Arizona LLC Formation: Filing Steps and Costs

To form an Arizona LLC, submit Articles of Organization to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), appoint a statutory agent, choose a management structure, include the corresponding structure attachment, and pay the applicable filing fee. The base filing cost is $50 for regular processing or $85 total for expedited processing. After approval, follow the publication instructions that apply to the county where the statutory agent’s street address is located.

The filing creates the LLC at the state level. Before submitting it, make sure the proposed name, statutory-agent arrangement, addresses, and management details are consistent throughout the documents.

Who Can Form an Arizona LLC?

One or more individuals or entities may organize an Arizona LLC by signing and filing its Articles of Organization. The organizer is the person or entity responsible for completing the formation filing, but the organizer does not have to become a member or manager of the LLC.

This flexibility accommodates several common arrangements. An owner can organize the LLC personally, multiple prospective owners can participate, or another individual or entity can act as the organizer. Regardless of who files, the Articles must accurately identify the LLC’s management structure and include the required information about its members or managers on the applicable attachment.

The LLC’s name must include “limited liability company,” “limited company,” or an approved abbreviation such as “LLC” or “LC.” It may not contain “association,” “corporation,” or “incorporated.” Reserving the name before formation is optional. Professional LLCs should consult the separate identifier requirements in the ACC instructions rather than assuming the standard LLC naming options apply without modification.

Information and Documents to Prepare

The formation document is the Articles of Organization. For a paper submission, the ACC identifies the document as form L010 and provides instructions designated L010i. The ACC’s business-services page also provides access to the Arizona Business Center, or ABC, online system and its “Start a New Corporation or LLC” service.

Gather the following before beginning the filing:

• LLC name: Enter the selected name with an appropriate LLC identifier.
• Principal address: Provide the LLC’s principal address as requested in the Articles.
• Statutory-agent information: Identify the appointed agent and provide the required Arizona street address.
• Management choice: State whether the LLC will be manager-managed or member-managed.
• Structure attachment: Include either the Manager Structure Attachment or Member Structure Attachment, according to the management option selected.
• Organizer’s signature: Have an authorized organizer sign the Articles.
• Filing fee: Select regular, expedited, or an eligible accelerated service and prepare the corresponding payment.

The statutory agent must have an Arizona street address and must accept the appointment in writing. The ACC provides Statutory Agent Acceptance form M002. If the acceptance is not in the ACC system when the Articles are examined, the filing will be rejected. Online filers should follow the electronic acceptance process presented by the portal.

Coordinate with the proposed agent before filing. Merely entering someone’s name and address in the Articles does not complete the acceptance requirement.

Arizona LLC Filing Steps

1. Choose a compliant LLC name. Confirm that the name uses an authorized LLC identifier and avoids the prohibited corporate terms. A separate reservation is optional, so a filer may proceed directly to the formation filing when ready.
2. Decide how the LLC will be managed. Select member management if the members will hold the stated management roles, or manager management if the filing will identify managers. Use the attachment that corresponds to the selection; do not select one structure and attach the other structure’s information.
3. Appoint the statutory agent. Obtain the agent’s Arizona street-address information and arrange for written acceptance. For a paper package, this may involve form M002. For an online filing, complete the portal’s electronic acceptance process.
4. Complete the Articles of Organization. Enter the LLC name, principal address, statutory-agent details, and management selection. Complete the applicable Manager Structure Attachment or Member Structure Attachment and review names and addresses for consistency.
5. Submit the filing to the ACC. Domestic Arizona LLC filings go to the Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division. A filer using the online route can access the ABC system through the ACC’s business-services page. Paper filers use Articles form L010 and its instructions.
6. Pay the selected fee. Regular processing costs $50, while expedited processing costs $85 total. ACC fees are nonrefundable, making a careful pre-submission review especially important.
7. Wait for approval before publishing. Publication instructions depend on the county of the statutory agent’s street address. Do not arrange or publish the formation notice before the ACC approves the Articles.

Filing Costs and Service Options

The standard formation cost is straightforward: Articles of Organization cost $50 with regular processing or $85 total with expedited processing. These fees are nonrefundable.

For filing types eligible for accelerated handling, the ACC also lists additional fees of $100 for next-day service, $200 for same-day service, and $400 for two-hour service. Receipt cutoffs and other service conditions apply. Accelerated service guarantees examination within the selected service period; it does not guarantee that the filing will be approved.

An accelerated filing can still be rejected if required information, an attachment, or the statutory agent’s acceptance is missing. Paying for faster examination therefore should not replace a full review of the filing package.

Publication can also affect the practical cost of formation. There is no single newspaper amount to include in every Arizona LLC budget because the publisher and publication arrangement may differ. Whether the LLC must arrange newspaper publication depends on the statutory agent’s county, as explained below.

What to Do After the Articles Are Approved

Follow the applicable publication method

Do not publish before approval. If the statutory agent’s street address is in Maricopa or Pima County, the ACC publishes the notice on its website. If that street address is outside those two counties, the LLC must publish notice in a newspaper as directed in its approval letter. Review that letter carefully rather than assuming that website publication applies to every Arizona LLC.

Consider an operating agreement

Arizona law does not require an LLC operating agreement, and an operating agreement should not be filed with the ACC. Even though it is not a formation requirement, owners can consider whether a written internal agreement would help document their chosen financial, ownership, and decision-making arrangements. Keep any operating agreement with the company’s own records rather than sending it with the Articles.

Review tax registrations relevant to the business

LLC formation and business-tax registrations address different administrative matters. The registrations relevant to a particular company depend on what it does. For additional context, compare an Arizona tax ID number for sole proprietors vs LLCs. Businesses evaluating taxable sales can also review how to apply for an Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax license. A company purchasing items for resale may find the overview of Arizona resale certificate rules for small businesses useful when organizing its records.

Practical Filing Examples

Single-owner, member-managed LLC: Suppose Maya plans to own and manage a design business herself. She chooses a name ending in “LLC,” appoints a qualifying statutory agent, selects member management, and includes the Member Structure Attachment. The organizer may be Maya or another individual or entity handling the formation filing.

Manager-managed LLC: Three members decide that one identified manager will handle the LLC’s management. Their Articles select manager management, and their filing includes the Manager Structure Attachment. Before submission, they verify that the management selection and attachment agree and that the statutory agent has completed the required acceptance.

Publication based on the agent’s address: An LLC whose statutory agent has a Maricopa County street address does not independently substitute newspaper publication for the ACC website process. By contrast, if the statutory agent’s street address is outside Maricopa and Pima counties, the LLC follows the newspaper directions in its approval letter. In either situation, publication occurs only after ACC approval.