The Florida LLC Playbook

1Choose your entity

For almost every Florida founder — freelancer, contractor, small storefront, side business turning real — the answer is an LLC. It gives you personal liability protection, it's cheap to form and maintain in Florida, and it stays flexible: you can elect S-corp tax treatment later without re-forming anything.

Consider a C-corporation instead only if you're planning to raise venture capital or issue employee stock options — investors expect a Delaware C-corp specifically, not a Florida LLC.

2File with Sunbiz

Sunbiz is the Florida Division of Corporations' filing system — every Florida business is registered there, and it's where your Articles of Organization get submitted and where anyone can look up your company's public record.

1. Search your name. Sunbiz rejects names too similar to an existing Florida entity. Check availability before you fall in love with a name.
2. Confirm your registered agent — a person or company with a Florida street address, available during business hours (see step 7).
3. File Articles of Organization. Total state cost is $125 ($25 of that is the registered-agent designation fee, folded into the same filing).
4. Wait for approval. Online Sunbiz filings are typically processed in about 2–5 business days.

3Decide on your EIN

An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is your business's federal tax ID, issued free by the IRS. Ask yourself:

• Will you open a business bank account? Almost every bank requires an EIN — yes, even for single-member LLCs.
• Will you ever hire anyone, even a contractor you issue a 1099 to? You need one.
• Do you have business partners (a multi-member LLC)? The IRS requires an EIN — you can't use a personal SSN.

If you answered yes to any of those — which is nearly everyone — get the EIN. It's free directly from the IRS, or Filerra requests it for you as part of the Pro plan (or as a standalone $49 add-on) so you don't have to deal with the IRS site yourself.

Read the full EIN guide →

4Set your ownership split & operating agreement

Florida doesn't require you to file an operating agreement with the state — but skipping one is one of the most common Florida LLC mistakes (see step 8). It's the document that:

• Records exactly who owns what — critical the moment there's more than one member
• Is what most banks ask for to open a business account, even for single-member LLCs
• Is your strongest evidence the LLC is a separate legal entity from you personally, if that protection is ever challenged in court

Example ownership split: two co-founders contributing equally might split 50/50; a founder who put in most of the initial capital might take 70/30 or 60/40. There's no "right" answer — just make sure it's written down and everyone signed it.

5Open your business bank account

Do this before you take a single dollar of business income — commingling personal and business funds is the fastest way to lose your liability protection. Bring:

• Your approved Articles of Organization (the stamped copy Sunbiz sends back)
• Your EIN confirmation letter (IRS Form CP 575)
• Your signed operating agreement
• A government-issued photo ID for every owner who'll be a signer
• An initial deposit (varies by bank, often $25–$100 for a basic business checking account)

Full guide: choosing and opening a business bank account →

6The annual report calendar

This is the deadline that trips up the most Florida founders. Every Florida LLC must file an annual report by May 1 every year, starting the year after formation — even if nothing about your business changed. Miss it, and Florida charges a mandatory $400 late fee on top of the $138.75 filing fee, no exceptions for "a few days late." Miss it long enough and the state administratively dissolves your LLC.

7Registered agent: yourself, or a service?

Florida requires every LLC to name a registered agent with a physical Florida street address, available during standard business hours to accept legal mail (including, notably, service of process if your business is ever sued).

8Common Florida LLC mistakes

✓Free Florida Startup Checklist

Check things off as you go — this saves in your browser, so it's here next time you come back. Print it if you'd rather work from paper.

?Quick answers

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Filerra is a document-filing service, not a law firm, and this page is general information, not legal or tax advice for your specific situation. For anything that depends on your particular facts — complex ownership disputes, litigation risk, multi-state tax questions — talk to a Florida-licensed attorney or CPA. We're glad to point you to what to search for even if we can't make the referral for you yet.