If you want to create a limited liability company in Florida, you will need to file articles of organization. These documents establish your LLC’s structure, which is important for obtaining business licenses and bank accounts.
In addition, a Florida LLC must have managers and members. This helps the government verify that your company has legal authority to operate.
The Articles of Organization
If you want to start a limited liability company (LLC) in Florida, you’ll need to file a document called the articles of organization. These articles contain information about your LLC and how it operates, such as its name, address, and purpose.
Filing an Articles of Organization is one of the most important steps you’ll take to establish your LLC. You can submit these documents online or by mail.
The articles of organization will also require you to list the names and addresses of your authorized managers and members. These managers will be the individuals who will run your business on a daily basis and help ensure that your business meets all of the legal requirements for an LLC.
Once you’ve filed the articles of organization, you’ll need to publish a notice in two local newspapers for six weeks. This will allow the government to verify that the information in your articles of organization matches the state records.
The Registered Agent
After you file your Articles of Organization with the state, you’ll need to find a registered agent to accept service of process on behalf of your LLC. These agents can be an individual or a legal service firm.
Choosing the right registered agent is essential to your Florida LLC’s success. This is because a registered agent will be responsible for receiving any legal documents related to your company in the event that someone files a lawsuit against it.
In addition, your registered agent can help you maintain compliance with the law by keeping track of annual reports, renewals, and other official correspondence that may be required for your business.
In order to be a registered agent in Florida, you need to be a legal resident of the state. You can either be a business owner or an employee, but you must have a street address in the state of Florida.
The Authorized Managers/Members
If your Florida LLC is manager-managed, you must list the names and addresses of the persons authorized to manage it in your Articles of Organization. If you leave this section blank, the state will assume that your LLC is member-managed.
A Florida LLC can be managed by members (if all the owners want to manage it), by managers (if some of the owners or investors want to be part of management) or by outside people hired for that role. Regardless of who manages your Florida LLC, it
Generally, entrepreneurs form an LLC to avoid the formalities of a corporation. The benefits of an LLC include less taxation, more flexibility and easier management.
The Effective Date
The effective date of your Articles of Organization is the day that your LLC officially becomes a legal entity. You can set this date to be five business days before your filing is accepted by the Department of State, or 90 calendar days after your filing is received.
This date will also be used in the filing of annual reports for your LLC. If you do not expect your LLC to transact business until the next calendar year, forward date this date to January 1st.
An effective date is an important part of the filing process for Florida LLCs. This is the date that your LLC’s existence begins in the state of Florida unless your Articles of Organization specify an alternate effective date.