Why Create an Arizona LLC?
In 2019, Arizona was ranked among the best states in the nation to start a business. With a strong business environment, wide access to resources, and low business costs, Arizona is a welcoming location for your company to call home.
For those who want to start a small- to medium-sized business or startup, the fastest and easiest way to do so is to create an Arizona limited liability company (LLC). An LLC offers some of the same protections and advantages larger corporations enjoy, while also providing certain protections through simpler rules and laws.
If an LLC isn't the right entity for the type of business you're starting, you may want to consider forming a Arizona Corporation instead.
The benefits of starting an Arizona LLC:
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File taxes easily and find other potential advantages for tax treatment
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Protect your personal liability from your business liability and debts
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Quick and simple filing, management, compliance, regulation and administration of your LLC
Learn more about the benefits of the LLC business structure.
In this guide, you’ll find information on naming your LLC, getting a Registered Agent, the fees you’ll need to pay, Arizona business taxes and much more. We also cover what you'll need to register and file your LLC and how you'll interact with the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC).
Starting a Business in Arizona Checklist
To help you along the way, use our Starting a Business checklist to keep track of everything you need to do to get your business up and running.
How to Form an Arizona LLC Yourself in 7 Steps
Step 1 - Complete an Arizona LLC Search and Choose a Unique Business Name
Step 2 - Provide an Official Business Address for Your LLC
Step 3 - Assign a Statutory Agent
Step 4 - File Your Articles of Organization with the Arizona Corporation Commission
Step 5 - Complete the Arizona LLC Publication Requirement
Step 6 - Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service
Step 7 - Create an Operating Agreement
1
Complete an Arizona LLC Search and Choose a Unique Business Name
You'll need a distinctive and original name for your LLC that’s not used by any other business in the state. If you’re having trouble coming up with a name, try using Incfile’s Business Name Generator to brainstorm ideas. You must follow a few naming rules, which you can read about in detail on our Arizona Business Names page.
Once you’ve chosen a name, you must make sure it’s available in Arizona. To find out whether another company is using your chosen business name, use our tool to do a business name search. You can also carry out a name search on the AZ eCorp website.
2
Provide an Official Business Address for Your LLC
Whether it’s an office building, a home (if the company is run from a residence) or any other physical location, every LLC in Arizona must have a designated street address. It can be outside the state, but it cannot be a P.O. Box.
To make it easier, consider using a virtual mailbox as your business address. Incfile can provide you with an Arizona virtual mailbox. We'll receive mail on your behalf and scan it for you to access online. This can be especially helpful if you run a home-based business and you want to prevent your home address from being published as part of your business public record.
3
Assign a Registered Agent
A Registered Agent is an official position of someone who receives official legal and tax correspondence and has responsibility for filing reports with the ACC. In Arizona, this is called a Statutory Agent; we use the terms interchangeably. Every Arizona LLC is required to have a Registered Agent.
This position can be filled by you, another manager in your business or a dedicated Registered Agent service. If your Arizona Registered Agent is a person, they must have a physical street address in Arizona and must be present during business hours to receive important documents on behalf of your company. In Arizona, you appoint your Statutory Agent when you file your Articles of Organization and formally create your business.
All of Incfile’s packages include Registered Agent service. It’s free for the first year and just $119 per year after that. You can also log in to our dashboard and easily view any document your Registered Agent has received on your behalf.
4
File Your Articles of Organization with the Arizona Corporation Commission
Once you've gathered all the information for your Arizona LLC, you’ll need to file a form with the Arizona Corporation Commission to create your Articles of Organization. Filing it officially creates your LLC.
Here’s what is typically included:
- Your business name and address
- Details of your Statutory Agent in Arizona
- Purpose of your business
- Duration (can be perpetual or limited)
- Provisions for the regulation of the internal affairs of the company
- Names and addresses of managers or members of the LLC at the time of filing
- Name of the organizer
You can file your Arizona Articles of Organization online through Arizona eCorp, mail a form to the Arizona Corporation Commission or have Incfile do it on your behalf. The Arizona LLC filing fee is $50.
File by Mail
Arizona Corporation Commission
Examination Section
1300 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
You only need to file your Arizona Articles of Organization once, and the state doesn’t require you to file an annual report. The state does, however, require you to publish a notice of your LLC formation in an approved newspaper. Even if you opt for an Incfile package, you’ll need to do this step yourself.
What are the fees and requirements to form a business in Arizona?
| State Fee | State Filing Time | Expedited Filing Time |
| $85* | 4 Weeks | 1 Business days |
| State Fee | $85* | |
| State Filing Time | 4 Weeks | |
| Expedited Filing Time | 1 Business days |
*includes online processing fees
Annual Report
Frequency
No Annual Report is due for LLCS at this time.
Important
Arizona requires that you publish a notice of filing of your Articles of Organization or alternatively, you may publish the Articles of Organization in their entirety. The publication must be in a newspaper in general circulation in the county of the known place of business in Arizona for 3 consecutive publications. The publication must be filed within 60 days of the date of organization. The LLC may be subject to administrative dissolution if it fails to publish.
Where do I publish the document?
The A.C.C. does not endorse any particular newspaper, but, as a courtesy they provide a list of newspapers that have attested to the A.C.C. that they meet the statutory criteria for publishing documents. Upon publishing you will receive an Affidavit of Publication. It is not required, but you may send the Affidavit of Publication you receive from the newspaper to the A.C.C. for placement into the entity's public record. If you do not submit the Affidavit of Publication to the A.C.C. you should retain it as part of your entity's permanent record.
(We do not assist in the filing of the Publication Requirement)
5
Complete the Arizona LLC Publication Requirement
Arizona requires new LLCs to publish a Notice of LLC Formation in a newspaper. The notice must be published:
- for three consecutive weeks;
- within 60 days of formation;
- in a newspaper approved by the Arizona Corporations Commission; and
- in a newspaper circulated in the county where the LLC’s principal office will be located.
You must include the following information in your notice:
- your LLC's name
- the name and street address of your Statutory Agent in Arizona
- the address of the LLC's principal place of business (if different from that of the Statutory Agent)
- whether your LLC is member-managed or manager-managed
- the name(s) and address(es) of either the manager or each member of your LLC
You'll need to pay a fee to the newspaper for this service. Once this is complete, you’ll need to file an affidavit with the commission, proving publication.
Note: If you form your business in Maricopa or Pima county, you'll be exempt from this requirement. Instead, the Arizona Corporation Commission will publish your notice on their website.
Important: Incfile can file your LLC formation paperwork, but we do not fulfill the newspaper notice publication requirement. You'll need to manage that to comply with the law.
6
Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service
You'll need an EIN to identify your business to the IRS. You use this number when filing and paying taxes or when submitting payroll information and payments for your employees. An EIN is also required to open a business bank account. You can obtain one directly from the IRS, or Incfile can get one for you as part of the Arizona LLC formation process.
7
Create an Operating Agreement
A kind of "instruction manual" that explains how you'll run your business, an LLC Operating Agreement details how decisions will be made, how the business is divided among members and what will happen if a member leaves the company.
Some states require that a company have an Operating Agreement in place. It isn’t legally required in Arizona, but it’s a good idea to have one nonetheless.
Other Arizona LLC Types
Professional LLC
Some states, including Arizona, allow certain types of businesses to form Professional Limited Liability Companies (PLLCs). An Arizona Professional LLC will typically require members to be licensed, and impose other specialized requirements as well.
Aside from the capabilities an Arizona PLLC offers, a standard LLC may also be formed to provide professional services, such as the practice of medicine or law, if all the members are licensed.
Learn more about PLLC vs. LLC and which is right for your business.
Foreign LLC
If your business is already operating in another state and expanding to Arizona—or vice versa—you’ll need to form a Foreign LLC.
Learn more about Arizona Foreign LLC registration.
Helpful Resources from the State of Arizona
More Information in This Guide
You’ll find plenty more insight and guidance on the other pages of this guide, including:
How to search the state business registry to find the right name. Includes information on naming rules, trade names, reserving an Arizona LLC name and more.
How to appoint, change and search for Statutory Agents. Also includes the rules they’re required to follow.
The various fees you’ll need to pay, and the state and federal requirements you’ll need to meet. Includes details about Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), state and federal business licenses, public information reports and more.
The various taxes you’ll have to pay to the state and federal governments. Includes details about state taxes such as sales and use, and federal taxes such as income and self-employment.
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