Registered agent requirements in Florida

Who can be a registered agent in Florida?

Florida allows three kinds of agent: a Florida resident, a domestic entity, or an out-of-state entity authorized to do business in Florida, each with a business address matching the registered office.

The statute spells this out (Fla. Stat. § 605.0113). For a person, the text reads "An individual who resides in this state and whose business address is identical to the address of the registered office". For a business, the list covers another domestic entity and a foreign entity authorized to transact business in Florida, and in both cases the entity must be what the law calls an authorized entity, with the same address match.¹

A few practical readings follow from that wording.

• A cousin in Orlando or a bookkeeper in Tampa can serve, provided they live in Florida and their business address is the registered office you list.
• A co-owner who lives in Ohio does not meet the residency test.
• A corporate agent based in another state qualifies only if it is authorized to transact business in Florida and keeps a business address here.

Note the word "another" in the entity branch. That wording suggests an entity other than the LLC itself, so an owner who wants the LLC to name itself as agent can ask the Division of Corporations before filing. What the role asks is that someone reliably accepts service of process, the formal delivery of court papers, at the registered office. Our explainer on what a registered agent does covers the duties common to every state, and the glossary defines the legal terms used here.

What address can a Florida registered agent use?

The agent's address must be a Florida business address identical to the LLC's registered office, and the statute lets that office be the same place the LLC does business.

In the statute's words, the LLC keeps "A registered office, which may be the same as its place of business in this state" (Fla. Stat. § 605.0113). The agent's business address is identical to the address of the registered office. Two addresses that must line up, then: the office you file and the place your agent does business.¹

Here is how common choices fare against that wording.

1. A shop, office or warehouse in Florida can be both the registered office and the agent's business address, if the agent actually works there.
2. A home address works when the agent is a Florida resident who runs their business from home. It then becomes the registered office on file.
3. A P.O. box raises a question the statute does not answer in so many words. A box is hard to square with a place someone does business, and the sources for this guide include no Division statement on boxes, so ask the Division before listing one.
4. A virtual office or mail drop calls for the same check. If no one does business at that address, it may not meet the "identical" test.

Every agent lists its own address as the registered office, so a commercial service puts its address there in place of yours. That holds for every provider. It does not remove the other addresses Florida asks for. The annual report, for instance, collects the following (Principal and mailing addresses, FEI number, registered agent and office, and name, address and title of each manager or managing member). The sources here do not say which of those fields the Division shows to the public, so read each form before you file. Some providers sell a business address product separate from the agent service. In list order, Tailor Brands lists a Virtual Address product (price not published), Bizee (formerly Incfile) lists one at $29/month, Swyft Filings lists one at $29/mo, doola lists a US business address included in Starter, and Harbor Compliance lists one at $350/year per company, per location (limited time offer). Our page on what an agent can and can't keep off the public record explains the limits.^{3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}

Can you be your own registered agent in Florida?

Yes, if you live in Florida and your business address is the registered office you list for the LLC. Serving yourself means no agent service bill, though the required $25 registered agent designation is part of the formation total either way.²

The legal test is the easy part (Fla. Stat. § 605.0113). The day-to-day part is harder.

• Court papers can arrive on any business day, so someone needs to be at the registered office to accept them.
• Your name and that office address go on the LLC's state record.
• A move out of Florida ends your eligibility, so a replacement has to be filed before the gap creates a dissolution risk.
• If you run the business from home, your home becomes the registered office.

Owners who live in another state cannot serve as their own Florida agent. Their options are a Florida resident they trust or an entity that qualifies under the statute. A service can suit an owner who travels, works from job sites, or would rather list a commercial address than a home. The list of Florida registered agent services sets out each provider's published price and terms.

How do you name a registered agent when forming a Florida LLC?

You name the agent and the registered office in the Articles of Organization, and the formation total of $125 ($100 filing fee + $25 registered agent designation) includes a separate charge for naming the agent.^{2, 9}

The full filing is the Articles of Organization ($100 filing fee + $25 registered agent designation = $125). Filing methods: Online or by mail; walk-in service in Tallahassee. For walk-in filings in Tallahassee, the Division's FAQ says "We can complete most walk-in services while you wait."⁹

Check these before you submit.

1. The agent qualifies under the statute as a Florida resident or an authorized entity.
2. The registered office you list is the agent's Florida business address, word for word.
3. The agent has agreed to serve. This guide's sources do not show how the Articles record the agent's acceptance, so read the form's instructions on the Division's Articles of Organization page before you sign.

On timing, the Division posts current processing dates on its own site in place of a standard turnaround. When this guide's facts were checked, those dates showed that on 10/13/26, new online filings received 10/05-06/26 and mail filings received 10/05/26 were being processed. There is no faster tier to buy, because "We do not offer expedited services." The Articles page also lists optional extras at filing (certified copy $30; certificate of status $5). The rest of the formation process is in the Florida LLC formation guide, and the cheapest ways to form a Florida LLC adds up the fees.^{9, 10, 11}

How do you change your registered agent in Florida?

You file a Change of Registered Agent with the Division of Corporations, and the state fee is $25. File it before you cancel the old agent, so the LLC never goes without one.²

The filing is listed on the Division's fee schedule as Change of Registered Agent ($25). The order of steps is what protects you.²

1. Pick the new agent and confirm they qualify: a Florida resident or authorized entity whose business address will be the new registered office.
2. Get the new agent's agreement to serve.
3. File the change with the Division. The Division sells no expedited service (Not offered), so allow for processing time.
4. Treat the old agent as your agent until the Division has filed the change.
5. Cancel the old service last.

Provider terms differ on what cancelling takes. LegalZoom says proof of new RA may be required. At Northwest Registered Agent the published term is short (Cancel anytime through the online account; no cancellation fee). InCorp Services requires one of several conditions before its annual fee is due (dissolve entity, appoint new agent, or resign InCorp with fees). Read your provider's terms before you file, so a renewal does not land in the middle of the switch.^{12, 13, 14}

Because the agent's address is also the registered office, a new agent usually means a new registered office address as well. The general walkthroughs on changing a registered agent and cancelling an agent service cover the steps that work the same way everywhere.

What happens if your Florida registered agent resigns?

The agent files a statement of resignation with the Department of State, and the agency ends on the 31st day after the Department files the statement of resignation, or sooner on a filing designating a new agent.¹⁵

That rule comes from s. 605.0115. The Division's LLC fee page lists a fee of $85.00 for a registered agent resignation on an active entity, and the statute says the agent must promptly mail a copy to the LLC at its current mailing address.¹⁵

That mailed copy is your warning. Florida law makes failure to "Appoint and maintain a registered agent as required under s. 605.0113" a ground for administrative dissolution (s. 605.0714(1)(c)), and this guide's sources set no separate grace period after a resignation takes effect. The practical step is to file a change of agent when the copy arrives, without waiting for the resignation date.¹⁶

Agents resign for ordinary reasons, such as a friend moving out of state or a service ending an account whose renewal went unpaid. The copy goes to the LLC's mailing address on record, so an out-of-date mailing address can mean the warning never arrives. If that address is stale, ask the Division which agent it has on file for your LLC.

What happens if a Florida LLC has no registered agent?

Going without a registered agent is a listed ground for administrative dissolution in Florida, and bringing a dissolved LLC back costs a reinstatement fee plus the annual report fee for each year owed.

The statute is direct: Failure to appoint and maintain a registered agent is a ground for administrative dissolution (s. 605.0714(1)(c)). Once dissolved, the LLC is out of good standing, which can stall a loan, a contract that asks for proof of status, or a licence renewal. A lawsuit served while no agent is in place can also move ahead without you hearing about it in time.¹⁶

The Division's fee page sets reinstatement at $100 plus the annual report fee for each year owed. The base fee is $100, and each unpaid annual report is added on top, so the longer the LLC sits dissolved, the larger the bill. This guide's sources do not set out a notice period before dissolution or a time limit on reinstatement; ask the Division about both. The Florida compliance guide covers reinstatement and the other ways an LLC loses good standing.²

What does a Florida LLC file each year to stay in good standing?

Florida LLCs file an annual report between January 1 and May 1 each year. The fee is $138.75, and reports filed after May 1 carry a $400 late fee.^{2, 3}

The report collects the LLC's details (Principal and mailing addresses, FEI number, registered agent and office, and name, address and title of each manager or managing member), so each spring it puts your agent details in front of you. That is a good moment to confirm the agent still qualifies and the office still matches.³

The late fee alone is larger than the report fee, so the spring window is the date to protect. The Florida compliance calendar sets out the first and second year in order, and annual reports explained covers how these filings work across states.

Do out-of-state LLCs need a Florida registered agent?

Yes. An LLC formed elsewhere registers in Florida for $125 total ($100 filing fee + $25 registered agent designation), and that fee includes a required registered agent fee, so a Florida agent is part of the registration.²

The Division's fee page lists foreign LLCs in the same "New Florida/Foreign LLC" block as new Florida LLCs, with a line for "Registered Agent Fee (Required)". The statute's list of who may serve includes a foreign entity authorized to transact business in Florida, so an out-of-state company can act as agent here once it has that authorization.^{1, 2}

Your home-state agent does not carry over unless it also qualifies in Florida. A Georgia LLC whose agent sits in Atlanta needs a Florida agent with a Florida business address matching the registered office. If a national service already acts for you elsewhere, ask how it bills an added state. For neighbouring states, compare Georgia's registered agent rules and Alabama's rules.

Registered agent services and their published prices

If a commercial agent fits better than serving yourself, the table shows each provider's published agent price and renewal. Providers appear by our score, highest first, with ties in editorial order. For terms in full, see Florida registered agent services compared or the reviews of Tailor Brands, ZenBusiness and LegalZoom.