Do I need to live in Florida to form a Florida LLC?

No. There is no residency requirement for members or managers. Only the registered agent must have a Florida street address.

Is an operating agreement required in Florida?

It is not filed with the state, but it is the document that sets out ownership, voting and profit shares. Without one, the default rules in Chapter 605 apply.

Does a Florida LLC pay state income tax on profits?

Not if it is taxed as a pass-through, which is the default. Only LLCs that elect C corporation taxation owe Florida's 5.5% corporate income tax.

Do I need a state business licence to operate in Florida?

There is no single statewide licence. Check requirements with your industry's licensing board and your local county or city tax collector.

Is Florida's annual report filed with a different agency from formation?

No. Both the Articles of Organization and the annual report go through the same agency, the Division of Corporations, using Sunbiz.

What happens if I never file the annual report?

The LLC is administratively dissolved. It can generally be reinstated within ten years by filing the missing reports and fees, but the business loses good standing until then.

Florida state guide - 6 lessons

How to start an LLC in Florida

Florida charges $125 to form an LLC through Sunbiz, which bundles a $100 filing fee with a mandatory $25 registered agent designation fee. There is no state personal income tax, which is the main reason people move here, but Florida makes up for a light formation process with one of the toughest annual report penalties in the country: miss the May 1 deadline by a single day and the fee jumps by $400. This guide works through naming, the registered agent, the filing itself, taxes and the annual report, with an official source behind every figure.

Florida LLC facts at a glance

Florida LLC facts at a glance
Official filing agency	Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations
Formation document	Articles of Organization
State filing fee	$125
Filing methods	Online through Sunbiz, Mail to Tallahassee
Typical processing (recent)	5-7 business days
Typical expedited processing	Not offered
Registered agent	Required
Annual Report	$138.75, due May 1
Late penalty	$400 flat fee after May 1
State-level business tax	No franchise tax on LLCs. No state personal income tax.
Publication requirement	None
Name must contain	The words Limited Liability Company, or the abbreviation LLC or L.L.C., under Florida Statutes s. 605.0112
Registered agent designation fee	$25, charged separately from the $100 Articles of Organization filing fee, together making the $125 total for a new Florida LLC
Series LLC	Available. Florida's Uniform Protected Series provisions took effect July 1, 2026, letting an existing Florida LLC designate protected series through a dedicated Sunbiz filing system.
Amended annual report fee	$50, if you need to correct a filed annual report
Certificate of Status	$5, an optional proof-of-good-standing document some banks and landlords ask for

Processing times reflect recent official guidance and change often. Check the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations current processing calendar before you rely on a date.

File it yourself

Florida accepts filings directly from business owners. You do not need us, or any other company, to form your LLC. Here is the official portal.

Sunbiz, the Division of Corporations filing portal

The Florida lessons

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Related Gullia Filing pages

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Official sources

Last reviewed: September 2026 - reviewed by Gullia Filing Legal & Formation Team, Corporate formation specialists and registered agents