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Founder Mentor Guide

Walkthrough 3 · Florida

Foreign LLC Registration Walkthrough, Florida (2026): 5 Stages and the 3 Best Services

My advice for 2026: when bringing an LLC into a second state in Florida, start with Mainstay Filing ($199), FL Registered Agent.org ($199) and Florida Registered Agent.io ($199), best first. Budget 5 stages and a $125 filing fee.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

Read this first

What the state charges to register
$125
flsenate.gov, seen in October 2026
Certificate you must attach
90 days
How recent it has to be
Yearly filing
$138.75
Annual report
What the state collects in three years
$402.50
Service fees not counted
Stage count
5
One at a time

What you will get from this walkthrough

  • Whether Florida registration applies to your LLC
  • The official form and fee
  • The recurring filing
  • The services at the top of the list

Florida: our recommended services

Three-year cost and work taken off your desk weigh the most; how we score lists all five.

Our call

1. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs on the move

Best overallService $199, renewal $149 a year

In Florida, Mainstay Filing leads the list: a service charge of $199 next to Florida's fee, with your first registered agent year included.

You will pay $100 more than at FL Registered Agent.org over three years, but this service does more of the legwork, and we count that.

After the included year, count on $149 per year for the agent, wherever you register.

What you get

  • Registration filed for you
  • Your first year of registered agent is free
  • Covers all fifty states

What works

  • Any state, one fee
  • No agent fee for year one
  • A $199 service charge

What to watch

  • A pricier agent renewal ($149)
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. FL Registered Agent.org: best for one extra state

Focused on FloridaService $199, renewal $99 a year

Second place goes to FL Registered Agent.org, since registering in Florida here costs $199 and includes a year of agent service; renewal is $99.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • Agent service for one year comes with the price

What works

  • $99 a year for the agent after that
  • $199 to register
  • Agent service costs nothing extra in the first year

What to watch

  • Your home state needs a different agent
Visit FL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. Florida Registered Agent.io: best for Florida-only registrations

Focused on FloridaService $199, renewal $99 a year

Third place goes to Florida Registered Agent.io, since registering in Florida here costs $199 and includes a year of agent service; renewal is $99.

On price it is a tie with FL Registered Agent.org.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • Agent service for one year comes with the price

What works

  • $199 to register
  • $99 a year for the agent after that
  • Agent service costs nothing extra in the first year

What to watch

  • Your home state needs a different agent
Visit Florida Registered Agent.ioPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Scores and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2FL Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit FL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Florida Registered Agent.io$199$99/yr$397Visit Florida Registered Agent.ioPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
What each company posted on November 13, 2026. Plan for $125 more in state fees, whichever row you pick.

The stages

  1. Stage 1

    Check whether Florida wants your LLC to register

    Foreign registration is how an LLC from another state gets permission to do business in Florida. What can go wrong without registering: its own lawsuits are on hold until it registers (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(1)) its contracts can still be enforced (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(4)) civil fines from $500 to $1,000. back fees on top

    Check it yourself: dos.fl.gov, seen in October 2026

  2. Stage 2

    Ask the home state for proof of good standing

    Request certificate of existence (or record of similar import) from the jurisdiction of formation, issued within 90 days.

    A recent certificate is the safe choice, so order late.

  3. Stage 3

    Find a registered agent with an address in Florida

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

    The services above provide one.

    Check it yourself: flsenate.gov, seen in October 2026

  4. Stage 4

    Get ready the Application by Foreign Limited Liability Company for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida

    the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section receives the filing above and $125.

    Check it yourself: flsenate.gov, seen in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    Stay registered

    Write down the annual report and its $138.75 fee (between January 1 and May 1).

What this walkthrough costs

StageReceiverSum
Registration feePaid to the state$125
Annual reportPaid to the state$138.75
Service fees (optional)Your service$199 at the start
Three-year state totalPaid to the state$402.50
Add the filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax and you have the state's three-year total. The pages listed below show where each figure came from.

Why the list runs this way

What decided it was work taken off your desk, which carries 32% of the score.

With the LLC working in two states, reach settled the order.

Florida questions

What does Florida charge an out-of-state LLC?

$125 to the state. Service fees: $199.

Which form do I file to register?

Track down the Application by Foreign Limited Liability Company for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida (Form CR2E027); it goes to the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence (or record of similar import) from the jurisdiction of formation, issued within 90 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

its own lawsuits are on hold until it registers (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(1)) its contracts can still be enforced (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(4)) civil fines from $500 to $1,000. back fees on top

What is due after registering?

Look ahead to the annual report, which costs $138.75.

Which service should handle the registration?

The order runs Mainstay Filing, FL Registered Agent.org and Florida Registered Agent.io, with Mainstay Filing first because the first registered agent year comes with the $199 registration service, so you only add the state fee.

Where we got the facts

  1. For Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, open dos.fl.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  2. For Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, open dos.fl.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  3. For Florida yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, open flsenate.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  4. For Florida report due date, open leg.state.fl.us (we last saw it August 2026).
  5. For Fla, open flsenate.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  6. For Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source, open dos.fl.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  7. For Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source, open flsenate.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  8. For Florida registered agent statute, open flsenate.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  9. For Form CR2E027, foreign LLC application, open form.sunbiz.org (we last saw it October 2026).
  10. For Florida Statutes 605.0902, certificate of authority, open flsenate.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  11. For Florida Statutes 605.0905, activities that are not transacting, open flsenate.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  12. For Florida Statutes 605.0904, consequences of transacting business without, open flsenate.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  13. For Form CR2E057, withdrawal, open form.sunbiz.org (we last saw it October 2026).
  14. November 13, 2026, Florida service page belonging to Mainstay Filing
  15. November 13, 2026, pricing page belonging to FL Registered Agent.org
  16. November 13, 2026, pricing page belonging to Florida Registered Agent.io