Florida LLC Cost in 2026: Every State, County and City Fee

Most people asking what it costs to start an LLC in Florida are really asking about the state filing fee. That is only part of the bill. A Florida LLC costs $125 to file, $138.75 for each annual report, and whatever local business tax receipts your county and city require. Add a fictitious name registration and newspaper notice if you plan to operate under a DBA, and you have the full picture. This guide lists every cost, explains when each one applies, and tells you which figures to confirm with the agency before you pay.

Florida has no state general business license. The figures below come from Florida Department of State and Florida Department of Revenue sources, and the local costs are flagged so you can confirm them for your own address.

Florida LLC Cost at a Glance

Fee	Amount	When it applies
Articles of Organization filing fee	$125	Once, at formation ($100 filing fee plus $25 registered agent designation)
Annual report	$138.75	Every year, filed between January 1 and May 1
Late annual report fee	$400 (total $538.75)	Reports received after May 1
Name reservation	$25	Optional, holds a name for 120 days
Certified copy	$30	Optional
Certificate of status	$5	Optional
Fictitious name (DBA) registration	$50 to register, $50 to renew	Only if you operate under a name other than your LLC name, plus a newspaper notice
Registered agent change	$25	Only if you replace your registered agent later
County and city business tax receipts	Typically $25 to a few hundred dollars	Depends on business category and location. Confirm locally.

Step 1: The State Filing Fee ($125)

Your LLC is created when you file Articles of Organization with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, known as Sunbiz. The $125 total is the $100 filing fee for the articles plus the $25 fee to designate a registered agent. You can file online through Sunbiz eFile.

Before you file, search your name in the Sunbiz corporation search. The name must end in Limited Liability Company, LLC or L.L.C., and it must be distinguishable from names already on record. Do not assume the name is approved until you receive a filing acknowledgment.

You cannot pay to speed up the process, because Florida does not offer expedited filing for LLCs. Online filings are processed in the order received, and no turnaround time is guaranteed. If you need the paperwork faster, walk-in service is available at 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, where most requests are completed while you wait.

Step 2: Registered Agent Costs

Every Florida LLC must designate a registered agent with a physical street address in Florida. A P.O. box does not qualify. The agent must sign the filing to accept the appointment. Your LLC cannot serve as its own agent, but an individual owner or officer can. The $25 designation is already included in the $125 filing total, and changing agents later costs $25.

A commercial registered agent service is optional. Providers charge their own annual fees on top of the state costs, and those prices vary, so compare current pricing directly. A service makes sense if you do not want your home address on public records or do not want to handle agent duties yourself. If an owner or officer serves as agent, the state cost stays at $25.

Step 3: The Annual Report ($138.75 Every Year)

Florida requires every LLC to file an annual report each year between January 1 and May 1. The fee is $138.75. This is the recurring cost most new owners underestimate, because it returns every year for as long as the LLC exists.

A report received after May 1 carries a $400 late fee, bringing the total to $538.75. If the annual report is not filed by the third Friday in September, the LLC faces administrative dissolution. The late fee is the smaller problem. Losing the entity is far more costly than the fee, so put January 1 on your calendar and file early in the window.

Optional State Fees

• Name reservation: $25. Holds an available name for 120 days while you prepare your filing. Details are on the Sunbiz FAQ page.
• Certified copy: $30. An official copy of a filed document, useful when a bank or lender asks for proof of filing.
• Certificate of status: $5. Confirms the entity's status on record with the state.
• Fictitious name (DBA): $50 to register and $50 to renew. Required only if you operate under a name other than your LLC name. Registration is valid for five years and expires on December 31 of the fifth year. Renewal is filed between July 1 and December 31 of the expiration year. Register through Sunbiz fictitious name registration.

A DBA is filed statewide with the Department of State, not with the county, but it carries a second cost. You must advertise the name at least once in a newspaper in the county where your principal place of business is located. No proof of advertisement is filed with the state, but the notice is still required. Newspaper rates vary, so request a quote from the paper before you place the notice.

County and City Business Tax Receipts

Florida has no statewide business license, but local governments can levy a business tax. Under Chapter 205 of the Florida Statutes, the local business tax receipt is a tax for the privilege of doing business in that jurisdiction. It is not a test of your qualifications. Not every county or city levies one, so the answer depends on where you operate.

Depending on your address, you may need a county receipt, a city receipt, or both. Typical amounts run from $25 to a few hundred dollars, and the price usually depends on your business category. Confirm your exact cost with the county tax collector and the local business tax office for your address before you open. Ask whether the receipt renews and when it is due.

Taxes: What Florida Does Not Charge

Florida's tax structure is simpler than most states, but your federal tax classification still determines which Florida returns apply.

• No state franchise tax for LLCs. The annual report fee is the only recurring state filing cost.
• No personal income tax.
• Partnership or disregarded entity: generally no Florida corporate income tax return. A Florida Partnership Information Return is required if one or more owners is a corporation, and that corporate owner must file its own Florida corporate income or franchise tax return.
• Taxed as a corporation: pays Florida corporate income and franchise tax at 5.5% of Florida net income for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2022.
• Sales tax: Florida's state rate is 6%. If you sell taxable goods or services, register as a sales and use tax dealer with the Department of Revenue before you begin business. Start at the Department of Revenue registration page and check that page for any registration charge.

Professional Licenses Can Cost More Than the Entity

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) licenses specific professions and trades, including contractors, cosmetology, real estate, restaurants, CPAs, and engineers. If your business needs one of these, the license fee is separate from every cost above and varies by profession. Confirm the current fee with DBPR before you build your budget.

Sample Budgets

• LLC only: $125 to form.
• LLC plus a DBA: $125 to form, $50 to register the fictitious name, plus the newspaper notice at the paper's rate. That is $175 before the notice.
• Optional copies: $30 for a certified copy and $5 for a certificate of status, if you need them.
• Each year after: $138.75 annual report, plus any local business tax receipt renewal. DBA renewal costs $50 every five years.
• Missed deadline: $538.75 total for an annual report received after May 1.

Where to Confirm Current Figures

• Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz): dos.fl.gov/sunbiz
• Florida Department of Revenue: floridarevenue.com
• Your county tax collector and city business tax office for local receipts
• Florida SBDC Network for small business guidance: floridasbdc.org

Bottom Line

For most Florida LLCs, the core cost is $125 at formation and $138.75 each year if you file on time. Add the county and city receipts that apply to your address, plus $50 and a newspaper notice if you use a DBA. Build in a cushion for the local receipt and for any license your trade requires.

Disclaimer: This guide is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, deadlines, and rules can change. Verify every figure on the official agency page before you file or pay. If your situation involves multiple owners, a corporate owner, or a choice of federal tax classification, consult a qualified Florida attorney and a certified public accountant before you form the entity.