[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.