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Founder Mentor Guide

Walkthrough 1 · Florida

Florida LLC Formation Walkthrough (2026): 7 Stages and the 3 Best LLC Services

Here is the short answer for forming an LLC in Florida in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($199), Florida Registered Agent.io ($199) and FL Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked from first to last. Expect 7 stages and a $125 state fee, then $138.75 for the annual report.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

What to know before you start

Formation fee
$125
Verify it at flsenate.gov, which we opened in October 2026
Annual report
$138.75 a year
Deadline on the state's schedule: May 1
What the state collects in three years
$402.50
Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Walkthrough stages
7
First to last

By the end you will know

  • Where and how a Florida LLC is filed
  • Who can be the registered agent
  • What happens once the LLC exists
  • Which services we recommend and why

The Florida call list

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 handing off the annual report

Our first call$199 per year; checkout collects $324, state fee included

Start with Mainstay Filing; $199 yearly buys formation, registered agent and annual report together, so you carry no surprise bills at renewal.

Compared with Florida Registered Agent.io, you spend $200 more over three years and file less yourself.

You never fill out the annual report; the state's $138.75 comes through at exactly what Florida sets.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • Registered agent all year long
  • Annual report filed for you
  • The EIN application comes with it
  • The official fee, nothing added

What works

  • No jump at renewal ($199)
  • A flat $199 every year
  • It prepares your EIN application as well

What to watch

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

Our call

2. Florida Registered Agent.io: best for Florida LLCs working to a budget

Local choice$199 to start, $99 a year after year one

Our second call, Florida Registered Agent.io: expect $199 for the formation on top of state fees, and $99 when the agent renews.

Expect to prepare the annual report yourself every year.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • The agent renews at $99
  • A free first agent year
  • $199 and the state fee

What to watch

  • The annual report lands on your desk
  • It bills $99 for the EIN stage
Visit Florida Registered Agent.ioPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. FL Registered Agent.org: best for a local filer

Local choice$199 to start, $99 a year after year one

Our third call, FL Registered Agent.org: expect $199 for the formation on top of state fees, and $99 when the agent renews.

Expect to prepare the annual report yourself every year.

It charges exactly what Florida Registered Agent.io charges.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • The agent renews at $99
  • $199 and the state fee
  • A free first agent year

What to watch

  • The annual report lands on your desk
  • It bills $99 for the EIN stage
Visit FL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, compared

#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, viewed November 13, 2026. No row folds in the $125 state fee.

The walkthrough, stage by stage

  1. Stage 1

    Confirm nobody else owns the name

    Do your name search at the Florida Division of Corporations. Finding a clash now beats a rejected Florida filing later.

    See whether the web address is open while you are at it.

  2. Stage 2

    Get a registered agent in place

    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.

    The registered agent comes with every service on our list.

    Check it yourself: Verify it at flsenate.gov, which we opened in October 2026

  3. Stage 3

    Who does the paperwork?

    Either way you pay Florida $125. The services we recommend charge $199 more to do the work.

  4. Stage 4

    Your next job is the Articles of Organization for Florida Limited Liability Company

    Fill out the Articles of Organization for Florida Limited Liability Company (Form CR2E047), add $125 and send it all to the Florida Division of Corporations (Fla. Stat. § 605.0201).

    Check it yourself: Verify it at flsenate.gov, which we opened in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    Apply for an Employer Identification Number

    Once the state says yes, apply to the IRS for the LLC's federal tax ID. A proper business account is hard to open without it. Pick Mainstay Filing and this stage is done for you.

  6. Stage 6

    Document how the company runs

    Even if you are the only owner of a Florida LLC, write one anyway and file it with your records.

  7. Stage 7

    Mark the dates that come back around

    Pencil the annual report into your calendar: $138.75, every year, due May 1. Filing late costs $400.

    Check it yourself: Verify it at flsenate.gov, which we opened in October 2026

What this walkthrough costs

What forGoes toAmount
The formation stageThe state$125
Annual reportThe state$138.75 every year
If the report is lateThe state$400
A filing service (optional)Your service$199 at the start
What the state collects by year threeThe state$402.50
Here is how the three-year state row is built: filing fee, then the report in each of years two and three, then any yearly minimum tax. Service fees get their own rows.

Why Mainstay Filing is first

Work taken off your desk makes up 32% of the score, and that is where pulled ahead in Florida.

Florida Registered Agent.io costs less, but you would be filing the annual report yourself.

Common questions

How much will Florida charge me to start an LLC?

The state's fee is $125. Bring in a service and add $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Mail or upload the Articles of Organization for Florida Limited Liability Company (Form CR2E047) to 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?

Circle the annual report on your calendar: $138.75, every year, May 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing stops you. Florida wants $125, and the LLC has to name a registered agent, which you can be or hire.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Go with Mainstay Filing: it wraps the filing, your registered agent and the annual report into $199 a year, and the renewal does not budge from $199. Then Florida Registered Agent.io and FL Registered Agent.org.

Where we got the facts

  1. Backing for Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations: dos.fl.gov, August 2026.
  2. Backing for Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations: dos.fl.gov, August 2026.
  3. Backing for Florida yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: flsenate.gov, October 2026.
  4. Backing for Florida report due date: leg.state.fl.us, August 2026.
  5. Backing for Fla: flsenate.gov, August 2026.
  6. Backing for Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source: dos.fl.gov, October 2026.
  7. Backing for Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source: flsenate.gov, October 2026.
  8. Backing for Florida registered agent statute: flsenate.gov, October 2026.
  9. We opened Mainstay Filing's Florida service page on November 13, 2026 for the prices
  10. We opened Florida Registered Agent.io's pricing page on November 13, 2026 for the prices
  11. We opened FL Registered Agent.org's pricing page on November 13, 2026 for the prices