLC in Florida?

Most of the difficulty in forming an LLC comes from the number of steps: the name search, the registered agent, the state filing, the EIN application, and the bank account. When you handle each one on your own, you're juggling different portals, different confirmation emails, and different timelines. A formation service cuts out a fair number of the separate logins and separate deadlines that otherwise make the first few weeks of running an LLC feel more complicated than they need to be.

How Stripe Atlas can help

Stripe Atlas handles everything you need to legally launch your company – incorporation, employer identification number (EIN), equity setup, and tax filings – so you can fundraise, open a bank account, and start accepting payments in as little as two business days, from anywhere in the world.

Join 100,000+ startups incorporated using Atlas, including startups backed by top investors like Y Combinator, a16z, and General Catalyst.

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The application takes under 10 minutes. You'll choose your company structure, confirm your name is available, add up to four cofounders, set your equity split, and e-sign. Then Atlas takes it from there, including notifying cofounders to sign their documents electronically.

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Atlas files your EIN application automatically after incorporation. You don't have to wait – Atlas enables pre-EIN payments and banking so you can start accepting payments and making transactions right away. US founders with a Social Security number are typically eligible for expedited IRS processing.

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World-class company legal documents

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Learn more about how Atlas can help you set up your new business quickly and easily and get started today.