Cheapest LLC formation in Florida

Which Florida fees can't be avoided?

Florida's charges come from the Division of Corporations' fee schedule and are the same whether you file or a service files for you.

At formation, the one unavoidable charge is $125. It bundles the filing fee with the registered agent designation, so you pay the designation part even when you name yourself. Two state extras are offered with the Articles, a certified copy $30 and a certificate of status $5, and the Division's form instructions say they are optional.⁴

A name reservation, at $25, is another optional state charge. It only helps if you need to hold a name before you can file.¹

After formation, the annual report is fixed too. It costs $138.75 when filed in the window from January 1 to May 1 each year, and nothing a provider sells reduces it. An LLC formed elsewhere and registering in Florida pays $125 total ($100 filing fee + $25 registered agent designation) instead of the formation fee.^{1, 3}

There is no speed fee to budget for. The Division says "We do not offer expedited services." That keeps the state side of the bill simple, but it also means a provider's rush charge buys only the provider's own handling.⁵

What pushes a Florida LLC above the state fees?

Five costs move the total: the registered agent, the annual report service, the late fee, add-ons at checkout, and packages or memberships billed every year.

The registered agent

Florida allows an individual who resides in this state and whose business address is identical to the address of the registered office to act as agent (Fla. Stat. § 605.0113). A resident owner who meets that rule pays no provider fee, though the state's $25 registered agent designation still applies, at the price of having that address on the public record and being there to accept papers. Everyone else pays a provider every year. First-year deals differ widely, so compare renewals, which repeat; the provider rundown below sets them side by side. Moving to a cheaper agent later costs $25 in state fees, and the new agent should be on file before the old one is cancelled. How to change a registered agent explains the order.^{1, 6}

A paid annual report service

Paying a provider to file Florida's report adds that provider's fee to the state's $138.75. Some providers sell it per report, some fold it into a yearly plan, and Northwest enrolls its agent customers automatically, at $100 + state fees, charged at filing. Over several years, that choice can cost more than the agent.⁷

The late fee

Missing the window is a costly mistake. A report filed after the deadline carries a $400 late fee after May 1, which takes the report to $538.75. Florida also treats going without an agent as a ground for administrative dissolution, and getting back into good standing costs $100 plus the annual report fee for each year owed. The Florida compliance page covers dissolution and the reinstatement process.^{1, 3, 8}

Checkout add-ons

EIN filing, operating agreements, business addresses and compliance subscriptions are offered at most checkouts. The EIN itself comes from the IRS, not from Florida, and a provider charges for filing the request. Decide on each item separately rather than taking a higher package for one feature you want.

Yearly packages and memberships

Some providers bill their formation package or a membership every year. In that case the package price behaves like a renewal, and the cheapest first year can turn into a mid-priced second year.

Which providers cost the least for a Florida LLC, year one and after?

The price table lists each provider's agent price, renewal and lowest-priced package. Rows are ordered by our score, highest first, with ties in editorial order, not by price.

Every first-year figure below is on top of Florida's $125, and every second-year figure is on top of the $138.75 report.

Tailor Brands. Lite is $0 plus state fees, with no agent listed, so year one adds the agent at $199/year unless you are your own agent. The renewal is $199/year (renews at the same price). Essential, at $199/yr plus state fees, includes annual compliance (report filing and updates), and because it is yearly it recurs like the agent does. Tailor Brands review.^{9, 10}

ZenBusiness. Starter is $0 + state fees (does not renew), and the agent is an add-on +$199/yr, discounted to 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC. Year two is the agent at $199/yr. Starter also bundles Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr); dropping it before it renews leaves per-report filing at $100 per report as an option, or filing yourself. ZenBusiness review.^{11, 12, 13}

LegalZoom. Basic is $0 + state filing fees. The agent is $249/year (first-time registered agent customers) and renews at the purchase rate each year; rate subject to change. Its report filing adds $99 + state filing fees each year if you use it. LegalZoom review.^{14, 15, 16}

Bizee. Basic is $0 + state fee with a free first year with any Bizee formation package, so year one can be the state fee alone. Year two is the agent at $149/year (ongoing annual fee) plus the report. Bizee review.^{17, 18}

Swyft Filings. Basic is $0 + state fees, with no agent listed. The agent is billed at $149 per quarter, or $596/year, the largest yearly agent cost here. ComplianceGuard starts with a 14-day free trial and then bills $199/year, so cancel it in time if you plan to file Florida's report yourself. Swyft Filings review.^{19, 20, 21}

doola. Starter is $297/yr and includes a registered agent. The whole plan repeats each year, so year two costs the plan price rather than just an agent fee. doola review.^{22, 23}

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees. A bundled agent year is only stated on the corporation page, so for an LLC plan on the agent at $125 per year. Northwest's page also says that "you'll automatically be enrolled in our renewal service," and that service costs $100 + state fees, charged at filing; if you will file Florida's report yourself, cancel that enrollment before it charges. Northwest review.^{7, 24, 25, 26}

Rocket Lawyer. The offer is a first registration free with a Rocket Lawyer membership, and the cheapest membership, Standard, is $149/year. The agent costs $125 with a Plus or Pro membership, and Plus is $249/year, so an LLC that wants Rocket Lawyer as agent pays both. Report filing is $100 with Pro membership, excluding state fees. Rocket Lawyer review.^{27, 28, 29, 30}

InCorp Services. Formation is priced starting at $99 plus state fees, and the agent is a separate $129/year. Report filing is $89 + state fees. InCorp review.^{31, 32, 33}

Harbor Compliance. Formation is priced starting at $99 plus state fees. The agent is $99 first year, then $159 annually, though a multi-year prepay locks $99/yr for the years paid up front. Report filing is $199 per state per year plus filing fees. Harbor Compliance review.^{34, 35, 36}

Agent prices outside Florida are on the cheapest registered agent services page, and the formation steps are on Florida LLC formation services compared. For how each provider handles the agent role itself, see registered agent services for Florida.