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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 1 · Florida

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

Mainstay Filing ($199), Florida Registered Agent.io ($199) and FL Registered Agent.org ($199): that is the order of the services we would hire in Florida in 2026 for setting up an LLC. By the numbers: 7 tasks, $125 to file, $138.75 for the annual report.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Read this first

Cost at the state office
$125
Taken from flsenate.gov in October 2026
Annual report
$138.75 a year
Filing window as stated: May 1
What the state collects in three years
$402.50
Without any service fee
Unit tasks
7
One by one

Course objectives

  • The Florida formation paper, its price and where it goes
  • Who can be the registered agent
  • The state filing that recurs
  • Who we would hire to file

Services we recommend in Florida

Five published criteria decide the order; read them on how we grade.

Top of the class

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

Our first pick$199 a year that renews at $199

In Florida, Mainstay Filing leads the class: the yearly $199 replaces three separate bills (formation, registered agent, annual report) with a single one.

Over three years it costs $200 above Florida Registered Agent.io, and in return more of the work is handled.

Each annual report is submitted for you, and the $138.75 state fee comes at cost.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • The official fee, nothing added

What works

  • $199 when you renew
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report
  • It files your EIN application for you

What to weigh

  • A yearly premium of $100 over Florida Registered Agent.io
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Florida Registered Agent.io: best for owners who stay in Florida

Florida specialist$199 the first year, $99 after

Our second choice, Florida Registered Agent.io: $199 above the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

The annual report falls outside the price.

What the price covers

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

What works

  • Then $99 per year
  • Year-one agent service costs nothing extra
  • $199 to form

What to weigh

  • No annual report service on offer
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit Florida Registered Agent.ioPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

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

Florida specialist$199 the first year, $99 after

Our third choice, FL Registered Agent.org: $199 above the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

The annual report falls outside the price.

Florida Registered Agent.io and this service cost the same.

What the price covers

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

What works

  • Year-one agent service costs nothing extra
  • $199 to form
  • Then $99 per year

What to weigh

  • No annual report service on offer
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit FL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All the prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Florida Registered Agent.io$199$99/yr$397Visit Florida Registered Agent.ioPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3FL Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit FL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Add the $125 state fee to every row.

The unit, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Lock in a name

    If another Florida company already has your name, the filing can come back rejected, so run a search at the Florida Division of Corporations first.

    While you are searching, see whether the web domain is open too.

  2. Task 2

    Pick your 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.

    This role comes with each recommended service.

    Source: Taken from flsenate.gov in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Do it yourself or hire a service

    With no service the bill is the state's $125 and nothing else. Each of the recommended services adds $199 and does the paperwork for you.

  4. Task 4

    Work through the Articles of Organization for Florida Limited Liability Company

    What you need: the Articles of Organization for Florida Limited Liability Company (Form CR2E047), $125, and an address at the Florida Division of Corporations to send it to; see Fla. Stat. § 605.0201.

    Source: Taken from flsenate.gov in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Apply to the IRS for an EIN

    With approval in hand, the IRS can issue the LLC a federal tax ID, and a business bank account depends on it. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of the package.

  6. Task 6

    Prepare the operating agreement

    Even a Florida LLC with one owner is better off with a written operating agreement in the files.

  7. Task 7

    Stay in good standing in Florida

    The filing that repeats is the annual report ($138.75, every year, by May 1). Lateness adds $400.

    Source: Taken from flsenate.gov in October 2026

The bill

Line itemPaid toAmount
Filing to form the LLCPaid to the state$125
Annual reportPaid to the state$138.75 every year
Missing the deadlinePaid to the state$400
Optional serviceService$199 in the first year
Three years of state feesPaid to the state$402.50
State fees were read from the official pages named in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where there is one.

How the grades came out

pulled ahead of on assignments the price completes, a criterion worth 31%.

Doing the annual report for you outweighed the lower price under our weights.

Short answers

Which fees does Florida collect when an LLC is formed?

The state wants $125. Our recommended services bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Task 4 shows how to complete the Articles of Organization for Florida Limited Liability Company (Form CR2E047) and where to send it: 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?

What repeats is the annual report ($138.75, 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 $125 and a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, Florida Registered Agent.io and FL Registered Agent.org, from highest grade to lowest.

Reading list and sources

  1. Further reading on Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations: our unit draws on dos.fl.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  2. Further reading on Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations: our unit draws on dos.fl.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  3. Further reading on Florida yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: our unit draws on flsenate.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  4. Further reading on Florida report due date: our unit draws on leg.state.fl.us, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  5. Further reading on Fla: our unit draws on flsenate.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  6. Further reading on Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source: our unit draws on dos.fl.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  7. Further reading on Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source: our unit draws on flsenate.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  8. Further reading on Florida registered agent statute: our unit draws on flsenate.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  9. Florida service page of Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
  10. pricing page of Florida Registered Agent.io, taken on November 13, 2026
  11. pricing page of FL Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026