To form an LLC in Arizona, file Articles of Organization with the Arizona Corporation Commission for a $50 fee, appoint a statutory agent with a physical Arizona address, and — unless your agent is based in Maricopa or Pima County — publish a formation notice in a local newspaper within 60 days of approval. Arizona is also one of the few states that doesn’t require LLCs to file annual reports or pay annual fees, which keeps ongoing costs low once you’re set up.
Choose a Name That Meets Arizona’s Rules
Your LLC’s name has to include “Limited Liability Company,” “Limited Company,” or an abbreviation like LLC, L.L.C., LC, or L.C. It must also be distinguishable from every other entity already on file with the ACC or the Secretary of State, including active corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and reserved names.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 29-3112 – Permitted Names Swapping “and” for “&” or making some other trivial change won’t get around that rule.
Search the ACC’s online database before you commit to a name. If the one you want is available and you’re not ready to file yet, you can reserve it for 120 days with an Application to Reserve LLC Name. The reservation is optional. One thing the name cannot do is imply a different entity type — words like “corporation” or “incorporated” and their abbreviations are off-limits.2Arizona Corporation Commission. Instructions L001i – Application to Reserve Limited Liability Company Name
Appoint a Statutory Agent
Every Arizona LLC needs a statutory agent — the person or company designated to receive lawsuit papers and official government notices on the LLC’s behalf. The agent must have a physical street address in Arizona, meaning a place of business or a residence in the state.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 29-3115 – Statutory Agent A P.O. Box alone will not work, because the statute contemplates a location where someone can physically accept delivery.
The agent has to formally accept the role. If the agent didn’t personally sign the Articles of Organization, the ACC requires a separate Statutory Agent Acceptance form (Form M002), signed by the agent, confirming they’ll forward legal documents to the LLC.4Arizona Corporation Commission. Instructions M002i – Statutory Agent Acceptance You can serve as your own agent, name someone you trust, or hire a commercial registered agent service.
File the Articles of Organization
The Articles of Organization is the document that actually creates your LLC. Arizona uses Form L010, which asks for:5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 29-3201 – Formation of Limited Liability Company; Articles of Organization
- The LLC’s name.
- The principal address where the company’s records will be kept (can be the same as the statutory agent’s address).
- The statutory agent’s name and physical Arizona address.
- Whether the LLC will be member-managed or manager-managed.
- The names and addresses of all members (for member-managed LLCs), or of all managers plus any member owning 20% or more (for manager-managed LLCs).
The management choice controls who has day-to-day authority. In a member-managed LLC, every owner can make decisions and sign contracts for the company. In a manager-managed LLC, only the designated managers hold that authority, and the other members act more like passive investors.6Arizona Corporation Commission. Articles of Organization Instructions Most small businesses with hands-on owners pick member-managed. Manager-managed makes more sense when you have silent investors or you want to keep ownership separate from control.
At least one organizer has to sign the form. The organizer is simply the person filing the paperwork and doesn’t have to be a member of the LLC.
Fees and Processing Times
The filing fee is $50 for standard processing.7Arizona Corporation Commission. Schedule of Fees – LLCs Expedited service is $85 total ($50 base plus a $35 surcharge). Faster tiers are available on top of that: $100 extra for next-day, $200 extra for same-day, and $400 extra for two-hour service. Fees are nonrefundable even if the ACC rejects your filing.
Filings go through the ACC’s online portal, or you can mail paper documents to the commission’s Phoenix office. Online submissions move faster. Standard processing generally takes a few weeks; expedited filings are handled within roughly five business days. Once approved, you’ll get a Notice of Approval confirming the LLC is legally formed.
Publish a Notice of Formation
Arizona has a post-formation step that surprises a lot of first-time filers. Within 60 days after the ACC approves your Articles, you have to publish a notice of your LLC’s formation in a newspaper of general circulation. The notice has to run three consecutive times in the county where your statutory agent’s street address is located, and it must contain the same information as your Articles.5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 29-3201 – Formation of Limited Liability Company; Articles of Organization
There’s an important exception. If your statutory agent’s address is in a county with more than 800,000 residents, the ACC handles publication itself by posting the LLC’s information in its own public database. As of 2026, only Maricopa County and Pima County meet that threshold, so LLCs with statutory agents there skip the newspaper step entirely.
If you’re not in one of those counties, contact a newspaper in the relevant county, request publication of the formation notice, and keep the affidavit of publication the newspaper provides after the third run. Filing the affidavit with the ACC is optional; the commission will accept it for the public record but doesn’t require it.8Arizona Corporation Commission. Business Services FAQs Keep a copy either way. Publication costs vary by newspaper and county but generally run a few hundred dollars.
Put Together an Operating Agreement
Arizona does not require an operating agreement, and you don’t file one with the ACC. Skipping it anyway is a common mistake. Without one, your LLC defaults to the rules in the Arizona Limited Liability Company Act, which may not match how you actually want to run the business.9Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 29-3105 – Operating Agreement; Scope, Function and Limitations
An operating agreement lets you set profit-sharing percentages, voting rights, procedures for a member leaving, and how disputes get resolved. For a single-member LLC, it documents the separation between you and the business, which helps if a creditor ever argues the LLC is just your alter ego. For a multi-member LLC, it’s the document that keeps partnership disagreements from escalating into lawsuits. The Articles of Organization create the entity; the operating agreement governs how it operates internally.
Get an EIN and Open a Business Bank Account
After approval, apply to the IRS for an Employer Identification Number. You use the EIN to file taxes, open a business bank account, and hire employees. Multi-member LLCs always need one. Single-member LLCs can sometimes use the owner’s Social Security number, but most banks require an EIN, and using one keeps your personal number off business paperwork.
EINs are free. Apply online at irs.gov and you’ll get the number immediately when you finish the application.10IRS. Get an Employer Identification Number Fax takes about four business days; mail takes about four weeks. Third-party sites that charge for EIN applications are charging for something the IRS gives away in about ten minutes.
Once you have the EIN, open a dedicated business bank account. Keeping personal and business money separate is what preserves the limited liability protection the LLC exists to provide. Mixing funds can let a court “pierce the veil” and hold you personally responsible for business debts. A bank will usually ask for the EIN, the Articles of Organization, and the operating agreement.
Register for Transaction Privilege Tax If It Applies
If your LLC will sell products, lease property, or provide certain taxable services in Arizona, you also need a Transaction Privilege Tax license from the Arizona Department of Revenue. TPT works like a sales tax but is technically levied on the seller’s privilege of doing business rather than on the buyer.
Register before you start operating by submitting the Arizona Joint Tax Application (Form JT-1/UC-001).11Arizona Department of Revenue. TPT License The license is $12 per business location. Not every business needs a TPT license — a company that only provides non-taxable services may be exempt, so check ADOR’s guidance for your industry if you’re not sure.
Keeping the LLC in Good Standing
Arizona is one of the easier states for ongoing maintenance. The ACC does not require LLCs to file annual reports or pay annual fees, which is a real advantage over the many states that charge recurring fees between $50 and $800 a year. Your main obligation is keeping the ACC’s records accurate.
If your statutory agent, principal address, or member or manager information changes, file the appropriate update with the ACC. Losing a valid statutory agent is one of the most common triggers for administrative dissolution. The commission will send a notice when it identifies a deficiency, giving you a window to fix it before dissolution moves forward. If the LLC is administratively dissolved, you can apply for reinstatement within six years by fixing the underlying problem and paying a $100 reinstatement fee.7Arizona Corporation Commission. Schedule of Fees – LLCs
If Your LLC Was Formed in Another State
An LLC formed elsewhere that wants to do business in Arizona has to register as a foreign LLC with the ACC rather than form a new one. That means filing an Application for Registration along with a certificate of good standing from the home state (dated within 60 days), a certified copy of the organizational documents, and a Statutory Agent Acceptance form. The filing fee is $150.12Arizona Corporation Commission. Instructions L025i – Application for Registration Foreign LLCs are subject to the same statutory agent and publication rules as domestic Arizona LLCs.