How to Form an LLC in Florida Online
Florida lets you form an LLC online through Sunbiz. Here is each step, from the name search to the approval email, plus what to do if the filing bounces.
You can form an LLC in Florida online through Sunbiz, the state's business filing site. The process has a few steps, and each one is simple once you know what to expect. This guide walks through all of them. It covers the name check, the application, the payment, and what happens after you hit submit. It also covers the parts that trip people up, like name rules and rejection notices. Florida's Division of Corporations runs the site. It is the State of Florida's official business entity index and commercial activity website. Other states set their own rules. Kentucky, for example, lists its LLC fees on one page.
Step 1: Check that your LLC name is available
Before you file anything, search the state's records. The Division of Corporations says to search its records to determine if an LLC name is distinguishable and available to use.
"Distinguishable" is the key word. Search for close matches, not just exact ones. If your first choice is taken, have a second and third choice ready before you start the application.
Step 2: Choose online or mail filing
You have two ways to file the Articles of Organization.
The first is online. The second is by mail. The Division of Corporations says you can print the Articles of Organization application and mail it with a check or money order.
One rule matters here. The Division of Corporations says all payments by credit card must use the online application. If you want to pay by card, you file online.
Step 3: Check your browser
Before you start, check your browser. The Division of Corporations' web application supports later versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. Other browsers supporting HTML5 should also work fine. If the site acts strange, switch browsers before you type in your details.
Step 4: Pay the filing fee
The Division of Corporations accepts credit cards, debit cards, and a prepaid Sunbiz E-File Account to file the Articles of Organization online.
After you pay, a confirmation payment receipt will be emailed from NIC DOS for successful online filing transactions. The biller on your statement will read NIC DOS DIVISION OF CORP. If you see it on your card statement, that is your Florida filing. It is not a fraud charge.
Keep that receipt. The Division of Corporations says to keep a copy of the receipt because it has information that helps locate and reconcile a filing. If anything goes wrong, that receipt is how you find your filing.
Step 5: What happens after you file
Your application does not get approved the instant you submit it. It goes into a queue. The Division of Corporations says documents are processed in the order they were received.
The Division of Corporations is required to examine documents for minimum statutory filing requirements. Once yours is examined and approved, you get an email. The Division of Corporations says online filing confirmations are sent by email once the document is examined and approved.
Two things to know about that confirmation. First, it will not come by post. The Division of Corporations says you will not receive an online filing confirmation by U.S. Mail. Second, if you paid extra for a Certificate of Status or Certified Copy, it will be included with the confirmation. The Division of Corporations says your Certificate of Status or Certified Copy will be included if you opted to purchase those items.
If you filed by mail, the process works the other way. The Division of Corporations says filings by mail receive a confirmation by U.S. Mail at the mailing address provided on the application.
Watch your email, including the spam folder, after you file.
What to do if your filing is rejected
Sometimes a filing does not pass the review. The Division of Corporations says a rejection notice means an application failed to meet one or more filing requirements.
Read the notice closely.
Electronic signatures count
You sign the online application by typing your name. Some owners worry that a typed name does not count as a signature. It is. The Division of Corporations says electronic signatures have the same legal effect as original signatures.
One warning. The Division of Corporations says typing someone's name without permission constitutes forgery. Only sign for yourself, or for someone who has given you clear permission.
Recap
Forming the LLC is the easy part. Keep the receipt, watch for the email, and fix any rejection quickly. Then turn to the work of running the business.