FREE Step by Step Guide – Start an LLC Business in Florida

As a serial entrepreneur, I have started several businesses in my life, all in Florida. I had a corporation with Ficticious Names, then moved to LLC’s as this was better for my business. It seems to be the question I get asked most often:

How do I start an LLC in Florida?

Disclaimer: I am not an attorney or accountant. Nothing in this article should be taken as legal or financial advise, but as informational. This is simply my process and my understanding of the process as a serial entrepreneur in the state of Florida for the past 30 years.  

The process really isn’t that difficult. It is time-consuming and you do need to have some basic knowledge. So this guide starts with some basic know-how, and then takes you step by step through the process of setting up your LLC in Florida.

If you want someone to do it for you, here are my Top 3 LLC Buisness Registration Services to make it easy for you.

 

So what exactly is an LLC?

A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a business structure that basically allows an owner separation from their business when it comes to liability and assets. It basically protects business owners from personal liability on claims against the company.

LLC vs Ficticious Name Registration in Florida

The liability protection is the primary reason for registering an LLC over a Ficticious name in Florida. A Ficticious name (DBA or Doing Buisness As name) allows you to do business as a name other than your real name, but doesn’t provide a separation from your personal assets. An LLC provides an entity that is separate from you personally, so you are protected from any business issues.

Combining LLC and DBA’s

I choose the LLC for my businesses and then add a ficticious name (DBA) for anything I want to do under the business. This way, both the ficticious name and the LLC are protected. For example, if you sell a product, manage a blog or youtube business, and have affiliate marketing offerings on your blogs and vlogs, you might want to set up XYZ, LLC and register a ficticious names XYZ [product name] for your product, XYZ media for you blog and marketing, etc, to keep them separate and claim the name for business use with the state of Florida.

LLC vs Corporations

LLCs provide the liability protections afforded corporations but unlike a corporation, taxes are passed through to the owner or owners.

So basically, your personal assets are protected so if someone sues the company, you are not personally sued. And you are not double taxed, as corporations pay their taxes first, then the income of the owner is also taxed. An LLC is not taxed. The profits are passed to the owners (members) and taxed as personal income. Note that an LLC can elect to be taxed as an S-corp or C-corp which changes the taxation.

Corporations are typically for larger companies with shareholders.

LLC’s are Formed with the State

LLCs are formed at the state level at Sunbiz and can be done online or mailed. When you register online, the LLC formation is pretty much instant after payment. Or seemingly instant. You should get a confirmation and email to confirm. When you mail it in, it can take a week or two to process.

What is the Cost for a Florida LLC?

The basic cost, as of January 2025, is $125 for the registration and registered agent designation (required). Certified Copy and Certificate of Status are extras.

How to Register an LLC in Florida – Complete Step by Step Guide

Here I will guide you step by step how to officially start your LLC business in Florida. And I go beyone the LLC Registration and include the IRS EIN, the BOI registration, and local business requirements.

Note: this process takes about a half a day to a full day to complete in total time. These days when I register a new LLC, I use a service. See my Top 3 Choices for Business LLC services here. Their prices are low and they do all the work! Plus, you can have them act as the registered agent, which is another benefit. How much is your time worth?

If you have decided to do it yourself, let’s get started!

Step 1: Research the Name

The name you choose cannot be the same as any other business in Florida. And not only that, it has to be distinguishable from the names of similar businesses in your industry.  For example, if you want to register XYZ shop, but another store owner has XYZ, it may not be approved. But if the owner of XYZ is a service business that is a different catgory from yours, it is ok.

You also want to make sure the name you want isn’t trademarked. So the search is essential for availability and legalities.

Florida’s Sunbiz Division of Corporations website let’s you search for names of registered businesses in Florida.

Click here to search Search for Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, Limited Partnerships, and Trademarks by Name

The trademarks in the database on Sunbiz are Florida registered only. You can search the USPTO nationwide trademark database here.

Step 2: Name all Clear? Let’s get it Registered!

Go to the Sunbiz efile page for LLC registration here: Florida Limited Liability Company Registration

The state has instructions here. Follow these instructions on the states website.

You can also print the PDF copy here and mail it in.

File the LLC Articles of Incorporation

Tthe information you need to register with some tips to registering your LLC online:

  • You need to have payment ready to efile
  • A name for your LLC that is available (not being used already by another company) – it must end with Limited Liability Company, LLC or L.L.C.
  • Principal place of business – this can be your home address if you are working virtually
  • Mailing address – can be the same as principal place or can be a PO box
  • Registered agent information – the registered agent is the person or company responsible for accepting legal documents on behalf of your company. This will be you if you are self-filing.
    (my personal experience with registered agents: my accountant was my first registered agent, then I was my own registered agent, now I use Northwest Registered Agent service) And note, the benefit of using an registered agent in Florida is that your personal information can be kept private, because note, the registered agent must have a physical address in the state of Florida. You will need the name and address plus the authority to sign on behalf of the person or company you are using.
    If you decide to use a registered agent, save yourself the time of going through the process of registration.  See my Top 3 Choices for Business LLC Registered Agents services here. Let them do it for you with a low cost or free first year Registered Agent Services.
  • Purpose of your business – include a single purpose such as business consultant, online blogging, youtube influencer, virtual selling, pet-sitting, event consultant, clothing store, etc – you get the idea.
  • Authorized representative – this is you! If your husband, sister, friend or other person or investor is going into business with you, you will likely want to add them here as well as another authorized person.
  • Effective date – this is important, mostly for tax filing. If you start at the end of a year, you will have to file taxes for that year, however, if you can wait til January 1st to officially start, it will save you on tax requirements.
  • Sign and date the form!
  • Add your email so you get updates
  • Certificate of Status and Certified Copy – you can get these if you want, but it is not required. I haven’t gotten these since the early 2000’s when the internet started because back before the internet, you needed the copy to show the bank to get a bank account. Now, banks confirm this information online, so it is not needed. Some people want them for their records and some businesses may want to display these to show they are a legit business to customers walking in the door.
  • Next submit your payment and you are done!

Ok, not really. You are done registering your business with the state of Florida but there are still more steps to completely set up your LLC.

What about the Operating Agreement?

In Florida, an operating agreement is not required, meaning it isn’t filed with the state. But if you are starting a business with a partner, or you’d like to get financing, or just want to have a solidified operating procedure, it’s a good idea to create one. There are a tone of resources online for downloading free templates to help you create your own.

Learn more about Florida LLC Operating Agreements.

 

Step 3: Getting your LLC’s Tax ID – the EIN (Employer Identification Number)

Now that your business is registered with the state of Florida, you need to get an EIN, employer identification number, (also called the Tax Idenification Number or Federal Employment Number), with the IRS to identify your business.

This EIN Number is used to identify your LLC for tax purposes with the IRS, open a bank account, and get your local business license or permits.

You can click here to apply online and should get your tax id number immediately. If you have filed online in the past for an EIN, or are a non-US resident, you may have to mail in the request which can take a few weeks.

There is no cost involved in filing the EIN yourself. Services to do this for you are typically around $99.

Note: I am not an accountant of financial expert so I can’t walk you through the questions that the IRS asks. Just follow the steps and google any questions you have or ask your accountant or legal representative.

This is a step I no longer do myself. A registration service can take care of this for you and save you the time!

 

Step 4: Federal Tax Designation

One of the greatest advantages of an LLC in the state of Florida is the ability to choose how it is taxed. Florida offer flexible options when it comes to taxation.

Learn more about How are LLCs Taxed in Florida

If you choose to stay at the default, which is the LLC is taxed as a sole proprietor or partnership, you do not need to do anything here. If you choose to change the tax designation to an S-corp, you should file Form 2553 with the IRS to make this election.

Step 5: Florida Department of Revenue Tax Requirements

In Florida, you will need to check with the Florida Department of Revenue website to register for sales tax, unemployment tax and employer withholding tax (if applicable to your business)

If you are a solo entrepreneur selling services, you likely do not need to register with the Florida Department of Revenue for sales or employee taxes. But be sure to check the requirements on the Florida Department of Revenue website for your specific business type. This is probably the most complex part of the registration process so do your research or consult with an accountant or tax advisor to ensure compliance with tax regulations. Note that if you will be hiring employees, you will need to declare that when you register.

Step 6: The new BOI Requirement

As of January 1, 2024 the Federal requirement for the Reporting of Beneficial Ownership information took affect under the Corporate Transparency Act to verify the owners to the US Government.

Note: As of December 26, 2024, Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting is not currently required in Florida due to a federal court injunction that has temporarily suspended the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), meaning businesses are not obligated to file BOI reports and are not subject to penalties for not doing so.

As I am not an attorney, I can’t advise you on this. The website does say that you can voluntarily submit your information.

Go to the BOI website to file here. They provide a video tutorial with lots of resources for filing on their website.

  • Click to file report online
  • Click File Online BOIR (Beneficial Ownership Information Report)
  • Then complete the form.

Another service that can be outsourced to a registered agent service!

As an entrepreneur, your time is valuable and hiring an online service to do all this for you takes away the stress and makes the legalities of maintaining your business status worry free.

See my guide on the Top 3 Florida Entrepreneur LLC Formation Services and see how easy and affordable it is to put this process in the hands of the professionals.

 

Step 7: Obtain Licences or Permits with your city or county (if required)

Check on any regulations for permits or licences to register your business with your city or county. See our Local Guides here and check the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation website for the licenses and permits required for your industry.

 

Step 8: Set up your Bank Account and Merchant Account

Business Bank Account

Now that you have your business registered and it is showing up online on Sunbiz, and you have your tax EIN, you can get your bank account set up. I recommend getting an online business account with no fees. Novo, Found, and Mercury are good options.

Business Merchant Account – Accept Credit Cards

The easiest way to accept payments is setting up a Stripe account. It is really easy to do, simply add all of your business information and attach to your bank account and you are good to go. Stripe may need a few days to verify your information.

 

Step 9: Get Business Insurance

You may be required to get insurance for certain industries, particularly if you are selling a product, opening a physical location, or hiring employees. Online businesses should also consider insurance for liability protection. See What Every Florida Entrepreneur Should Know About Business Insurance

 

Step 10: Setting Up Your Financials

This step obviously should be done before you even start on step 1, but this is the time to make a more solidified budget and plan and even look into loans or investments. Now that your business is set up, you can focus on moving forward with ongoing expenses and how to manage your accounting.  See Essential Budgeting Tips for First-Time Entrepreneurs in Florida

 

Step 11: Setting up Your Workspace

Whether you are establishing a physical location or setting up your home workspace, be sure to make sure it has everything you need to function without stress in a comfortable environment.

 

Step 12: Marketing & Promotion

Now is the time to really sit down and strategize how you will reach your target audience and gain sales.  Building a professional website that showcases your business, creating social media profiles (scheduling posts and being active on social), and putting out a press release , starting an email campaign, are all good first steps. Local or online networking is also helpful when you are starting out to let people know you are in business.

 

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Disclaimer: Nothing in this content should be taken as legal or financial advise. Consult a professional if you have questions and need assistance.

About the author

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