Does Florida have a Certificate of Formation?
No. Florida does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. The document that creates a Florida LLC is the Articles of Organization, filed with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) under Chapter 605 of the Florida Statutes.
Quick facts
- Actual document
- Articles of Organization (Florida has no LLC “Certificate of Formation”)
- Agency
- Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)
- Filing fee
- $125 total ($100 filing + $25 registered agent designation), 2026
- Governing law
- Florida Revised LLC Act, Chapter 605, Florida Statutes
- Registered agent
- Required - Florida street address, must sign to accept
- Ongoing
- Annual report due by May 1, $138.75
The same question in every other state
This requirement is set at state level, so the answer changes when you cross a state line. Below is how 27 other states answer the same question, each linked to the page that cites the agency it came from. The full breakdown is on How to Form an LLC.
| State | Answer |
|---|---|
| Arizona | No. Arizona does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| California | No. California does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Colorado | No. Colorado does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Connecticut | No. Connecticut does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Idaho | Not by that name. Idaho's LLC formation document is called the Certificate of Organization, filed with the Idaho Secretary of State. |
| Iowa | No. Iowa does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Kentucky | No. Kentucky forms an LLC by filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State for a $40 fee. |
| Louisiana | No. Louisiana does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Maryland | No. Maryland does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Massachusetts | No. Massachusetts does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Michigan | No. Michigan does not use the term Certificate of Formation. |
| Minnesota | No. Minnesota does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Missouri | No. Missouri does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Nevada | No. Nevada does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| New Mexico | No. New Mexico does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| New York | No. New York does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Ohio | No. Ohio does not use the term Certificate of Formation. |
| Oklahoma | No. Oklahoma does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation' for LLCs. |
| Oregon | No. Oregon does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation' for LLCs. |
| Pennsylvania | No. Pennsylvania does not use a Certificate of Formation. |
| South Carolina | No. South Carolina does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Tennessee | No. Tennessee does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Utah | No. Utah does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation.' The document that forms a Utah LLC is the Certificate of Organization, filed with the Utah Division of Corporations & Commercial Code under Utah Code ยง 48-3a-201. |
| Vermont | No. Vermont creates an LLC through Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State under 11 V.S.A. |
| Virginia | No. Virginia does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| West Virginia | No. West Virginia LLCs file Articles of Organization on Form LLD-1 with the Secretary of State. |
| Wisconsin | No. Wisconsin does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
Full context for Florida
This page answers one question. The complete Florida guide -- covering the surrounding requirements, the forms, the agency, and what happens if you get it wrong -- is at Florida Certificate of Formation: Articles & Cost (2026).
Sources
- https://dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/start-business/efile/fl-llc/
- https://dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/other-services/fees/
- https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0605/Sections/0605.0201.html
- https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/0605.0113
- https://dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/manage-business/efile/annual-report/
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