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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 1 · Arkansas

Starting an LLC in Arkansas (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

Mainstay Filing ($199), Arkansas Registered Agent.co ($199) and AR Registered Agent.org ($199): that is the order of the services we would hire in Arkansas in 2026 for setting up an LLC. 7 tasks make up the unit; the state's own price tag is $45, and the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report adds $150.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

The quick version

Fee to form
$45
Source: sos.arkansas.gov, read in October 2026
Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report
$150 a year
Deadline wording: May 1
State fees over three years
$345
Filing plus the repeating state fees
Task count
7
Each one explained

What this unit teaches

  • The official Arkansas fee and form
  • What the agent rule says
  • How to stay in good standing
  • The services at the top of the class

Who we would hire in Arkansas

Graded on the grading page: three-year cost (34%), assignments completed (31%), renewal price, fit with Arkansas's rules and plain pricing.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for getting the franchise tax report done for you

Start with this one$199 a year, state fee on top ($244 due at checkout)

Mainstay Filing earns the top grade in Arkansas: the yearly $199 replaces three separate bills (formation, registered agent, franchise tax report) with a single one.

Against Arkansas Registered Agent.co the three-year premium is $200, outweighed by the 31% weight on assignments completed.

You never file the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report yourself, and only the $150 state fee is added.

What the price covers

  • Formation filing prepared and sent
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Franchise tax report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee passed through at cost

What works

  • $199 per year for the whole package
  • It files your EIN application for you
  • No jump at renewal ($199)

What to weigh

  • Arkansas Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Arkansas Registered Agent.co: best for a small first bill

In-state service$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Arkansas Registered Agent.co is a solid second-place option: $199 above the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

The price leaves out the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report, so that is yours to file every year.

What the price covers

  • The Arkansas formation, prepared and sent
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • Year-one agent service costs nothing extra
  • A small $99 renewal
  • A $199 formation fee

What to weigh

  • Filing the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is not in the price
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit Arkansas Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. AR Registered Agent.org: best for owners who file their own reports

In-state service$199 and fees, then $99 each year

AR Registered Agent.org is a solid third-place option: $199 above the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

The price leaves out the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report, so that is yours to file every year.

Its prices are the same as Arkansas Registered Agent.co's, so either works.

What the price covers

  • The Arkansas formation, prepared and sent
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • Year-one agent service costs nothing extra
  • A small $99 renewal
  • A $199 formation fee

What to weigh

  • Filing the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is not in the price
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit AR Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

A comparison of the services

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Arkansas Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Arkansas Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3AR Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit AR Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Add the $45 state fee to every row.

How a Arkansas LLC gets formed

  1. Task 1

    Lock in a name

    Open the business search run by the Arkansas Secretary of State before anything else; it shows whether the name already sits on the Arkansas register.

    A spare name saves a repeat trip if the first is gone.

  2. Task 2

    Line up a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual or a business entity serving as agent in Arkansas. The company can also name a position inside it, such as its manager, whose holder then receives papers.

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Arkansas, plus an Arkansas mailing address if it differs. A P.O. box on its own is not accepted.

    Any of the recommended services can take the registered agent job.

    Source: Source: arkleg.state.ar.us, read in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    File on your own, or get help

    Filing on your own costs just the $45 state fee. A service adds $199 and handles the forms; the ranking shows which to choose.

  4. Task 4

    Prepare and sign the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company

    Send the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01) to the Arkansas Secretary of State along with $45 to bring the LLC into existence; the legal basis is Ark. Code Ann. § 4-38-201. Expect, per the state, Most filings within two business days of receipt.

    Source: Source: sos.arkansas.gov, read in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Apply to the IRS for an EIN

    State approval first, IRS number second. Mainstay Filing's yearly price already includes this application.

  6. Task 6

    Write an operating agreement

    Think of the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. Keep it with the company records; the state never asks for it.

  7. Task 7

    Handle Arkansas's recurring filing

    The filing that repeats is the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report ($150, every year, by May 1). Lateness adds $25.

    Source: Source: sos.arkansas.gov, read in October 2026

The bill

TaskPaid toAmount
Formation feePaid to the state$45
Annual LLC Franchise Tax ReportPaid to the state$150 every year
Late feePaid to the state$25
Service, if you hire oneThe provider$199 for year one
Three years of state feesPaid to the state$345
State amounts come from Arkansas's official fee schedules (see the sources below); service prices come from each company's site. The three-year state total adds the filing, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax.

How we ordered the Arkansas picks

Assignments the price completes settled first place in Arkansas. It is worth 31% of the grade, and the other 69% comes from course fee across three years, second-year fee, match with the state syllabus and plain pricing.

Taking over the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report tipped the grade toward the bundle.

Short answers

Which fees does Arkansas collect when an LLC is formed?

The state wants $45. Our recommended services bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Arkansas Secretary of State takes the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01), the paper that creates the company.

Is a registered agent required?

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

How long does Arkansas take to process the filing?

The state says Most filings within two business days of receipt. No paid expedite is offered.

What does Arkansas require each year?

What repeats is the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report ($150, every year, due May 1).

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state takes filings straight from owners, so no service is needed; plan on $45 and a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, Arkansas Registered Agent.co and AR Registered Agent.org, from highest grade to lowest.

Reading list and sources

  1. Everything about Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax report: what and above traces to sos.arkansas.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  2. Everything about Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax: amount and filing above traces to sos.arkansas.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  3. Everything about Arkansas report due date above traces to sos.arkansas.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  4. Everything about Ark above traces to arkleg.state.ar.us, a page we reread in August 2026.
  5. Everything about Arkansas formation fee: Filing fee, official source above traces to sos.arkansas.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  6. Everything about Arkansas registered agent statute above traces to arkleg.state.ar.us, a page we reread in October 2026.
  7. Everything about Processing, official source above traces to sos.arkansas.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  8. Mainstay Filing Arkansas service page, opened November 13, 2026
  9. Arkansas Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  10. AR Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026