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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class 3 · Florida

Foreign LLC Registration Class, Florida (2026): 5 Assignments and the 3 Best Services

For registering an LLC from another state in Florida in 2026, the class favorites are Florida Registered Agent.io ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and FL Registered Agent.org ($199), graded from first to last. Plan on 5 assignments and a $125 filing fee.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

The quick version

Fee at the state office$125Look at flsenate.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026
Home certificate90 daysNo older than
Annual report$138.75Annual report
Three-year state cost$402.50Service fees not included
Assignments5In order

Class goals

  • When the rule kicks in
  • The official form and fee
  • What staying registered costs
  • Our recommendations, with reasons

Class favorites in Florida

Three-year tuition and homework done weigh the most; how we grade lists all five criteria.
Highest grade

1. Florida Registered Agent.io: best for one extra state

Service $199, renewal $99 a year

Florida Registered Agent.io gets first place, and the reason is that the Florida registration is filed for $199 with a year of agent service, and the plan renews at $99.

Tuition breaks the tie: three years run cheaper here than at Mainstay Filing.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • First year of agent service costs nothing extra
  • A $199 service charge
  • A small $99 renewal

Weak spots

  • Florida only; your home state needs its own agent
All fifty states

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies adding a second state

Service $199, renewal $149 a year

Second place goes to Mainstay Filing, since it files the Florida registration for $199 plus the state fee, and the first agent year is free.

Florida Registered Agent.io undercuts it by $100 over three years, which keeps this one out of first.

Agent service past the first year is $149 yearly.

Covered by the tuition

  • The registration filing
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • One fee wherever you register

Strengths

  • $199 on top of Florida's fee
  • Registered agent is free in year one
  • One price anywhere

Weak spots

  • A pricier agent renewal ($149)
Local choice

3. FL Registered Agent.org: best for Florida-only registrations

Service $199, renewal $99 a year

Our third pick, FL Registered Agent.org: the Florida registration is filed for $199 with a year of agent service, and the plan renews at $99.

It lists the same prices as Florida Registered Agent.io.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • First year of agent service costs nothing extra
  • A small $99 renewal
  • A $199 service charge

Weak spots

  • Florida only; your home state needs its own agent

Grades and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Florida Registered Agent.io$199$99/yr$397Visit Florida Registered Agent.ioPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3FL Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit FL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. None of the rows includes the $125 state fee.

The Florida registration, in order

  1. Assignment
    1

    Is Florida registration needed?

    An LLC formed in another state has to register with Florida before it does business there. What happens when an LLC operates unregistered: A claim from an unregistered LLC will not be heard here (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(1)). Its contracts remain valid (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(4)). The state can fine the LLC between $500 to $1,000. Expect to pay back fees too.

    Textbook page: Look at dos.fl.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  2. Assignment
    2

    Get a certificate from your home state

    You need certificate of existence (or record of similar import) from the jurisdiction of formation, from the last 90 days.

    Ask for the certificate shortly before filing day.

  3. Assignment
    3

    Arrange a Florida registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a Florida street address that matches the agent's business address. P.O. boxes are not accepted. Florida law sets minimum hours of 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

    Every graded service includes the registered agent.

    Textbook page: Look at flsenate.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  4. Assignment
    4

    Prepare, sign and send the Application by Foreign Limited Liability Company for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida

    To register, hand the Application by Foreign Limited Liability Company for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida (Form CR2E027) to the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section with $125.

    Textbook page: Look at flsenate.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  5. Assignment
    5

    Handle Florida's recurring filing

    Once registered, a foreign LLC sends in the annual report ($138.75), between January 1 and May 1.

The bill

AssignmentWho gets paidPrice
Registering the LLCGoes to the state$125
Annual reportGoes to the state$138.75
Service, if you hire oneYour service$199 to start
Three years of state feesGoes to the state$402.50
Filing fee plus two later reports plus any minimum tax makes the state's three-year total. The pages listed below show where each figure came from.

The reasoning behind the grades

Tuition across three years makes up 30% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in Florida.

Florida Registered Agent.io wins the cost criterion with $397 over three years, against $100 more at Mainstay Filing.

Common questions

What is Florida's fee for an out-of-state LLC?

$125 at the state office. The services here charge $199 extra.

Which form do I file to register?

Look for the Application by Foreign Limited Liability Company for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida (Form CR2E027); it goes to the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence (or record of similar import) from the jurisdiction of formation, issued within 90 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

A claim from an unregistered LLC will not be heard here (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(1)). Its contracts remain valid (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(4)). The state can fine the LLC between $500 to $1,000. Expect to pay back fees too.

What is due after registering?

Look ahead to the annual report, which costs $138.75.

Which service should handle the registration?

Pick Florida Registered Agent.io: a service fee of $199 and an agent renewal of $99 a year. Then Mainstay Filing and FL Registered Agent.org.

Keep learning

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. Extra credit: compare what we say about Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations with dos.fl.gov, last read August 2026.
  2. Extra credit: compare what we say about Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations with dos.fl.gov, last read August 2026.
  3. Extra credit: compare what we say about Florida yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source with flsenate.gov, last read October 2026.
  4. Extra credit: compare what we say about Florida report due date with leg.state.fl.us, last read August 2026.
  5. Extra credit: compare what we say about Fla with flsenate.gov, last read August 2026.
  6. Extra credit: compare what we say about Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source with dos.fl.gov, last read October 2026.
  7. Extra credit: compare what we say about Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source with flsenate.gov, last read October 2026.
  8. Extra credit: compare what we say about Florida registered agent statute with flsenate.gov, last read October 2026.
  9. Extra credit: compare what we say about Form CR2E027, foreign LLC application with form.sunbiz.org, last read October 2026.
  10. Extra credit: compare what we say about Florida Statutes 605.0902, certificate of authority with flsenate.gov, last read October 2026.
  11. Extra credit: compare what we say about Florida Statutes 605.0905, activities that are not transacting with flsenate.gov, last read October 2026.
  12. Extra credit: compare what we say about Florida Statutes 605.0904, consequences of transacting business without with flsenate.gov, last read October 2026.
  13. Extra credit: compare what we say about Form CR2E057, withdrawal with form.sunbiz.org, last read October 2026.
  14. Florida Registered Agent.io's pricing page, read on November 13, 2026
  15. Mainstay Filing's Florida service page, read on November 13, 2026
  16. FL Registered Agent.org's pricing page, read on November 13, 2026