The division of corporations is under the Florida Department of state and is in charge of activities such as the filing of business entities, trademarks registration, registering of the entity name, filing of notary commissions and apostilles, judgment, and federal tax liens, UCC financing statements, amongst others. The office serves as a source of authentic information for districtwide business, registration activities, and issuance of certificates. It provides business owners and corporations residing within the city the legal right to carry out their businesses in its territory. Presently, Cord Byrd is the Secretary of State of Florida. 

Functions of the Division

It has a business entity index available for 24 hours and a database of above 8 million records, processing a total of 240 million filings, certifications, and inquiries annually. The division is an administrative filing agency with two main functions:

To formalize the legal standing of a business entity by authorizing and indexing its filing or registration

To provide information and issue certification relating to the filings and recording of business-related activities. 

What it is made of

The division consists of two sections namely the bureau of commercial recording and commercial information services. 

The bureau of commercial recording is in charge of the examination and index of all commercial-related documents presented to the division for processing. Documents that meet the stipulated statutory mandates are accepted, processed, and added to the Division’s records.

The bureau of commercial information services is simply tasked with the provision and authentication of certificates, providing imaging and informational services to individuals and corporations. It also accepts substitute services of process and offers internet assistance when needed.

Filing services provided

The following filing services are provided by the division to business owners. 

• Annual report 
• New LLC
• New Profit Corporation
• New Non-Profit Corporation
• New Limited Partnership
• Dissolving or closing an entity
• Reinstatement

Other services provided

Start a business

Follow the instructions below as provided on the site, to set up an entity here. 

Step 1

Carry out research by clicking on Getting Started with a Florida Business. Here, you can learn about the business environment and opportunities in the state. 

Step 2

Knowing the right legal structure to choose is important. One has to decide on a corporate structure from the start-up phase. Information on several forms of entities here is available on the site. 

Step 3

Forming a business is easy. You may form a Profit or Non-Profit Corporation. Then apply for registration on the site. One can also form a public limited liability company or a partnership. Simply fill out online by clicking on the links on the site or download the PDF document, fill it then send it by mail. 

Online Filing: Profit Articles of Incorporation, Non-Profit Articles of Incorporation

Print & Mail Form: Profit Articles of Incorporation (PDF), Non-Profit Articles of Incorporation (PDF)

Online Filing: Articles of Organization

Print & Mail Form: Articles of Organization (PDF)

Step 4

The last step is to register the business name

• Register a Fictitious Name
•  Manage or Change Existing Business
•  Forms & Fees
•  Authentications, Notaries & Other Services
•  Help & Quick Links 
• General Information and Available Resources
• Types of Business Entities/Structures
• Start E-Filing

Resources

• Consumer Notices & News
• Subpoenas, Exemption, and Public Records Requests
• Authentications/Apostille Certification
• FAQ
• Florida Statutes, etc.

Online services provided

• Check current processing dates
• Find a business
• Updating business entity Information
• Issuance of certificate of status
• Certified Copy filings
• Registering fictitious names
• Renewing old fictitious names

Contact information

Address: Florida Department of State The Centre of Tallahassee. 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810 Tallahassee, FL 32303

Emails:

For amendments: AmendmentsCorpHelp@DOS.MyFlorida.com

For Apostilles: ApostillesCertsCorpHelp@DOS.MyFlorida.com

For New Filings: NewFilingsCorpHelp@DOS.MyFlorida.com

For Notaries: NotariesCorpHelp@DOS.MyFlorida.com

For Registrations:  RegistrationsCorpHelp@DOS.MyFlorida.com

For Reinstatements: FICARReinstCorpHelp@DOS.MyFlorida.com

For general inquiries: CorpHelp@dos.myflorida.com

Phone: 8502456000

Website: https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/)