Short answer
Arkansas creates an LLC when the Arkansas Secretary of State accepts the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01). The state fee is $45[2]. It must name a registered agent with an Arkansas address.
Mainstay Filing will file it for you for $199 a year plus Arkansas's $45 fee, with the Arkansas registered agent and the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report included[1].
- State filing fee
- $45
- Form
- Form LL-01
- Filed with
- Arkansas Secretary of State
- Registered Agent required
- Yes
- Periodic report
- Yearly, $150
- Other states’ fees
- 2 lower, 47 higher
Updated October 29, 2026. State fees from official sources.
6 steps, in order
Only step three goes to the state. The others are preparation or follow-up, but each one is something Arkansas LLC owners run into in the first year.
- Search the register. Before filing, look the name up on the Arkansas Secretary of State site[3]. A name too close to an existing Arkansas entity will be rejected.
- Name a registered agent. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 4-20-105, the registered agent can be A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual or a business entity serving as agent in Arkansas. The company can also name a position inside it, such as its manager, whose holder then receives papers.[4] An owner who lives in Arkansas can serve personally, as an individual, if the address and hours rules are met. What Arkansas does not allow is the company listing itself.
- File with the state. The document is the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01); the fee is $45, paid to the Arkansas Secretary of State[2].
- Write an operating agreement. It sets out ownership and how decisions are made. It stays with the company's records and is not part of the state filing.
- Get an EIN from the IRS. Banks and payroll providers ask for it. The application is made to the IRS, separately from the Arkansas filing, and the IRS charges nothing.
- Calendar the first Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report. It is filed every year with the Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services Division for $150[5]. It is due May 1[3].
What it costs to form an LLC in Arkansas
Arkansas's $45 filing fee is below the 50-state median of $100: 2 states charge less and 47 charge more.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $45 | [2] arkleg.state.ar.us, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report | $150 every year | [5] sos.arkansas.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Filing service, Mainstay Filing | $199 a year plus state fees | [1] Mainstay Filing, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Registered agent service (if hired) | $149 a year at Mainstay Filing; $99 to $249 first year elsewhere | 5 other services' published prices, updated October 29, 2026 |
Only the state fee is required. Naming yourself or another qualified person as registered agent costs nothing in state fees.
| State | LLC filing fee | Periodic report |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $125 | $35 yearly |
| Mississippi | $50 | $0 yearly |
| Missouri | $50 | None |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $25 yearly |
| Tennessee | $300 | $300 yearly |
| Texas | $300 | $0 yearly |
Same source set as above, one statute or fee schedule per state, verified August 12, 2026.
What gets filed: Form LL-01
Arkansas calls its formation filing the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company, numbered LL-01. The Arkansas Secretary of State accepts it[2].
From the statute:
One or more persons may act as organizers to form a limited liability company by delivering to the Secretary of State for filing a certificate of organization.
Ark. Code Ann. § 4-38-201 (Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, enacted by Act 1041 of 2021)[2].
Acceptance puts the company on the Arkansas register. Anything listed on the filing, such as the registered agent's address, becomes part of the public record.
Having it filed for you, or filing yourself
Mainstay Filing files Arkansas LLCs for $199 a year, with the $45 state fee added at cost[1]. Included: the registered agent for the year, the EIN application, and the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report whenever it falls due.
Owners can submit the Arkansas filing themselves at sos.arkansas.gov/business-commercial-services-bcs. The fee is $45 whoever files.
Arkansas business applications, by the numbers
Arkansas logged 39,512 business applications in 2025 by the Census Bureau's count, 12.69 for every 1,000 residents. From January through Sep 2026 there were 37,035, against 29,463 in the same months of 2025.
An application is a request for an EIN, not a state LLC filing. The Census series counts every legal form, so it measures start-up activity rather than Arkansas LLC formations.
Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Arkansas?
The state fee is $45 for the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01)[2]. After that, the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report costs $150 every year.
Do I need a registered agent to form an LLC in Arkansas?
Yes. The formation filing names one. An owner who lives in Arkansas can serve personally, as an individual, if the address and hours rules are met. What Arkansas does not allow is the company listing itself.
Can a service file the Arkansas LLC for me?
Yes. Mainstay Filing prepares and files Arkansas LLCs for $199 a year plus the $45 state fee[1]. That also covers its registered agent service, the EIN application and the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report, at the same price each year.
Who files the formation document in Arkansas?
The Arkansas Secretary of State. Its website: www.sos.arkansas.gov/business-commercial-services-bcs/.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Ark. Code Ann. § 4-38-201 (Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, enacted by Act 1041 of 2021). arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2021R%2FPublic%2FACT1041.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Arkansas Secretary of State. www.sos.arkansas.gov/business-commercial-services-bcs/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Ark. Code Ann. §§ 4-20-104 and 4-20-105 (Model Registered Agents Act, enacted by Act 638 of 2007); required in the LLC's certificate of organization via § 4-38-201(b)(3). www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=/ACTS/2007/Public/ACT638.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services Division: Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report rules and fee. www.sos.arkansas.gov/uploads/bcs/LLC1_FT_2026.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.