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Founder ClassroomLearn the LLC paperwork for your state.

Lesson 1 · Florida

How to Start an LLC in Florida (2026): 7 Steps and the 3 Best LLC Services

Here is the 2026 answer for starting an LLC in Florida: Mainstay Filing ($199), FL Registered Agent.org ($199) and Florida Registered Agent.io ($199), ranked in that order. Then the lesson: 7 steps, with a $125 state filing fee and the annual report every year.

The Founder Classroom teaching team ·

Lesson at a glance

State filing fee
$125flsenate.gov (October 2026)
Annual report
$138.75 a yearComes due May 1
State fees, first three years
$402.50Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Number of steps
7Each one explained

You will learn

  • Where and how to file in Florida
  • The registered agent requirement
  • The yearly upkeep
  • How our picks compare

Teacher's pick

The Florida services we recommend

How we graded: five criteria, with three-year cost and steps handled counting most.
Our pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for having the annual report done for you

$199 yearly, renewing at $199

First on our list, Mainstay Filing: formation, registered agent service and the annual report sit under one $199 yearly price.

FL Registered Agent.org is $200 less across three years; covering more lesson steps outweighs the gap on our rubric.

You will not file the annual report yourself; only the $138.75 state fee is added.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report filed each cycle
  • EIN application
  • State fee charged at cost

What we like

  • $199/year for the bundle
  • Handles the EIN application
  • No renewal jump ($199)

Watch out for

  • Renews $100 higher than FL Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
In-state service

2. FL Registered Agent.org: best for a budget formation

$199 to start, $99 a year from year two

Second place goes to FL Registered Agent.org: a $199 formation fee and $99 a year for the agent after that.

The annual report stays on your to-do list every year.

What you get

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • First year of agent service

What we like

  • Free first agent year
  • $199 to form
  • Then $99 a year

Watch out for

  • Annual report filing not included
  • EIN application not included ($99)
Visit FL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
In-state service

3. Florida Registered Agent.io: best for founders who file reports themselves

$199 to start, $99 a year from year two

Third place goes to Florida Registered Agent.io: a $199 formation fee and $99 a year for the agent after that.

The annual report stays on your to-do list every year.

FL Registered Agent.org and this service charge the same.

What you get

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • First year of agent service

What we like

  • Free first agent year
  • $199 to form
  • Then $99 a year

Watch out for

  • Annual report filing not included
  • EIN application not included ($99)
Visit Florida Registered Agent.ioPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices at a glance

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2FL Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit FL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Florida Registered Agent.io$199$99/yr$397Visit Florida Registered Agent.ioPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices from each company's own site, read November 12, 2026. Every row excludes the $125 state fee.

Step-by-step lesson

  1. Step 1: Name the company

    Search the register kept by the Florida Division of Corporations first. If the name is taken, choose another before you file.

    TipWrite down two backup names before you search.

  2. Step 2: Appoint a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Florida resident, or a business entity authorized in Florida, whose business address is the registered office. The agent files a written acceptance.

    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.

    TipEach pick above can serve as the registered agent.

    Official source: flsenate.gov (October 2026)

  3. Step 3: Choose between doing it yourself and a service

    You can do this on your own for $125, or hand it to a service we picked for $199 on top.

  4. Step 4: Complete and file the Articles of Organization for Florida Limited Liability Company

    This filing creates the company: the Articles of Organization for Florida Limited Liability Company (Form CR2E047), $125, sent to the Florida Division of Corporations.

    Official source: flsenate.gov (October 2026)

  5. Step 5: Request an EIN

    Next, the federal side: an EIN from the IRS, applied for after the Florida approval. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of its price.

  6. Step 6: Put an operating agreement in writing

    The operating agreement is your company's rule book: ownership, votes, what happens if an owner leaves. You keep it; you do not file it.

  7. Step 7: Mark the yearly deadlines

    Keep the company in good standing with the annual report: $138.75 every year, due May 1. Miss the date and $400 is added.

    Official source: flsenate.gov (October 2026)

The cost of this lesson

ItemWho you payAmount
The formation stepState$125
Annual reportState$138.75 every year
Late filing penaltyState$400
A service, if you use oneYour service$199 year one
Three-year state totalState$402.50
State amounts come from Florida's official schedules (see References). The three-year state line adds the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax.

Behind the ranking

What decided it: lesson steps handled, 35% of our rubric.

Having the annual report handled outweighed FL Registered Agent.org's lower three-year cost.

Check your understanding

What does it cost to form an LLC in Florida?

The state's fee is $125. Service fees among our picks: $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

You submit the Articles of Organization for Florida Limited Liability Company (Form CR2E047) to the Florida Division of Corporations.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Florida require each year?

The annual report: $138.75, every year, due May 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. File directly with the state and pay $125; you also need a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

We'd go with Mainstay Filing, because $199 a year handles the filing, the registered agent and the annual report, and renewal stays at $199. Then FL Registered Agent.org and Florida Registered Agent.io.

Next up

Official references

  1. Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (dos.fl.gov), confirmed August 2026
  2. Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (dos.fl.gov), confirmed August 2026
  3. Florida yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source (flsenate.gov), confirmed October 2026
  4. Florida report due date (leg.state.fl.us), confirmed August 2026
  5. Fla (flsenate.gov), confirmed August 2026
  6. Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source (dos.fl.gov), confirmed October 2026
  7. Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source (flsenate.gov), confirmed October 2026
  8. Florida registered agent statute (flsenate.gov), confirmed October 2026
  9. Prices from Mainstay Filing's Florida service page, November 12, 2026
  10. Prices from FL Registered Agent.org's pricing page, November 12, 2026
  11. Prices from Florida Registered Agent.io's pricing page, November 12, 2026