Florida Corporation Filing Fees and Requirements
Forming a corporation in Florida costs a minimum of $70 in state fees. See the full fee breakdown — Articles of Incorporation, registered agent, annual report, and more — from the Florida Division of Corporations.
Bizee Editorial Staff
Editorial Team
Florida incorporation fees at a glance
Filing fee: $70 minimum (Articles of Incorporation: $35 + Registered Agent Designation: $35)
Processing time: [PROCESSING_TIME]
State agency: Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)
Annual report due: January 1 – May 1 each year; $400 late fee applies after May 1
State tax rate: [STATE_FEE]
Cost to incorporate in Florida
Forming a corporation in Florida costs a minimum of $70 in state fees. That breaks down into a $35 Articles of Incorporation filing fee and a $35 Registered Agent Designation fee, both paid to the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. Optional add-ons — a certified copy or a Certificate of Status — each cost $8.75 more.
Florida keeps its formation fees low compared to many states, but the ongoing annual report fee is where costs add up — especially if you miss the May 1 deadline.
Florida corporation filing fees and requirements
Articles of Incorporation fee
The state filing fee for Florida Articles of Incorporation is $35. You file this document with the Florida Division of Corporations through the Sunbiz e-filing system. The Articles of Incorporation establish your corporation's legal existence in Florida and must include your corporation's name, the number of authorized shares, the registered agent's name and Florida street address, and the incorporator's signature.
Florida no longer offers corporate name reservations, so there's no name reservation fee to budget for. Your name is secured when the Articles of Incorporation are accepted.
Registered agent designation fee
Florida requires every corporation to designate and continuously maintain a registered agent in the state. The Registered Agent Designation fee is $35, paid at the time you file your Articles of Incorporation. Your registered agent must have a Florida street address — a P.O. box is not accepted.
The registered agent must formally consent to the appointment in writing. That consent is typically captured by the agent's signature on the formation document itself.
Optional fees at formation
When filing online through Sunbiz, you can add 2 optional items to your formation order. Neither is required, but both can be useful if you need to prove your corporation's existence to a bank or partner right away.
Certified Copy: $8.75 — an official copy of your filed Articles of Incorporation, certified by the Division of Corporations
Certificate of Status: $8.75 — confirms your corporation is active and in good standing with the state
If you request both, your total formation cost rises to $87.50. These documents are issued only by the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations.
Florida annual report fee and deadline
Florida profit corporations must file an annual report every year between January 1 and May 1. The on-time filing fee is $150. Miss the May 1 deadline and a $400 late fee is added — bringing the total to $550. If you haven't filed by the third Friday in September, the state can administratively dissolve your corporation.
The annual report is filed online through the Sunbiz e-file system. You'll need your Florida Department of State document number before you start. The report updates your corporation's registered agent, principal office address, and officer and director information — it's not a financial report.
Amendment and correction fees
Need to change something after your corporation is formed? Florida charges $35 for an amendment to any corporate record, including amendments to your Articles of Incorporation. Articles of Correction — used to fix a clerical or typographical error in a filed document — also cost $35.
Catching an error early is a lot easier than fixing the downstream damage — especially if the wrong information has already been used on bank accounts or contracts.
Employer Identification Number
Every Florida corporation needs an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. An EIN is your corporation's federal tax ID — you'll need it to open a business bank account, hire employees, and file federal taxes. The IRS issues EINs at no cost. You can apply online at irs.gov/ein and receive your EIN the same day.
Using your Social Security number in place of an EIN is technically possible in limited situations, but an EIN keeps your personal number off business documents and is required the moment you bring on employees.
How to file and pay
Florida profit corporations are formed and managed through the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, using the Sunbiz e-filing system at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz. Online filing is the standard method for both formation documents and annual reports.
Online: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, debit cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo, or a prepaid Sunbiz E-File account
By mail: check or money order payable in U.S. currency drawn on a U.S. bank, made out to the Florida Department of State, accompanied by a system-generated payment voucher
For annual reports, you'll need your Florida Department of State document number and a valid payment method before starting the e-filing process.
FAQ
The minimum cost to incorporate in Florida is $70 in state fees — $35 for the Articles of Incorporation and $35 for the Registered Agent Designation, both paid to the Florida Division of Corporations. If you add a Certified Copy and a Certificate of Status, the total rises to $87.50. These are state fees only and don't include any service fees.
The Florida corporation annual report fee — sometimes called the renewal fee — is $150 for profit corporations when filed on time between January 1 and May 1. If you miss the May 1 deadline, a $400 late fee is added, bringing the total to $550. Filing after the third Friday in September puts your corporation at risk of administrative dissolution.
The official fee schedule is published by the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/forms/fees. That page lists every state fee for formation, annual reports, amendments, certified copies, and Certificates of Status. The Sunbiz e-filing system at efile.sunbiz.org is where you actually file and pay.
Nothing. The IRS issues Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) at no cost. You can apply online at irs.gov/ein and get your EIN the same day. Every Florida corporation needs an EIN to open a business bank account, hire employees, and file federal taxes. There's no Florida state fee for an EIN — it's a federal registration only.
Florida corporation fees are paid through the Sunbiz e-filing system at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz. Online, you can pay with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, a debit card with a Visa or MasterCard logo, or a prepaid Sunbiz E-File account. You can also pay by mail with a check or money order made out to the Florida Department of State, but you'll need a system-generated payment voucher.
Yes. Florida requires any person or entity doing business under a name other than their legal name to register a fictitious name with the Division of Corporations. The registration fee is $50. This is separate from your corporation formation fees and is required before you can do business under the fictitious name.
It depends on your industry, location, and the type of business you're running. Florida doesn't have a single statewide general business license, but many industries — things like healthcare, construction, and food service — require state-level licenses through the relevant regulatory agency. Local county and city governments may also require their own permits. A tax professional or attorney familiar with your industry can help you figure out exactly what applies to your business.
