How Does a Florida Registered Agent Service Work?
As your Florida registered agent, we receive service of process, legal notifications, and other official state mail for your business at our registered office in Florida. Then we forward those documents to you—either digitally by uploading them to your client account or physically through the mail (depending on the option you choose).
That probably seems like a pretty simple job—until you consider what it really means. Your Florida registered agent receives and handles the most significant legal documents your Florida business will ever receive. That’s why it’s so important to choose a Florida registered agent who takes their appointment as seriously as you take your business.
We’re Floridians, and we know the Florida business world. Our years of experience dealing with the Florida Division of Corporations and making filings for our clients means you can relax knowing that if your business ever gets sued, you’ll have a Florida registered agent with the tools and the know-how to get your important documents to you in the shortest possible time.
When we receive legal notifications and other official documents for your Florida business, we scan and upload those documents immediately to your online account and notify you right away—and we won’t stop notifying you until we’re sure you’ve received them.
How Do I Change My Florida Registered Agent?
If you are currently serving as your business’s Florida registered agent, or if you already hired a different Florida registered agent service, you can still make the switch to Sunshine Corporate Filings LLC®.
Just click the “Hire Us” button below and sign up for our Florida registered agent service. The Florida Division of Corporations will list us as your new Florida registered agent and Florida registered office in around 2 business days. It’s that easy!
Do You Offer Florida Mail Forwarding Services?
Absolutely! We know that receiving your mail at an in-state address is a major concern for LLCs and corporations operating inside and outside Florida, which is why we offer three Florida mail forwarding service options to suit your needs:
- our free limited mail forwarding option is already part of our $35 Florida registered agent service, and it includes forwarding up to 10 pieces of non-state mail per year for free;
- our Deluxe Florida mail forwarding package, which includes 10 more non-state mail scans for $49 a year; and
- our Premium Florida mail forwarding package, which includes 25 more mail scans for $99 a year.
Included with each of the above packages is a free 60-day trial of Florida Phone Service. This is a secure, private VoIP phone line that you can use to call, text, and check your voicemail from your computer or mobile device. (Not sure if you need a secondary phone line for your business? Try it out for 60 days with no obligation, and cancel anytime).
Our Deluxe and Premium Florida mail forwarding packages also include with a unique suite number for your business, and you can even upgrade to our Florida virtual office service for $19 a month and get:
- Florida Phone Service
- a unique suite number
- an office lease
- unlimited opened and scanned mail
- the ability to reserve a private & secure office space—in person or online
With all of our Florida mail forwarding service and Florida virtual office options, you can use our address, and we’ll scan and upload your mail to your client account on the day it arrives.
We can offer these services because we own the building in Florida that houses our Florida mail forwarding center. There’s no middle-man between you and our expert staff trained to handle your mail professionally and securely.
How Do I Form a Business in Florida?
Florida is one of the most business-friendly states in the U.S., which means the filing process for domestic LLCs and corporations is generally pretty simple.
To start a Florida LLC, you must file Articles of Organization with the Florida Division of Corporations. There is a $125 state filing fee, and you can file your Florida Articles of Organization online or by mail.
To form a Florida corporation, you must file Articles of Incorporation with the Florida Division of Corporations and pay a $70 state filing fee. As with the Florida LLC, you can file your Florida Articles of Incorporation online or by mail.
For both domestic Florida LLCs and corporations, it currently takes about 8 business days for the state to process online filings, and it can take several days more for mailed filings.
Can Sunshine Corporate Filings Form My Florida Business?
Yes! Our incorporation service fee is only $35 plus state fees for domestic Florida LLCs and corporations, and when you hire Sunshine Corporate Filings LLC® to start your Florida business, we will also act as your Florida registered agent for an additional $35 a year. This gets your Florida business all of the perks of our Florida registered agent service described above—and we’ll also complete, sign, and submit your articles ourselves.
Altogether, that’s $195 TOTAL to form your Florida LLC or $140 TOTAL to form your Florida corporation.
Do I Really Need a Business Formation Service?
You can definitely start your Florida business on your own, but we don’t recommend it. A lot of entrepreneurs are unaware that when they form a Florida corporation or start a Florida LLC, loads of their personal information can end up in the public record. Your name and address can easily be accessed by unscrupulous marketers, mailing list compilers, spammers and other individuals up to no good.
We’re Florida business privacy experts, and as your Florida registered agent, we will list as much of our own information on your company’s formation documents as the state allows, limiting your exposure. We can also guide you through our unique private LLC option—called theFlorida Double LLC™—which will keep your personal information entirely off the public record.
Stay Private: Florida Double LLC™
Signing up for our Florida registered agent service will go a long way toward protecting your business privacy, but we can do far more than simply serve as your Florida registered agent or help you form a traditional business in Florida.
Through our Florida Double LLC™ package, we offer a way to protect your privacy even further. Your name and address will not appear on any public document. Tracing the ownership of your company will only be possible through a court order. This is not possible with a Florida corporation, but it is possible through our special Florida Double LLC™.
