How to Register a Business in Florida (Without Paying Someone to Do It)

Most of the services advertising “form your LLC today” are charging you a markup to fill in a state form you can complete yourself. Here is the actual sequence, in the order it needs to happen.

1. Decide what you are registering

For most small service businesses in Florida the practical choice is between a sole proprietorship and an LLC. A sole proprietorship needs no state filing at all, but it puts your personal assets on the line. An LLC separates the business from you personally, which is the reason most owners choose it. If you are not sure, this is the one step worth a short conversation with an accountant, because it affects how you are taxed.

2. Check that your name is available

Search the state business records at Sunbiz, the Florida Division of Corporations. If a name is already registered, you cannot file it. Check the matching domain at the same time, because discovering the .com is gone after you file is a bad afternoon.

3. File with the state

LLC formation happens on Sunbiz directly. You will need your business name, principal address, mailing address, registered agent, and the members or managers. A registered agent is simply the person or company who accepts legal mail during business hours; you can be your own if you have a Florida street address and are reliably there. Filing fees are set by the state and change, so take the current number from Sunbiz rather than from a blog.

4. Get your EIN

The EIN is your business tax ID. It is free, it comes from the IRS directly, and it takes about ten minutes. Any site charging you for one is reselling a free government service.

5. Open a business bank account

Do this before your first customer pays you. Mixing personal and business money is the single most common bookkeeping mess we see, and it partly undoes the liability separation you just paid to create. Bring your filing documents and your EIN.

6. Handle local licensing

Florida does not have a general statewide business license, but your county and city may require a local business tax receipt, and some trades require state licensing. Check with your county tax collector and your city. Contractors, medical practices, and food businesses have extra requirements that are worth verifying early.

What to do next

Registration is the paperwork. Getting found is the actual business. Once you are registered, the first things that matter are a Google Business Profile, a website people can find, and a way to answer inquiries quickly.