How to Start an LLC in Arizona (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan To start an LLC in Arizona, you file Articles of Organization with the Arizona Corporation Commission, online through the Arizona Business Center, and pay the $50 filing fee.

Maya Fifty dollars. Is there a catch?

Dan A small one. It's $52 if you pay by card. And depending on your county, there may be a newspaper notice.

Maya This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Arizona for 2026, in six steps, with what it all costs and the three best ways to have it filed for you. What's the first step?

0:34 Step 1: Choose a name

Dan Arizona wants limited liability company, limited company, LLC, or L.C. in the name. It also has to be distinguishable on the Commission's records.

Maya What words are off limits?

Dan Corporation and association aren't allowed.

Maya How do I check a name?

Dan The Business Center has a free name availability tool. To hold a name, a reservation is $10 for 120 days.

1:02 Step 2: Appoint a statutory agent

Maya I keep hearing "statutory agent" in Arizona. Is that the registered agent?

Dan Yes, it's Arizona's term for the same job. The agent receives legal papers for your LLC.

Maya Who can do it?

Dan An Arizona resident who is at least 18, or a business authorized in Arizona. Either one needs an Arizona street address.

Maya Does the agent have to agree?

Dan Yes. They accept the appointment, online in the Business Center or on a paper form. The LLC can't be its own agent, and the address is public.

1:34 Step 3: File Articles of Organization

Maya So what do I actually submit?

Dan Form L010, with a member or manager structure attachment, through the Arizona Business Center. The fee is $50, or $52 by card.

Maya What goes in it?

Dan The name, a principal address, your statutory agent, and whether members or managers run the LLC. Their names and addresses are listed, and those are public.

Maya I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan.

Dan Nice to meet you, Maya. As of early October, the portal posted about 12 days for regular filings.

Maya And faster?

Dan Expedited was about 6 days, and costs $85 in all. That's $35 more than the regular fee.

2:18 Step 4: Publish a notice if you need to

Maya What's this newspaper notice?

Dan Arizona has a publication rule. It depends on the county of your statutory agent's street address.

Maya Which counties are exempt?

Dan Maricopa and Pima. There, the Commission posts the notice for you.

Maya And everywhere else?

Dan You publish a notice in a local newspaper three times within 60 days after the Commission files your Articles. Your approval letter tells you which applies.

2:43 Step 5: Write an operating agreement

Maya Does the Commission want my operating agreement?

Dan No. Keep it with your records. There's no state fee.

Maya And if I skip it?

Dan Without one, each member gets one vote no matter what they own. So write down who owns what, how profits are split, who decides, and what happens if a member leaves.

3:01 Step 6: Get a free EIN

Maya Then the federal side.

Dan Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, after the Commission files your Articles.

Maya How long does it take?

Dan If the online application is approved, the IRS issues the number right away. Have the Social Security number or ITIN of the person in charge ready.

Maya And the beneficial ownership report?

Dan Skip it. FinCEN no longer requires it from U.S. companies.

Maya What about an annual report?

Dan Arizona LLCs file none. The one thing to keep in place is your statutory agent.

3:38 What it costs

Maya Give me the do-it-yourself total.

Dan $50 to form, or $52 by card. Add the newspaper notice if you're outside Maricopa and Pima.

Maya Anything recurring?

Dan No annual report fee. The EIN is free.

Maya And the extras?

Dan A name reservation is $10. Changing your statutory agent or principal address later is $5.

Maya So a clean first-year number is?

Dan $52 by card, or $62 with a reservation.

4:11 Where the card fee comes from

Maya Why is it $52 and not $50?

Dan The Commission adds a card processing fee. It's 2.2 percent, with a $2 minimum.

Maya So on a $50 filing, the minimum applies.

Dan Yes. 2.2 percent of $50 is about a dollar, so the $2 minimum kicks in. That's your $52.

Maya Is there a way around it?

Dan Not online with a card. It's simply part of the price of the Business Center.

4:39 Picking your statutory agent

Maya Could I be my own agent?

Dan If you're an Arizona resident, at least 18, with an Arizona street address, yes. The LLC itself can't be its agent, though.

Maya What if I travel?

Dan The agent still needs an Arizona street address, and that address is public. That's the case for a commercial agent.

Maya And if I switch later?

Dan A statement of change is $5. It's one of the cheapest fixes in the state.

Maya Is the agent's address public?

Dan Yes, so a home address ends up on the record. Many owners would rather use a business.

5:14 The county question

Maya Let me test the publication rule. Say my agent's street address is in Maricopa County.

Dan Then the Commission posts the notice for you. Nothing to do.

Maya And Pima County?

Dan Same thing.

Maya And any other county?

Dan Then you publish three times in a local newspaper within 60 days. The county that counts is where your agent's street address is, not where you live.

5:40 First-year checklist

Maya Give me the order of operations.

Dan Check the name in the Business Center. Settle your statutory agent. File Form L010 for $50, or $52 by card. Publish a notice if your agent's county needs it. Then get your EIN, and write your operating agreement.

Maya And the calendar?

Dan The notice is the only dated item. Sixty days from the filing date. There's no annual report to remember.

6:08 The 3 best ways to file in Arizona

Maya What if I want someone else to file it?

Dan Here are the three best ways to file in Arizona. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. Checkout comes to $286, with the $52 state fee and Arizona's $35 expedite.

Maya What does that cover?

Dan Your Articles filed, your EIN application, and your statutory agent every year. It renews at the same $199.

Maya Number two?

Dan AZ Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee, and the first year of agent service is free. After that, it's $99 a year.

Maya And number three?

Dan Arizona Registered Agent.co. Same offer. $199 plus the state fee, first year of agent service free, then $99 a year. Both of those also come to $286 at checkout.

Maya How should I pick?

Dan Arizona has no annual report, so there's nothing for a service to file after year one. From year two, numbers two and three cost less, at $99 a year for the agent alone. Mainstay is $199 a year, and you'd choose it to keep one steady price for everything.

7:35 Three years of service fees

Maya Three-year number?

Dan Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two or three is $199 in year one, then $99 in each of the next two years, for $397.

Maya That's $200 apart.

Dan Yes. In Arizona, with no annual report, the difference is mostly the agent price.

8:01 Recap

Maya One more time through it?

Dan Choose a name with LLC in it, appoint a statutory agent who accepts, file Articles for $50, publish a notice if your agent is outside Maricopa and Pima, write an operating agreement, and get your free EIN. There's no annual report.

Maya The links to all three services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Arizona LLC.