Arizona LLC registration refers to the filing process that entrepreneurs are required to complete when forming a limited liability company (LLC) in Arizona. While it is generally not difficult to establish an LLC in the state, it involves a number of procedures that can be somewhat tricky. To give your business a smooth start, you have to make sure that every step of the registration process is properly done.

How to Form an Arizona LLC

To form an LLC in Arizona, you are required to complete and submit several forms and choose a filing method that suits your preference. You can either file online with one of the available agencies or submit your filing in paper form. Filing online is the easiest and fastest way to establish an Arizona LLC. If this is what you want to do, you can use the e-file Arizona LLC formation system at the website of the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). There are four PDFs you need to download and fill out, including:

Alternatively, you can form an Arizona LLC the old-fashioned way: filling out paper forms. You are required to complete, sign, and submit the ACC's two-page Articles of Organization form. Along with this form, you must submit the cover sheet, the Statutory Agent Acceptance form and the Member Structure Attachment or Manager Structure Attachment.

How to File Articles of Organization

In order to start an LLC in Arizona, you must file Articles of Organization with the ACC and pay a filing fee of $50. To complete the Articles of Organization, you are required to provide the following information:

  • Name of LLC, which must end with Limited Liability Company or a variation of it
  • Duration of the LLC, purpose of LLC, if it is a professional LLC
  • Name and physical address of statutory agent
  • Known place of business in Arizona
  • Names and addresses of LLC members and organizers, if any
  • Names and addresses of the LLC's managers, if any
  • Signatures of members or organizers (original signatures are not required)

How to Form an Arizona LLC

Name your LLC

Naming your business is an important step in forming an LLC in Arizona. Ideally, the name you choose should:

  • Describe your products or services
  • Be easy to remember
  • Provide strong trademark protection but does not infringe on other people's trademarks or service marks
  • Enable you to obtain .com, .org, .net, .info, or .biz domain names

Additionally, you have to make sure your chosen business name is not already taken. You can do this by checking the ACC's business name database.

Appoint a Statutory Agent

In Arizona, every LLC is required to appoint and maintain a statutory agent before they can start operating. A statutory agent is a person or entity that is authorized by your LLC to receive legal documents, such as summons and complaints, on its behalf. The statutory agent can be:

  • An adult person who lives in Arizona
  • A domestic company established under Arizona law
  • A foreign company legally permitted to conduct business in Arizona
  • An LLC established under Arizona law, or an LLC authorized to do business in Arizona

The statutory agent is required to have a street address in Arizona, not just a post office box. Also, the chosen individual or entity must fill out and sign the ACC's Statutory Agent Acceptance form.

Receive Notice of Approval or Rejection

After filing Articles of Organization, you will receive an approval or rejection notice from the ACC via mail or email. If your Articles of Organization forms are rejected, you will receive a letter from the ACC with an explanation. You may correct the mistakes and resubmit the Articles of Organization.

Publish a Notice of Publication

If the known place of business of your LLC is not in Maricopa or Pima counties, you are required to publish a Notice of Publication in an ACC-approved newspaper. This must be in the county of the known place of business of your LLC. This must be done within 60 days of the date you file the Articles of Organization. Also, the Notice of Publication must be published for three consecutive publications in the chosen newspaper.

If you need help with Arizona LLC registration, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.