Arkansas LLC Certificate of Organization — Step 3 of 8
This is the filing that legally creates your LLC. It costs just $45 online — one of the more affordable fees anywhere — and processes fast. Here's exactly what goes on the form and a readiness checklist so it goes through clean the first time.
File the Certificate of Organization (Form LL-01) with the Arkansas Secretary of State and pay the $45 online / $50 mail filing fee. You'll need your LLC name, registered agent, principal office address, franchise tax contact person, and at least one member or manager. Online filings typically process in 3–7 business days; mail filings take 7–10 business days.
- Filing fee
- $45 online / $50 mail
- Filed with
- Secretary of State
- Processing (online)
- 3–7 business days
- Processing (mail)
- 7–10 business days
- Expedited option
- None — same fee
- Refundable?
- No
- Next step
- Step 4 →
What the Certificate of Organization Does
The Certificate of Organization (Form LL-01) is the legal document that brings your Arkansas LLC into existence. Once the Secretary of State approves it, your LLC officially exists — you can get an EIN, open a business bank account, and start operating. It's called an "Articles of Organization" in most other states, but Arkansas uses "Certificate of Organization" instead.
Filing-Readiness Checklist
Check off each item as you go — the ring fills as you get closer to a clean, first-try filing:
How to File
- File online through the Secretary of State's Corporations Online Filing System, entering your LLC name, registered agent, principal office, and member/manager information.
- Pay the $45 fee by credit card and submit. Online filings typically process in 3–7 business days; mail filings (which cost $50) take 7–10 business days.
- Save your approved Certificate — you'll need it for your EIN application and bank account.
- Watch for franchise tax reminders beginning the following January — your first Annual Franchise Tax Report isn't due until May 1 of the year after formation.
What's On the Form
- Your LLC name, including the required designator.
- Registered agent name and Arkansas street address.
- Principal office street address — where the business is based; P.O. boxes are not accepted.
- At least one member or manager — listed specifically for franchise tax purposes.
- Franchise Tax contact information — so the Secretary of State knows who to send your annual reminder to.
- Your federal tax ID (if you already have an EIN) and the date business will officially begin (online filings only).
The franchise tax contact matters more than it looksArkansas mails (and emails, if you provide an address) an annual reminder to whoever you list as the Franchise Tax contact person on this form — it's the main way the state tells you your $150 Annual Franchise Tax Report is coming due. If this contact's information goes stale (you move, change emails, etc.), you can miss the reminder entirely and risk a late filing, even though the fault was just an outdated contact record.
- ✓Forms your Arkansas LLC for $39 + the $45 state fee
- ✓Tracks and files your Annual Franchise Tax for you
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Arkansas Certificate of Organization — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The filing details here — the $45/$50 fee, required fields, processing times, and the franchise tax contact requirement — reflect current Arkansas Secretary of State guidance. This is educational information, not legal advice.
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