Florida charges exactly $125 to form an LLC: a $100 fee for Articles of Organization plus a $25 registered agent designation fee. Everything happens through the Division of Corporations' Sunbiz portal, and you pay once upfront with no additional formation costs.
The price stays the same whether you're launching a brand-new Florida entity or registering an existing out-of-state company to do business here. Your Articles of Organization typically process within one to five business days with online filing, while paper submissions take 10-15 business days plus mail transit time.
While these fees haven't changed recently, you should always double-check the Sunbiz portal before filing since statutory fees can change without much notice.
Once you settle on a name, you have two ways to file your $125 Articles of Organization with Florida: online through the Sunbiz portal or by mail. The fee stays the same either way—$100 for the Articles plus $25 to designate your registered agent—but the speed definitely doesn't.
The following table breaks down your filing options:
The online route puts you at the front of the digital queue. Most approvals come through in 1-2 business days, even though processing times can vary depending on volume. Paper filings sit in an actual stack waiting for manual data entry, which explains why that 10-15 day estimate can stretch to a month in reality.
Florida's $125 filing fee sits slightly below the national average of approximately $132 for LLC formation, making it competitive with neighboring southeastern states while offering faster processing and better online systems.
Florida's competitive advantage comes from its comprehensive online filing system and predictable processing times. While the $138.75 annual report costs more than some neighboring states, Florida offers no state income tax on LLC profits and reliable five-day approvals that beat many jurisdictions still using paper workflows.
The key consideration is total cost of ownership: Florida's slightly higher ongoing fees are offset by tax advantages and operational efficiency that can save significantly more than the annual report differential over time.
While Florida's $125 formation fee is competitive, several other costs might arise as your business evolves. Knowing these upfront helps you build a realistic budget and avoid surprise expenses.
Being your own registered agent in Florida costs nothing if you have a reliable Florida address during business hours. If privacy matters, commercial services typically charge $100-$300 annually for professional handling and privacy protection.
Additionally, local business licenses and industry permits vary by city and profession. These requirements change frequently and require separate research before you start operating.
Discern eliminates compliance headaches by automating your Florida compliance filings. Our platform handles initial formation filings, provides professional registered agent services, and automatically tracks every biennial Statement of Information deadline.
Ready to transform your Florida LLC management and ongoing compliance? Book a demo with Discern today.
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