The effective date is the “birthday” of the new Limited Liability Company.

You can choose an effective date other than the date it is filed by the Florida Division of Corporation’s office. The effective date can be up to 5 business days prior to the date of submission or up to 90 days after the date of receipt.

If you just want to use the date the state files the paperwork, leave this section blank.

Many people use a delayed effective date to postpone the annual report fee. The LLC’s first annual report is due every January 1st, following the year of formation. If an LLC is created late in the calendar year and doesn’t expect to generate business until after January 1st, it wouldn’t have to pay the annual fee.

In the next screen, the state filing fee is shown along with two optional forms that you can choose.

Certificate of Status: This document proves the LLC is in good standing with the state. It is generally requested when opening a bank account, getting a loan, or registering with a vendor.

In most cases, a screenshot from the Department of State or the recently filed Articles of Organization (within the first year of the LLC’s existence) will be sufficient; however, sometimes, an official document from the state will be needed. This isn’t a document to get just in case you will need it later, as most requesters will require that it be within the last 90 days or less.

Certified Copy: A certified copy of the Articles of Organization can be requested. Some banks will request one when opening an account. Also, if you are registering to sell to the government, a certified copy is often required.

The next step in starting a Florida LLC is to make sure the business name you want is available. The LLC’s legal name has to be different from the other registered business entity names in the state of Florida.  Before filing the Articles of Organization, be sure to do a Florida LLC name search.

Per state law, the name of the LLC must also include one of the following words or abbreviations at the end of the business name:
– Limited Liability Company
– L.L.C.
– LLC

In this section, enter the street address, city, state, zip code, and country of the business’s initial principal office. This address can be the business’s address or the address where the business records are kept. You may not use a PO Box for the principal place of business.

If you would prefer to use an address other than the address of the principal place of business, enter that address in the mailing address field. Otherwise, select “Mailing address same as principal address.” A PO Box is acceptable for the mailing address.

This is the address where correspondence from the Florida Department of State will be sent.

One requirement to have an LLC in Florida is to appoint a Florida registered agent. The registered agent is a party that is physically located in the state of Florida and will receive and accept important notices and service of process (which means to accept papers that start a lawsuit) on behalf of the LLC.

Provided the LLC member lives in Florida, they may be the registered agent, or the agent can be an adult resident of the state or a hired registered agent service.

Enter the name of the individual or registered agent service, along with their address, in the box. It’s important that the agent knows they are signing up to be the registered agent and accept the responsibility of being the agent.

This step is optional, but if additional information regarding the formation of the LLC needs to be included with the Articles of Organization, include them here.

This section is an announcement of the annual report, and there is nothing to fill in.

The LLC’s first annual report will be due between January 1st and May 1st of the calendar year following the year the LLC is formed and must be filed online. So, if your LLC is filed on January 30, 2024, then the first annual report will be due between January 1st and May 1st, 2025.

The primary email address will be used by the Florida Department of State to send correspondence, with the most important being the annual report renewal reminder.

Next, the form requires a signature from a member or an authorized representative of the LLC.

This section asks for the name and address of each manager or representative who is authorized to manage or control the LLC.

There are three choices listed, but you are free to use any appropriate title.  The listed title definitions include:

(MGR) – The Manager is a person hired to perform the management functions of a manager-managed LLC.  This person may or may not be an LLC member
(AMBR) – The Authorized Member is an owner of the LLC
(AP) – An Authorized Person is someone authorized to execute and file records on behalf of the LLC.  The Authorized Person is typically an attorney or accountant.

Finally, you will review the information provided to ensure it is correct, pay the state fee, and file the Florida LLC Articles of Organization.