Starting a business in Florida takes about seven steps: choose a structure, register it with the state on Sunbiz if it's an LLC or corporation, get a free EIN from the IRS, get the licenses and local business tax receipts your business needs, register for sales tax if you sell taxable goods or services, open a business bank account, and get online.
The state's information is spread across several agencies, so this checklist puts it in one place, with the official link for each step and the fees as listed in October 2026.
I build websites for small businesses and don't give legal or tax advice. For the structure and tax questions, a Florida accountant or attorney is worth an hour of your time.
- Structure
- Sunbiz
- EIN
- Licenses
- Sales tax
- Bank
- Online
Seven steps from structure to getting online.
The checklist at a glance
| Step | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Choose a structure | You, ideally with an accountant | Free |
| 2. Register an LLC or corporation | Sunbiz (Florida Division of Corporations) | $125 for an LLC |
| 3. Register a fictitious name, if you use one | Sunbiz | $50 |
| 4. Get an EIN | IRS | Free |
| 5. Licenses and local business tax receipts | DBPR, your county and your city | Depends on the business |
| 6. Register for sales tax, if needed | Florida Department of Revenue | No fee mentioned |
| 7. Open a bank account and get online | Your bank, then your domain, Google profile and website | Varies |
Step 1: choose a structure
The three most common choices for a small business are:
- Sole proprietorship. You and the business are the same for legal and tax purposes. There's nothing to form with the state, but if you work under any name other than your own legal name, Florida law says you must register that name before you do business under it.
- LLC (limited liability company). A separate legal entity, registered with the state. It's the most common choice for small businesses that want some separation between personal and business affairs.
- Corporation. Also registered with the state, with more formal rules. Usually chosen when there are investors or plans to issue shares.
The right one depends on your taxes, your risk and your plans, which is exactly the question an accountant can answer for your situation. The step-by-step guide to registering a business in Florida compares the three in more detail.
Step 2: register with Sunbiz
Sunbiz is the Florida Division of Corporations' website, where LLCs and corporations are formed. For an LLC, the Articles of Organization cost $100 plus $25 for the registered agent designation, $125 in total. A certified copy ($30) and a certificate of status ($5) are optional.
Before you file, check that the name you want is available on Sunbiz, and decide who your registered agent will be: the person or company who receives official legal papers for the business at a Florida address. The full walkthrough, including fees and the annual report, is in how to register a business in Florida.
Step 3: register a fictitious name, if you use one
A fictitious name, often called a DBA, is any name you do business under that isn't your legal name. If María López runs "María's Cakes", that's a fictitious name, and Florida law says you may not do business under it until it's registered.
On Sunbiz, registering a fictitious name costs $50. The name must be advertised at least once in a newspaper in the county where your business is located, and the registration is valid for five years.
Step 4: get an EIN
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is your business's federal tax ID. Banks usually ask for it when you open a business account, and you need it to hire employees. The IRS issues it for free, online, usually immediately. The IRS also warns that you never have to pay a fee for an EIN, so skip any site that charges for one.
Step 5: licenses and local business tax receipts
What you need depends on what you do and where you do it:
- State licenses for regulated work. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) licenses professions and businesses such as contractors, real estate, and food service and lodging. A restaurant, for example, needs a license from DBPR's Division of Hotels and Restaurants before it opens, after plan review and an inspection.
- Local business tax receipts. Under chapter 205 of the Florida Statutes, counties and cities can levy a local business tax, and the receipt shows you've paid it. In Lakeland, for example, a business inside city limits needs receipts from both the City of Lakeland and Polk County.
- Home food businesses. Florida's cottage food law lets you sell certain homemade foods without a state food permit, up to $250,000 a year in gross sales. It only covers food that is not time or temperature controlled for safety, so foods that need refrigeration or temperature control, like cooked meals, don't qualify.
The full breakdown of state, county and city requirements is in what you need for a Florida business license.
Step 6: register for sales tax, if you need to
Florida's general state sales tax rate is 6%, and many counties add a discretionary sales surtax on top. You need to register with the Florida Department of Revenue if you sell taxable items at retail, rent short-term accommodations or charge admission, among other activities. Registration is online, or on paper with Form DR-1.
Whether your services are taxable is a good question for your accountant.
Step 7: open a bank account and get insurance
Keep business money in a business account from the first sale. It makes bookkeeping and taxes simpler, and for an LLC it helps keep the business separate from you. Ask your bank what it needs. Usually it's your Sunbiz documents, your EIN and your ID.
Insurance depends on the business. If customers visit you, you work in their homes, or you hire anyone, ask an insurance agent what you need before you start.
Starting a food business
Food has its own rules, so it's worth planning for them before you spend money on a kitchen or a menu.
- A restaurant, caterer or kitchen open to the public needs a license from DBPR's Division of Hotels and Restaurants before it serves anyone, after plan review and an inspection.
- A home baker selling foods that don't need refrigeration may fall under Florida's cottage food law, with no state food permit up to $250,000 a year in gross sales. Products must be labeled as made in a cottage food operation and can't be sold wholesale.
- Home-cooked meals don't qualify as cottage food, because they need temperature control for safety.
The Florida business license guide covers the food rules in more detail, and here's what a restaurant website needs once you're open.
Common mistakes
- Paying a website for your EIN. The IRS gives it for free, and warns against sites that charge.
- Skipping the local business tax receipt. Chapter 205 adds a 25% penalty, on top of the tax, for doing business without a required receipt.
- Signing a lease before checking zoning. Ask the city whether your type of business can operate at that address first.
- Trading under a name you haven't registered. If customers know you by a name that isn't your legal name or your LLC's name, register it as a fictitious name first.
- Missing the annual report. The $400 late fee is more than the report itself.
- Mixing personal and business money. Open the business account before the first sale.
Don't forget the annual report
Every Florida LLC and corporation files an annual report on Sunbiz. It's due by May 1 each year. The fee is $138.75 for an LLC and $150 for a profit corporation, and filing after May 1 adds a $400 late fee that can't be waived. If you still haven't filed by the third Friday of September, the state dissolves the business administratively. Put a reminder in your calendar the day you register.
Get online
The paperwork makes the business legal. Getting online makes it findable. Four things, in this order:
- A domain in your own name. Your address online, registered in your name. A designer or a partner shouldn't own it. Owning your domain matters more than it sounds.
- A Google Business Profile. It's what shows your business on Google Maps and in local searches, and you can add or claim it at no charge.
- A website. It answers the questions customers would otherwise call you about. Here's what goes on a small business website, what it costs and how long it takes.
- The same details everywhere. Your business name, address and phone written the same way on your website, your Google profile and your social accounts.
If you're in Lakeland and Polk County or Miami and Hialeah, I can meet you in person. If you run a food business, here's what a restaurant website needs.
Free help in Florida
The US Small Business Administration has two district offices in Florida that offer free counseling and help with funding programs: the South Florida District Office in Miami, and the North Florida District Office, with offices in Jacksonville and Orlando.
Questions people ask about starting a business in Florida
How much does it cost to start a business in Florida? The state filing for an LLC is $125 on Sunbiz, the EIN is free, and a fictitious name is $50 if you need one. Local business tax receipts and state licenses depend on your business and location. Then the yearly costs: the annual report ($138.75 for an LLC) and your receipts' renewals.
Do I need an LLC to start a business in Florida? No. You can work as a sole proprietor. An LLC is a choice about liability and taxes, which is worth discussing with an accountant.
Does Florida have a general business license? Florida doesn't issue one license that covers every business. You may need a state license for regulated work, plus local business tax receipts from your county and city. The Florida business license guide walks through it.
How long does it take to start a business in Florida? The EIN is usually immediate online. Sunbiz filings are processed in the order received. Licenses that need an inspection, like a restaurant's, take the longest.
Can I start a business from home in Florida? Yes, but you still need the right local business tax receipts, and home food businesses must stay within the cottage food rules.
Sources
- Florida Statutes 865.09: Fictitious name registration
- Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz): Florida LLC filing
- Sunbiz: Fictitious name registration
- IRS: Get an Employer Identification Number
- DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants: Licensing
- Florida Statutes chapter 205: Local business taxes
- City of Lakeland: Business tax
- Florida Statutes 500.80: Cottage food operations
- Florida Statutes 500.03: Definitions
- Florida Department of Revenue: Sales and use tax
- Sunbiz: Annual report
- Google Business Profile Help: Add or claim your Business Profile
- SBA: South Florida District Office
