How to Register a Foreign LLC in Florida (2026): 5 Steps and the 3 Best Services
We would send a new founder in Florida to Florida Registered Agent.io ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and FL Registered Agent.org ($199) for registering a foreign LLC in 2026, in that order. The 5 steps below start with whether you need to register at all. State fee: $125.
Company prices as published on November 12, 2026. Add Florida's $125 registration fee to each row.
Registering in Florida, step by step
Step1
Step 1: See if your LLC must register in Florida
Formed somewhere else but doing business in Florida? Then the LLC registers there as a foreign LLC. Without registration: The courts stay closed to its own claims until it registers (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(1)). Contracts it already signed stay valid (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(4)). A penalty of $500 to $1,000. Fees for the unregistered period come due as well.
Florida asks for certificate of existence (or record of similar import) from the jurisdiction of formation, no older than 90 days.
TipRequest it close to your filing date.
Step3
Step 3: Get a registered agent with a Florida address
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a Florida street address that matches the agent's business address. P.O. boxes are not accepted. Florida law sets minimum hours of 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Step 4: Submit the Application by Foreign Limited Liability Company for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida
This filing, the Application by Foreign Limited Liability Company for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida (Form CR2E027), costs $125 at the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section.
Next comes the annual report at $138.75, between January 1 and May 1.
Florida costs by step
Item
Payee
Amount
Registration fee
Paid to the state
$125
Annual report
Paid to the state
$138.75
Service fees (optional)
Your service
$199 year one
State fees for three years
Paid to the state
$402.50
For the three-year state total we add the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum yearly tax.
Why this order
The grade turned on three-year cost (30%), where Florida Registered Agent.io came out ahead of Mainstay Filing.
Florida Registered Agent.io wins the cost grade: $397 for three years against $100 more with Mainstay Filing.
Check your understanding
What does it cost to register a foreign LLC in Florida?
$125 to the state. Our picks add $199.
Which form do I file to register?
It is the Application by Foreign Limited Liability Company for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida (Form CR2E027), and it goes to the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section.
Do I need a certificate from my home state?
Yes: certificate of existence (or record of similar import) from the jurisdiction of formation, issued within 90 days of filing.
What if the LLC does business there without registering?
The courts stay closed to its own claims until it registers (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(1)). Contracts it already signed stay valid (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(4)). A penalty of $500 to $1,000. Fees for the unregistered period come due as well.
What is due after registering?
Keep the registration alive with the annual report; the fee is $138.75.
Which service should handle the registration?
Florida Registered Agent.io: it files the Florida registration for $199 with a year of agent service and renews at $99. After it, Mainstay Filing and FL Registered Agent.org.