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50-State Surveys › LLC Registered-Agent and Registered-Office Requirements by State › Florida

Florida: LLC Registered-Agent and Registered-Office Requirements

verified against the statute 2026-07-27 9 statute sources

The short answer

A Florida LLC must continuously maintain a registered office and registered agent. The agent may be a Florida-resident individual, another qualifying domestic entity, or a qualifying authorized foreign entity, with a business address identical to the registered-office address. Each initial or successor agent files a written acceptance acknowledging the role's obligations. The office must be open at least 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m. on nonholiday weekdays with an agent or representative available; loss of coverage can trigger alternate service, a suit bar and daily penalty, and administrative dissolution after 60 days' notice.

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This is the general rule in Florida. Ezel applies current Florida law to your specific facts and answers with citations to the statutes.

Governing law and terminologyFlorida Revised Limited Liability Company Act plus Chapter 48 service rules; 'registered agent' and 'registered office' (Fla. Stat. §§ 605.0101, 605.0113, 48.091)
Continuous designation dutyDomestic LLC must designate and continuously maintain a Florida registered office and registered agent (§§ 605.0113(1), 48.091(2))
Eligible individualIndividual must reside in Florida and have a business address identical to the registered office; no separate statutory age or citizenship rule (§ 605.0113(1)(b)1.)
Eligible entity and self-serviceAgent may be another domestic authorized entity or authorized foreign entity; authorized types are for-profit corporation, LLC, LLP, or LP/LLLP; member may serve if resident individual, but LLC cannot be its own 'another' entity (§ 605.0113(1)(b), (6))
Registered office, address, and hoursAgent business address equals Florida registered-office street address; office open at least 10-noon and 2-4 on nonholiday weekdays with agent/representative present (§§ 605.0113(1), 605.0201(2)(c), 48.091(3))
Consent and initial filingArticles state initial agent's name, Florida street address, and written acceptance; every initial/successor agent simultaneously files written acceptance acknowledging familiarity with obligations (§§ 605.0201(2)(c), 605.0113(2))
Change, resignation, and replacementChange statement includes successor acceptance and is effective on filing; resignation copy mailed promptly, and agency ends on replacement filing or day 31, whichever is earlier (§§ 605.0114 to 605.0115)
Agent duties and serviceAgent forwards received process/notices/demands and resignation notice; keeps office and representative available in statutory windows; promptly forwards service papers, and forwarding failure does not invalidate service (§§ 605.0113(3), 48.091(3)–(5))
Lapse consequences and fallback serviceOne failed good-faith agent attempt may open service on manager/member/report-listed person, then due-diligence SOS/court route; noncompliance bars maintaining suit and allows $5/day up to $500, plus administrative dissolution after uncured 60-day notice (§§ 48.062, 605.0113(5), 605.0714 to 605.0715)

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Requirements one by one

Governing law and terminology

Fla. Stat. § 605.0101 calls Chapter 605 the Florida Revised Limited Liability
Company Act. Florida uses registered agent and registered office, with
the service mechanics supplemented by Chapter 48.

Continuous designation duty

Fla. Stat. § 605.0113(1) requires a domestic LLC to designate and continuously
maintain both a registered office and registered agent in Florida. Section
48.091(2) repeats that duty for service-of-process purposes.

Eligible individual

An individual agent must reside in Florida. The person's business address must
be identical to the registered-office address. Chapter 605 states no separate
minimum age or citizenship condition.

A member, manager, owner, or employee can serve only by independently meeting
the Florida-resident-individual rule and signing the required acceptance.

Eligible entity and self-service

The entity route covers another domestic authorized entity or a foreign
authorized entity. Section 605.0113(6) defines the qualifying types as a for-
profit corporation, LLC, LLP, or LP, including an LLLP. The word another
means the represented LLC is not its own entity agent.

The entity agent's business address must be identical to the registered office.

Registered office, address, and hours

The articles state the agent's Florida street address, and a change filing uses
the registered office's street address. A P.O. box alone therefore does not
satisfy the required street-address field.

Florida then states exact availability windows. Under § 48.091(3), the office
must be open at least 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on each day other
than Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. The agent must keep one or more
individuals who are the agent or its representatives available for service
during those hours.

Consent and initial filing

Fla. Stat. § 605.0201(1) and (2) require the articles to state the initial agent's name,
Florida street address, and written acceptance. Section 605.0113(2) separately
requires each initial and successor agent, while being designated, to file a
written acceptance stating that the agent is familiar with and accepts the
position's obligations.

This is not merely an organizer affirmation. The agent or an authorized signer
has a distinct acceptance signature in the filing package.

Change, resignation, and replacement

The LLC changes the agent or office by filing a statement under § 605.0114.
When the agent changes, the successor's written acceptance must be included or
attached. The statement is effective on filing unless a permitted delayed
effective rule applies; the same changes may be made through the specified
annual-report, reinstatement, or articles routes.

Under Fla. Stat. § 605.0115(1), an agent resigns by filing a signed statement,
then promptly mailing a copy to
the LLC's current mailing address. Under § 605.0115(3), termination occurs on
the earlier of the replacement filing or the 31st day after the department
files the resignation.

Agent duties and service

Section 605.0113(3) requires the agent to forward received process, notices,
and demands to the latest company-supplied address and to send the resignation
notice. Section 48.091 adds the office-availability duty and requires prompt
forwarding of process papers to a responsible person in charge of the LLC.

Fla. Stat. § 48.091(2) requires the designation for service purposes. If the
agent fails to forward those service papers, § 48.091(5) says the
service itself is not invalidated. An employee present at the registered office
may receive process under the conditions in § 48.091(4).

Lapse consequences and fallback service

Florida uses a sequence rather than jumping immediately to the Secretary of
State. Fla. Stat. § 48.062(2) starts with the registered agent. Under subsection
(3), if the LLC has no agent or the agent cannot be served
after one good-faith attempt because of noncompliance, service may move to a
manager, member, or a person publicly listed on the latest annual report. After
the due-diligence conditions in subsection (4), service may proceed through the
Secretary of State under § 48.161 or by court order under § 48.102.

Section 605.0113(5) separately bars a noncompliant LLC from prosecuting or
maintaining a Florida action until it complies and pays required amounts; a
court may order a $5-per-day penalty capped at $500.

Under § 605.0714, failure to maintain the agent or timely file an agent name or
address change is also an administrative-dissolution ground. If the LLC does
not cure within 60 days after the department sends its intent notice, the
department dissolves it administratively. Fla. Stat. § 605.0715 permits
reinstatement after the required filings, signatures, fees, and penalties.

What trips people up

Florida has enacted hours, not just a vendor recommendation. The 10-noon
and 2-4 windows are statutory minimums on nonholiday weekdays.

The agent signs an acceptance. The articles must include the written
acceptance, and a successor agent must accept again with the change filing.

A failed agent attempt does not always go straight to Tallahassee. Section
48.062 first identifies managers, members, and annual-report-listed people,
then permits Secretary-of-State or court-ordered service after due diligence.

Common questions

Can a Florida member be the registered agent? Yes, if the member is an
individual Florida resident, uses the identical business/office address, and
signs the written acceptance.

Can the LLC appoint another LLC? Yes, another domestic LLC can qualify as an
authorized entity, as can an authorized foreign LLC. The represented LLC cannot
appoint itself under the “another domestic entity” route.

When does resignation take effect? On the earlier of the replacement filing
or day 31 after the Department of State files the resignation.

Does forwarding failure undo service? No. Section 48.091(5) expressly says
that failure to forward the papers does not invalidate service.

Statutes and sources

Source links

Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.

Fla. Stat. § 605.0101 · accessed 2026-07-27
Fla. Stat. § 605.0113(1)–(3), (5)–(6) · accessed 2026-07-27
Fla. Stat. § 605.0201(1)–(2) · accessed 2026-07-27
Fla. Stat. § 48.091(2)–(5) · accessed 2026-07-27
Fla. Stat. § 605.0114 · accessed 2026-07-27
Fla. Stat. § 605.0115(1)–(4) · accessed 2026-07-27
Fla. Stat. § 48.062(2)–(4) · accessed 2026-07-27
Fla. Stat. § 605.0714 · accessed 2026-07-27
Fla. Stat. § 605.0715 · accessed 2026-07-27
This page is general legal information about the registered-agent and registered-office minimums for an ordinary domestic LLC, not legal advice or a recommendation for or against a commercial registered-agent service. Eligibility, address, consent, availability, change, resignation, replacement, and fallback-service rules vary by state, and an LLC may still be sued when its agent is absent or defective. Foreign LLCs, regulated businesses, series structures, and other entity types may face different rules. Verified against the official statute text on the date shown; confirm the current law and official filing form before submitting a formation or change filing, and obtain licensed legal advice for missed process or a disputed service question.

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