How to search and claim an LLC name in Florida
- Search Florida's official entity records at no cost, leaving “LLC” off the name.
- Make sure the name ends with one of Florida's accepted endings, such as “Limited Liability Company” or “L.L.C.”
- Skip the reservation: Florida has none, so file promptly once the search is clear.
- File the Articles of Organization with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) for $125.
- Note the recurring report so the LLC stays in good standing: $138.75 each year (Jan 1 to May 1).
What a Florida LLC name must include
Florida accepts these endings for a limited liability company:
- Limited Liability Company
- L.L.C.
- LLC
Two kinds of implication are off limits for a Florida LLC: a purpose the LLC Act and the articles don't allow, and any suggested link with a government agency, state or federal, or with a federally chartered entity (F.S. 605.0112(1)(c), (d)). The ending also has to signal plainly that the business is an LLC, not an individual or a different kind of entity.
How Florida decides two names are the same
On Florida's records an LLC name has to be distinguishable from all entities and filings, with three kinds of filing left out of the comparison: fictitious names, general partnership registrations and LLP statements. Changing only the ending, an article, “&” and “and”, a singular, plural or possessive, or punctuation won't do it. If your name isn't identical to another but is still too close, the other entity's written consent lets you use it (F.S. 605.0112(1)(b)).
Where the rules are written. F.S. 605.0112 (LLC); F.S. 607.0401 (corporations).
Searching for an LLC name in Florida
Sunbiz's search costs nothing and covers entity names, officers and registered agents, trademarks, FEI/EIN numbers and document numbers, with fictitious names in a separate search. It's also the only tool you have, since Florida no longer runs a preliminary name check of its own.
Open the official Florida entity search
Leave the ending off when you search, so every version of the name shows up, then compare each result word by word. If one matches apart from spacing, punctuation or a plural, change a real word in your name.
Holding the name: Florida LLC name reservation
There's no way to hold a Florida LLC name in advance. The Division has ended both name reservations and preliminary name searches, so the name is claimed only when the Articles of Organization that use it are filed.
Forming the LLC in Florida
Filing Articles of Organization costs $125: $100 for the articles and $25 for the registered agent designation (F.S. 605.0213(2), (7)). A certified copy is an optional $30.
File the Articles of Organization online
Each year, starting the year after formation, the LLC files an annual report between January 1 and May 1 (F.S. 605.0212(3)). The fee is $138.75, which is the $50 report fee plus an $88.75 supplemental fee, and missing the May 1 deadline adds $400. Florida has no franchise tax on LLCs and doesn't require a newspaper notice. A Certificate of Status costs $5.
When the LLC trades under another name
A Florida LLC that does business under another name registers it as a fictitious name with the Division of Corporations for $50, after advertising the intention once in a newspaper in its principal county (F.S. 865.09). The registration is good through December 31 of the 5th calendar year and renews in 5-year terms.
Sources
- leg.state.fl.us, checked 2026-10-07
- leg.state.fl.us, checked 2026-10-07
- leg.state.fl.us, checked 2026-10-07
- leg.state.fl.us, checked 2026-10-07
- leg.state.fl.us, checked 2026-10-07
- leg.state.fl.us, checked 2026-10-07
- Faqs, dos.fl.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Byname, search.sunbiz.org, checked 2026-10-07
These are the official pages behind every fact above. If one of them now says something different, it's right and this page is out of date.
A few were read from search results, not the page itself, because the site refused direct requests; treat the facts they back as provisional until the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) confirms them.
Common questions
Can two LLCs in Florida have the same name?
No. Florida accepts a new LLC name only if it can be told apart from every name on its record. Adding or changing an ending such as “LLC” doesn't make a name different.
Does a new Florida LLC have to publish a notice?
No. Florida has no newspaper publication requirement for LLCs.
How much is the Florida LLC filing fee?
$125, paid when you file the Articles of Organization.