To incorporate in Florida, you must submit Articles of Incorporation to the Secretary of State. This article provides details on what to include in the Articles of Incorporation, the amount of the incorporation fee, and where to send the incorporation documents and fee.
Information necessary to prepare Articles of Incorporation
Florida Articles of Incorporation must set forth the following:
- Article I: The name of the corporation must include a corporate suffix such as Corporation, Corp., Incorporated, Inc., Company, or Co. A Professional Association must contain the word "chartered" or "professional association" or "P.A.".
- Article II: The principal place of business and mailing address of the corporation. The principal address must be a street address. The mailing address, if different, can be a P.O. Box address.
- Article III: Specific Purpose for a "Professional Corporation"
- Article IV: The number of shares of stock that this corporation is authorized to have must be stated.
- Article V: The names, address and titles of the Directors/Officers (optional). The names of officers/directors may be required to apply for a license, open a bank account, etc.
- Article VI: The name and Florida Street address (P.O. Box NOT acceptable) of the initial Registered Agent. The Registered Agent must sign in the space provided and type or print his/her name accepting the designation as registered agent.
- Article VII: The name and address of the Incorporator. The Incorporator must sign in the space provided and type or print his/her name below signature. The incorporator is the individual who is filing the Articles of Incorporation and any other official documents required by the state; his/her duties are completed once the corporation is incorporated.
- An Effective Date: Add a separate article if applicable or necessary: An effective date may be added to the Articles of Incorporation, otherwise the date of receipt will be the file date. (An effective date can not be more than five (5) business days prior to the date of receipt or ninety (90) days after the date of filing). If a corporation is filed anytime prior to December 31st, an annual report will be due on January 1st.
Articles of Incorporation for For-Profit Florida Corporations
Florida has several corporation types general corporations and professional corporations. Both types of corporations file Articles of Incorporation using the same form.:
Florida Incorporation Fee - The fee for filing a profit corporation (including a professional corporation)is:
- Filing Fee $35.00
- Designation of Registered Agent $35.00. A Registered Agent is an individual who is designated to send and receive official correspondence for the corporation.
- Certified Copy (optional) $ 8.75 (plus $1 per page for each page over 8, not to exceed a maximum of $52.50).
- Certificate of Status (optional) $ 8.75
Address to use for sending Florida Articles of Incorporation and Incorporation Fee:
Department of State, Division of Corporations, PO Box 6327, Tallahassee, FL 32314
Phone number for the Secretary of State, Business Division: (850) 245-6052
For more information on incorporation in Florida, and other corporate actions (change of address, dissolution, etc.), see the Florida Secretary of State, Business division website.
For more details on how to incorporate a business, you can refer to this article on How to Incorporate a business, which includes information on how to incorporate in every U.S. state.
Disclaimer. The information in this article is not intended to be, nor should it be relied upon, as legal advice. The author makes no claims about the completeness or accuracy of this information; states change regulations. fees, and names of documents and this article may not have the most up to date information regarding incorporation in a specific state. Your situation may be more complex and require additional information for your state.
Some states have several incorporation forms, depending upon the type of corporation. Be sure to read carefully both in this information and the information on your state's website, to determine the best corporation form for your business.
Before you submit incorporation documents or fees to your state, check your state's Secretary of State (business division) website or consult with your legal advisor.
