Session 1 · Arkansas
Arkansas LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services
Class overview
Class objectives
- The Arkansas formation paper, its price and its destination
- Who can be the registered agent
- The state filing that recurs
- Which services we recommend and why
Arkansas: the graded services
1. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who want the work done
The class favorite is Mainstay Filing, because its $199 yearly tuition pays for the filing, the registered agent and the franchise tax report, and next year costs the same $199.
Three years of tuition run $200 above Arkansas Registered Agent.co's, but this service does more of the homework, and the grade rewards that.
You never touch the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report; the $150 state fee is passed through and nothing more.
Covered by the tuition
- The formation filing
- Registered agent for the whole year
- Franchise tax report filed on time
- EIN application included
- State fee passed through at cost
Strengths
- It files your EIN application for you
- The renewal holds at $199
- A flat $199 each year
Weak spots
- After year one it costs $100 more each year
2. Arkansas Registered Agent.co: best for a thrifty Arkansas start
Arkansas Registered Agent.co lands in second place: the Arkansas LLC is formed for $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renews at $99.
The Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is not in the price, so you hand it in every year.
Covered by the tuition
- Formation paperwork handled
- A year of agent service is part of the price
Strengths
- The agent renews at $99
- Agent covered in year one
- A $199 formation fee
Weak spots
- The price does not include filing the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report
- An EIN add-on costs $99
3. AR Registered Agent.org: best for another Arkansas option
AR Registered Agent.org lands in third place: the Arkansas LLC is formed for $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renews at $99.
The Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is not in the price, so you hand it in every year.
It lists the same prices as Arkansas Registered Agent.co.
Covered by the tuition
- Formation paperwork handled
- A year of agent service is part of the price
Strengths
- The agent renews at $99
- A $199 formation fee
- Agent covered in year one
Weak spots
- The price does not include filing the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report
- An EIN add-on costs $99
Grades and prices together
| # | Service | First year | From year two | Three-year total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199/yr | $597 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Arkansas Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit Arkansas Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | AR Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit AR Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
How a Arkansas LLC gets formed
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Assignment
1Name the company
Your first assignment is a name search at the Arkansas Secretary of State, so you do not file under a name that someone else uses.
Have a runner-up name ready in case the first is taken.
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Assignment
2Decide who will be a registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual or a business entity serving as agent in Arkansas. The company can also name a position inside it, such as its manager, whose holder then receives papers.
The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Arkansas, plus an Arkansas mailing address if it differs. A P.O. box on its own is not accepted.
All of the graded services provide a registered agent.
Textbook page: arkleg.state.ar.us (page read October 2026)
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Assignment
3File on your own or hire a service
The state's fee is $45 either way. A service adds $199; the grade list shows which one to pick.
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Assignment
4Work up the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company
This is the big filing, the one that creates the company: the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01), handed to the Arkansas Secretary of State with $45 (Ark. Code Ann. § 4-38-201). Per the state, Most filings within two business days of receipt.
Textbook page: sos.arkansas.gov (page read October 2026)
-
Assignment
5Get an EIN
After Arkansas approves the LLC, ask the IRS for an Employer Identification Number; banks and payroll providers need it. Mainstay Filing's yearly price includes this assignment.
-
Assignment
6Draft the operating agreement
Owners sign it to settle shares, votes and what happens when a member leaves. It is private and never filed.
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Assignment
7Mark the deadlines that repeat
Write the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report on the class calendar: $150, every year, deadline May 1. A late one adds $25.
Textbook page: sos.arkansas.gov (page read October 2026)
What each assignment costs in Arkansas
| Item | Who gets paid | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Formation fee | State office | $45 |
| Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report | State office | $150 every year |
| Missing the deadline | State office | $25 |
| Paid help | Service | $199 at the start |
| State fees for the first three years | State office | $345 |
Why the list runs this way
Homework the price does settled first place in Arkansas. It is worth 34% of the grade, and the rest comes from tuition across three years, year-two tuition, fit with the state class and fees a student can read.
Arkansas wants the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report every year, so a price that files it beat a cheaper one that leaves it to you.
Common questions
What will starting a Arkansas LLC cost?
The official schedule says $45. $199 extra buys a service that does the filing.
Which form creates the LLC?
Once the Arkansas Secretary of State has accepted the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01), your LLC is real.
Is a registered agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
How long does Arkansas take to process the filing?
Stated processing time: Most filings within two business days of receipt. No paid expedite is offered.
What does Arkansas require each year?
Expect Arkansas to ask for the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report every year, at $150, with timing described as May 1.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
The state accepts filings straight from owners, so no service is needed. Expect $45 plus a registered agent.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Mainstay Filing, Arkansas Registered Agent.co and AR Registered Agent.org, from the highest grade to the lowest.
Textbook pages and extra reading
- If you want proof of the Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax report: what and facts, sos.arkansas.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax: amount and filing facts, sos.arkansas.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the Arkansas report due date facts, sos.arkansas.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
- If you want proof of the Ark facts, arkleg.state.ar.us is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
- If you want proof of the Arkansas formation fee: Filing fee, official source facts, sos.arkansas.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the Arkansas registered agent statute facts, arkleg.state.ar.us is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the Processing, official source facts, sos.arkansas.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- Tuition figures from Mainstay Filing (Arkansas service page), November 13, 2026
- Tuition figures from Arkansas Registered Agent.co (pricing page), November 13, 2026
- Tuition figures from AR Registered Agent.org (pricing page), November 13, 2026