Register your Arkansas LLC Online
Complete the form below in 2–3 minutes. Your LLC and EIN come at no extra cost — you only pay Arkansas’s own $45 state fee.
- Enter your desired LLC name
- Choose your state
- Receive your LLC and free EIN by email
Trusted by Thousands Nationwide
What is an LLC in Arkansas?
An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a simple structure for running your business under a professional name. It separates your business from your personal name, and it's the most common way to add a partner, sell the business, or look like a real company instead of a side project.
That separation goes further than the name. If the business owes money or gets sued, your house, car, and personal bank accounts are generally off-limits — as long as you run the LLC properly. It doesn't protect you from something you personally did wrong.
A sole proprietorship skips all of that. You're doing business under your own name or a DBA, and everything stays tied to you personally.
A corporation does the same separation as an LLC, but it's built for a different job: issuing stock and bringing in outside investors. An LLC is simpler to run and cheaper to keep up if that's not you right now.
Benefits of an LLC in Arkansas
- Add partners or co-owners whenever you're ready
- Transfer ownership if you sell the business
- “Arkansas Company, LLC” shows you’re a real business
- Shows you’re registered (Arkansas Secretary of State)
- Get a matching domain like ArkansasCompanyLLC.com
- Simpler upkeep than forming a corporation
What's different about an Arkansas LLC
Your $45 filing fee is Arkansas’s online rate for a Certificate of Organization — the same form filed on paper costs $50 instead. That $5 online discount repeats across almost every filing this office handles: a corporation costs the same $45 online versus $50 on paper, and a trade name costs $22.50 online versus $25 on paper. Arkansas doesn't offer expedited filing at any price, so every application — online or paper — moves through the same queue.
That $150 report is the whole recurring state cost for an LLC — Arkansas doesn't run a separate revenue-based franchise tax on top of it the way some states do, and there's no newspaper publication step to form one here.
Arkansas also loosened its address rule in 2025: if your LLC doesn't keep a separate office, you can list your registered agent's address as your principal office instead, as long as you also give the state a named person's physical address to reach.
Cost to start an LLC in Arkansas
$45 to the Arkansas Secretary of State — that's it. We don't charge a filing fee on top of it. An Arkansas corporation runs $45 through the same process.
| What you get |  | Others |
|---|---|---|
| EIN (Tax ID) | Free | up to $99 |
| Registered agent | Freefirst year | up to $249per year |
| Name check | Free | usually free |
| Arkansas state filing feespaid to the state — same for everyone | $45 | $45 |
Free EIN with your Arkansas LLC
Your EIN (Employer Identification Number) is what opens a business bank account and identifies your company to the IRS — it's like a Social Security Number for your LLC. It's included at no extra cost, right alongside your LLC.
LLC vs Corporation in Arkansas
An LLC is simpler and more flexible, and keeps “LLC” in your business name. A corporation is a more formal structure built for issuing stock and outside investment, and keeps “Inc” or “Corp” in the name instead. 97% of our clients choose an LLC.
What is a Sole Proprietor in Arkansas?
A sole proprietorship means you're doing business as an individual. You can file a DBA with your city or county to use a name other than your own. As an individual, you can't add a partner to the business, because everything is tied to your personal name and Social Security Number. If you later want to add partners or sell the business, you'll need to start an LLC or corporation.
File a DBA Under Your LLC
A DBA (Doing Business As), also called a Fictitious Name, lets one LLC operate under more than one business name. In Arkansas, that's a separate filing with the Business and Commercial Services Division — the same office that formed your LLC — and costs $22.50 online or $25 by mail.
A DBA isn't required if you're fine using your LLC's own name.
Example: Arkansas Company, LLC dba Arkansas Auto Brokers.
DBA vs LLC in Arkansas
A DBA only gives you another name to use. The LLC is the actual business entity that owns the DBA name and holds all legal rights.
Common Questions
Why start an LLC in Arkansas?
It separates the business from your own name, lets you add or remove owners as the business grows, and reads as a real, established company.
How long does it take to get an Arkansas LLC?
Filing takes a few minutes on this page. Arkansas doesn't publish a guaranteed turnaround for standard processing, and doesn't offer a paid rush option either — every filing, online or by mail, moves through the same queue.
What's the Arkansas Annual Franchise Tax Report, and what does it cost?
$150 a year, due May 1. It's a state filing requirement, not an income tax, and it's the one recurring cost every Arkansas LLC owes going forward. Miss the deadline and Arkansas blocks every other filing on the business until it's paid, and can eventually revoke its authority to do business.
Do I need an EIN for my Arkansas LLC?
Yes, for a business bank account and for the IRS to recognize your company. It's included free when you file here.
What's a registered agent, and do I need one?
A registered agent is the address Arkansas sends legal mail to. Every LLC needs one, and it's included free for your first year when you file here.
Do I need an operating agreement?
Arkansas doesn't require one to file, but a bank often asks for one to open your business account. You can add it when you file, or write your own later.
Still deciding on a name?
Try the free name generator — type a word you like, get real available options back, then come straight here to file.
Page updates (1)
- August 4, 2025 — Arkansas clarified its “principal office” rule for LLCs and corporations (Act 650): if your business doesn't keep a separate office, you can list your registered agent's address as your principal office instead, as long as you also give the state a named person's physical address. Arkansas General Assembly, Act 650 (SB552) →
Sources (6)
Every fact on this page was checked directly against Arkansas’s own filing agency and legislature — verified September 20, 2026.
- Arkansas Secretary of State — LLC Forms/Fees — the $45/$50 Certificate of Organization fee, name reservation, and fictitious name fee
- Arkansas Secretary of State — Corporation Forms/Fees — the $45/$50 Articles of Incorporation fee
- Arkansas Secretary of State — Franchise Tax / Annual Report — the $150 LLC franchise tax fee and non-payment consequences
- Arkansas Secretary of State — Business Services FAQ — the fictitious name filing mechanism and division name
- Arkansas Secretary of State — Business and Commercial Services — the filing office itself
- Arkansas General Assembly — SB552 / Act 650 (2025) — the 2025 principal-office law change