How Do You Register an LLC Yourself on Sunbiz in Florida?

The short answer

The order of the steps matters more than any one of them:

1. Search Sunbiz records to confirm the name is available.
2. Decide who will serve as registered agent, because that name and Florida address go on the articles.
3. Complete the online Articles of Organization and pay the fee. Formation is governed by section 605.0201 of the Florida Statutes.
4. Wait for the Division to approve the filing.

Only once the LLC exists should you apply for an Employer Identification Number. The IRS issues it free and instructs applicants to form the entity with the state first. A business bank account comes last, because it depends on both the approved entity and the EIN.

After formation, the recurring obligation is the annual report. The Division lists the annual report fee at $138.75. A report received after May 1 costs $538.75, which includes a $400 late penalty. Federal beneficial ownership (BOI) reporting does not apply to a Florida LLC, because FinCEN states that companies created in the United States are exempt.

The Division of Corporations states that it does not give legal advice. Questions about management structure, taxes or operating agreements belong with a qualified professional.

Florida LLC fees and requirements at a glance

All figures were read at the listed source in September 2026.

Step-by-step: filing a Florida LLC on Sunbiz

Step 1: Confirm the name is available

Before filling in any form, run a preliminary name search on Sunbiz. The Division of Corporations' instructions for Articles of Organization (read September 28, 2026) say the name must be distinguishable on the Department of State's records. It must also include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC" or "L.L.C." Finding a conflict after starting the filing wastes time.

Step 2: Choose a registered agent

The Articles of Organization require a registered agent. The $25 designation fee is part of the $125.00 formation total on the Division's fee schedule (read September 28, 2026).

The Division's instructions (read September 28, 2026) set out who can serve:

• An individual or principal associated with the business may act as the agent.
• A business entity with an active Florida filing or registration may also serve.
• The LLC itself cannot be its own agent.

The agent needs a physical street address in Florida, not a P.O. Box. The agent must also sign the filing, which online means typing their name in the signature block. If you name someone else, get their permission first. The instructions note that typing someone's name without permission constitutes forgery under section 831.06 F.S.

Step 3: File the Articles of Organization online

Using the Sunbiz e-filing system, you complete the Articles of Organization and pay the $125.00 fee. Under the Division's instructions (read September 2026), formation is governed by section 605.0201 F.S. The statute is the full list of what the articles must contain. The Division's instructions state that staff cannot give legal advice, so they can explain the form but not tell you how to structure the business.

Step 4: Wait for approval

Neither the fee schedule nor the instructions publish a processing time, so how long approval takes is only knowable by filing. For online filings, the Division emails a filing acknowledgment to the correspondence address on the articles. The instructions (read September 28, 2026) say not to use or assume the name is approved until that acknowledgment arrives. Don't move on to the EIN until you have it.

Step 5: Apply for the EIN directly with the IRS

The IRS page on getting an Employer Identification Number (read September 2026) is explicit on three points:

• The EIN is free.
• You should never pay a third party for one.
• The entity should be formed with the state before you apply.

Applying before approval is the most common way people get the order wrong. It can leave an EIN attached to details that don't match the final state record.

Step 6: Open a business bank account

A bank account depends on the entity and its EIN already existing, so it comes last. Each bank sets its own document requirements, and those aren't published by any state or federal office.

Step 7: Note the federal BOI position

FinCEN's beneficial ownership page (read September 2026) states that, under the rule effective August 14, 2026, entities created in the United States are exempt from BOI reporting. A Florida LLC is created in the United States, so no federal BOI report is required.

Step 8: File the annual report every year

The Division's fee schedule (read September 2026) lists the annual report at $138.75. It also lists $538.75 for a report received after May 1, the difference being a $400 late penalty. Missing that date has the largest avoidable cost of any step on this page.

Doing it yourself versus using a formation service

No government office compares filing yourself with paying a service, so here are the numbers side by side.

Filing yourself costs the state fees and nothing else: $125.00 to form, $138.75 each year for the annual report, and $0 for the EIN. The filing itself is a single online form. It's the kind of task most owners can complete carefully without help.

Using ZenBusiness, as of 2026:

• The Starter plan is $0 plus the state fee, so the $125.00 still applies.
• Pro is $199 per year, and Premium is $299 per year.
• Registered agent service is a separate $199 per year on every tier, including Premium. It's discounted to $99 for the first year when you form with them.

A service saves real time in two places:

• Registered agent. If you can't or don't want to serve as your own agent, a service covers it for a recurring fee. That is the recurring cost that matters most in the comparison.
• Annual report reminders. Given the $400 late penalty for reports received after May 1, reminders that catch the deadline have measurable value for anyone likely to forget.

If either of those applies, you can compare ZenBusiness's formation plans against the DIY cost above. Whichever route you choose, the EIN should cost nothing, because the IRS issues it free.

statefilingsteps.com earns a commission on some links, including the ZenBusiness link above. That does not change the comparison. For an owner who can serve as their own registered agent and will track the May 1 date, filing directly on Sunbiz is the lower-cost route.

Frequently asked questions