Everything you need to register a foreign LLC in Florida.
State filing fee$125one-time
Registered agent$125/yearbased on Northwest RA
Total, all in$916.25
Florida data last reviewed Aug 22, 2026 · dos.fl.govTotals include the $125 filing fee once, Northwest RA at $125/year, and Florida recurring state costs over the selected period.
Foreign Qualification
Filing fee
$125
Form
Application by Foreign Limited Liability Company for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida (Form CR2E027)
Annual obligation
$138.75/year
Processing time
About 3 weeks. No paid expedited tier, but same-day walk-in service is available at the Division in Tallahassee.
Florida data last reviewed Aug 22, 2026 · dos.fl.gov
Formation in Florida
Formation fee
$125
Annual cost
$138.75/year
State income tax
No state income tax
Privacy
Moderate
Florida does not tax personal income. An LLC that elects to be taxed as a corporation pays Florida corporate income tax at 5.5 percent of net income, after a $50,000 exemption. Every Florida LLC also files an annual report, which costs $138.75, or $538.75 if filed after May 1.
What triggers foreign qualification in Florida?
Physical presence (store, office, warehouse)
Employees in Florida
Owning or leasing property
Selling products or services in Florida
Important to know
Florida statutes define what does NOT constitute doing business rather than what does (Fla. Stat. 605.0905)
Extremely high $400 late fee if annual report is filed after May 1. This is mandatory and non-waivable, making the total $538.75 if late.
Florida-specific guides
Weighing Florida against Nevada for your LLC? Our Florida vs Nevada comparison breaks down the real cost, privacy, and tax differences between the two.
Activities that do NOT require registration in Florida
The following activities are explicitly carved out by statute. On their own, they do not require a foreign LLC to register in Florida.
Maintaining, defending, or settling a lawsuit or other legal proceeding
Holding meetings of members or managers, or handling internal company affairs
Maintaining bank accounts
Maintaining agents or agencies to transfer, exchange, or register the company's own securities, or trustees or depositaries for those securities
Selling through independent contractors
Soliciting or taking orders, by mail or through employees or agents, if the orders must be accepted outside Florida to become contracts
Creating or acquiring debts, mortgages, or security interests in real or personal property
Securing or collecting debts, or enforcing mortgages and security interests in the property backing them
Doing business in interstate commerce
Conducting a single isolated transaction finished within 30 days that is not part of repeated transactions of a like kind
Owning and controlling a subsidiary corporation or LLC that operates in Florida, and voting that subsidiary's stock or membership interests
Owning a limited partner interest in a limited partnership doing business in Florida, so long as you do not manage or control the partnership or act as a general partner
Owning real or personal property, and nothing more
Under Fla. Stat. Section 605.0905, all 13 items. IMPORTANT CARVE-BACK: subsection (3) states that owning income-producing real or tangible personal property in Florida DOES constitute transacting business. Passive ownership is exempt under (1)(m) but the moment the property earns income, such as a rental, registration is affirmatively triggered. Subsection (4) disclaims service of process, taxation and regulation under other Florida law.
This page provides general information based on publicly available state requirements. It is not legal advice. Verify with the Florida SOS before filing.