Official Florida LLC Fees and Statutory Deadlines
| Filing Item or Requirement | Mandatory Fee and Rule |
|---|---|
| New LLC total filing cost | $125.00 ($100 filing + $25 registered agent) (source: Florida Division of Corporations LLC Fees) |
| Annual report fee | $138.75 (source: Florida Division of Corporations LLC Fees) |
| Annual report received after May 1 | $538.75, including a $400 late penalty (source: Florida Division of Corporations LLC Fees) |
| Amended annual report | $50.00 (source: Florida Division of Corporations LLC Fees) |
| Certificate of Status | $5.00 (source: Florida Division of Corporations LLC Fees) |
| Certified Copy | $30.00 (source: Florida Division of Corporations LLC Fees) |
| Change of Registered Agent | $25.00 (source: Florida Division of Corporations LLC Fees) |
| Articles of Correction | $25.00 (source: Florida Division of Corporations LLC Fees) |
| Employer Identification Number (EIN) | $0 (free) (source: IRS Apply for an Employer Identification Number Online) |
| BOI reporting | US-formed companies are exempt (source: FinCEN Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting) |
LLC Filing Services Comparison
Listed alphabetically, not ranked. Prices are as of 2026.
| Provider | Initial Formation Fee | Registered Agent Service |
|---|---|---|
| Bizee | $0 plus $125 state fee | Included for the first year, then $119 per year |
| LegalZoom | $0 plus $125 state fee | $249 per year |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $39 plus $125 state fee | $125 per year |
| Rocket Lawyer | $99.99 plus $125 state fee | $249.99 per year |
| Tailor Brands | $0 plus $125 state fee | $199 per year |
| ZenBusiness | Starter $0 plus $125 state fee. Pro $199/yr. Premium $299/yr. | Separate $199/yr service on every tier (discounted to $99 for the first year when you form with them) |
The Sunbiz DIY Experience
Forming an LLC in Florida requires filing Articles of Organization with the Division of Corporations through Sunbiz. Formation is governed by s.605.0201 F.S. and the Division gives no legal advice (source: Florida Division of Corporations E-Filing Instructions). The statutory process establishes your company as a legal entity, but you must know exactly what to enter.
The state e-filing system is entirely functional but sparse. You will input your LLC name, your principal street address, and your registered agent details. Florida requires every LLC to maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in the state to receive official legal correspondence. Post office boxes are not accepted for this purpose. You can serve as your own registered agent to save money, but doing so places your personal address on the permanent public record. For founders working out of their homes, this lack of privacy is a major consideration.
Once the state approves your filing, you must obtain an Employer Identification Number. The EIN is a federal tax ID used for opening bank accounts and hiring employees. You must form the entity with the state before applying for an EIN (source: IRS Apply for an Employer Identification Number Online). The application is straightforward and instant when done on the official IRS website.
The Annual Report Trap
The largest risk of the DIY route is Florida's annual compliance structure. Every Florida LLC must file an annual report online between January 1 and May 1 to maintain active status. The Division of Corporations expects you to remember this deadline without aggressive prompting.
If you forget, the financial consequence is severe. The standard annual report is $138.75, but an annual report received after May 1 costs $538.75 (source: Florida Division of Corporations LLC Fees). That $400 late penalty is applied automatically and is practically impossible to waive. A business owner who files directly on Sunbiz assumes full responsibility for tracking this deadline year after year.
Why Choose a Filing Service?
Commercial filing services exist to simplify the startup process and remove administrative anxiety. While you pay a premium over the standard state fees, you gain software tools that track your deadlines and keep your company in good standing.
If you prioritize address privacy and automated compliance, ZenBusiness is a strong fit. Their Starter tier is $0 plus the $125 state fee, making the initial filing cost identical to Sunbiz. Their Pro tier costs $199 per year and their Premium tier costs $299 per year. On every tier, registered agent service is a separate $199 per year, but it is discounted to $99 for the first year when you form your LLC with them. By using a commercial registered agent, you keep your personal home address off the Florida public registry. Furthermore, a service like ZenBusiness will actively remind you of the looming May 1 deadline, ensuring you avoid the $400 state penalty.
Other providers offer similar compliance layers. Bizee provides an entry-tier filing assistance package, LegalZoom offers extensive document preparation software, and Northwest Registered Agent focuses heavily on physical street address privacy. Rocket Lawyer combines entity filing with access to a legal form library, while Tailor Brands pairs LLC formation with a digital branding suite.
The Multi-Member Reality Check
It is vital to understand what a filing service does not do. Commercial providers file your foundational paperwork and supply standard boilerplate documents. However, multiple members mean an operating agreement that actually has to say something. That is not what a formation service produces.
If you are starting a business with partners, you need a custom operating agreement detailing profit distributions, voting rights, and procedures for what happens if a member wants to leave or sell their shares. Standard templates from a filing service cannot safely resolve complex multi-member disputes. In these cases, you still need an independent attorney to draft your governing documents, even if you use a filing service to handle the basic state registration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the official Sunbiz Florida LLC filing fee and annual report cost?
The new LLC total filing cost in Florida is $125.00, which covers the $100 filing fee and the $25 registered agent fee. To keep your entity active, you must file an annual report every year between January 1 and May 1. The standard annual report fee is $138.75. An annual report received after May 1 costs $538.75 because the state mandates a $400 late penalty.
How do I apply online for a free EIN with the official IRS?
You can obtain an EIN directly from the federal government by completing a short application on the IRS website. Never pay a third party for an EIN. The official process is $0 (free). Remember that you must form the entity with the state before applying for an EIN, as the IRS requires your legally approved business name.
How do I handle Florida LLC filing online through Sunbiz, the official registered agent, and the annual report?
You submit your initial Articles of Organization and your $125 fee through the Sunbiz portal. During this step, you must designate an official registered agent who has a physical street address in Florida. Once formed, you are responsible for maintaining your registered agent and filing your yearly annual report through that same Sunbiz system before the May 1 deadline.
Sources
- Internal Revenue Service, “Get an employer identification number”
- Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, “Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting”
- Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, “LLC Fees”
- Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, “Instructions for Articles of Organization (FL LLC)”
This article provides general information rather than legal advice, and requirements vary by state and change over time.