How to Start an LLC in Arizona (2026)

Published by Jon Morgan | Co-Founder & Chief Editor

Last updated: September 3, 2026

FACT CHECKED by Jon Tobin, Business Attorney

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To start an LLC in Arizona, you submit Articles of Organization to the Arizona Corporation Commission and pay a $50 filing fee.

Unless your statutory agent's address sits in Maricopa or Pima county, Arizona also requires you to publish a notice of the filing in a local newspaper once the state approves it.

This guide walks a new domestic LLC through the process step by step. If you already run an LLC formed elsewhere and want to register it here instead, that's a separate foreign-registration filing covered in the FAQs below.

Quick Summary

Arizona LLC Requirements at a Glance

Here's the full picture of what Arizona expects from a new LLC, from the filing document to the state's ongoing rules.

How to Start an LLC in Arizona: 6 Steps

Forming an Arizona LLC comes down to six steps. They build on our guide to how to start an LLC. Skip step six only if your agent's address is in Maricopa or Pima county.

Step 1: Choose and check your LLC name

Your name must contain "limited liability company" or an abbreviation like "LLC" [1]. It can't contain "corporation" or "incorporated." It must also be different from every name already on file. Run a quick search on Arizona Business Connect first.

Some words tied to banking or lending need extra state approval. The Commission won't accept them without it. See the state-specific rules below for the full list.

A name reservation isn't required. It holds your name for 120 days. The fee is just $10 if you want that extra time.

Step 2: Appoint a statutory agent

Arizona calls this role a "statutory agent," not a registered agent. It must be a permanent Arizona resident with a street address here. Or it can be a business already allowed to operate in the state. Your own LLC can't fill this role.

Your pick must accept the job in writing, on Form M002. The Commission won't approve your filing without that form on file.

A member or manager can take this job for free. They just need to live in Arizona at a real address. You can also hire a registered agent service in Arizona instead. That keeps your own address off the public record.

Step 3: File the Articles of Organization with the Arizona Corporation Commission

Form L010 is the document that creates your LLC. You can file online through Arizona Business Connect, or on paper by mail, fax or in person. The filing fee and payment methods are covered in the next section.

Step 4: Create an operating agreement

Arizona doesn't require an operating agreement by law, and it can be written or spoken. Skip one, and the LLC Act's own rules take over instead. One rule gives each member just one vote, no matter how much they own. Many owners write one anyway, so their own terms apply.

Step 5: Get an EIN

You can get an Employer Identification Number for free at irs.gov. The online form gives you the number right away.

You'll need the EIN to open a bank account and to register for a Transaction Privilege Tax account if you sell taxable goods or services.

Step 6: Publish your notice of filing

Outside Maricopa or Pima county, you must publish notice of your filing in a local paper. Wait for the Commission's approval letter first, since it tells you how, with the details you need.

Inside Maricopa or Pima county, skip this step instead. The Commission posts the notice on its own site for free.

Filing the Articles of Organization in Arizona: What to Expect

The Articles of Organization is the one document that forms your LLC [2]. Here's what to expect at each stage.

1. What the form asks for

Form L010 asks for your entity type: LLC or professional LLC. It asks for your exact LLC name. If you checked professional LLC, add a short note on the services.

It also needs your agent's name, their Arizona street address and a mailing address. State whether your own address matches your agent's, or list a different one.

Attach one form too: the Manager or Member Structure Attachment. An organizer signs and dates the page at the end. Your LLC forms on that filing date by default, unless you set a later date yourself, up to 90 days out.

2. Fee and payment methods

The filing fee is $50 for regular processing, and adding the $35 expedite fee brings the total to $85. In person at the Phoenix office, pay by Visa, MasterCard, check, money order or cash. No bills over $20, and Tucson won't take cash at all. Mail in a check or money order only, payable to "Arizona Corporation Commission."

3. Processing times

Regular filings take about 14 to 16 days, whether you file online or by mail. Pay the expedite fee, and it drops to 3 to 5 days.

The Commission posts its current wait time each Monday. See our guide to how long it takes to form an LLC in Arizona for the full timeline breakdown.

4. Where to file by mail or in person

Mail it, or drop it off in person, at: Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division - Examination Section, 1300 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Arizona 85007. You can fax it too, to 602-542-4100, or visit the second office in Tucson if that's closer for you.

5. Common reasons filings are rejected

The Commission rejects filings sent without the right Manager or Member form, since the two must go together by law, and it also rejects a filing with no signed Acceptance on file (Form M002). Using a corporation form by mistake is another common one, and that gets bounced back too.

6. What you receive when it is approved

Online filers get their approved, stamped Articles right in their dashboard, ready to download. Paper filers get an approval letter by mail instead. That letter also says if you still need to publish a notice.

What It Costs to Start an LLC in Arizona

Arizona only requires one fee to form your LLC. A few optional costs can add up too, depending on what you choose.

Name reservation, certified copies and a paid agent are all optional. The one cost every LLC must pay is the $50 filing fee. Add a newspaper's own charge, only if you publish outside Maricopa or Pima county.

See our full breakdown of what it costs to start an LLC in Arizona for every fee side by side.

Arizona-Specific Rules That Change the Process

1. Naming restrictions and restricted words

Arizona flags a specific list of words beyond the basic rules. They include Bank, Banker, Banking, Banc, Banco, Banque, Credit Union, Deposit, Savings Association, Building Association, Savings and Loan Association, Building and Loan Association, Savings Bank, Thrift, Trust and Trust Company.

Using any of them needs written approval first, from the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions. Without it, the Commission won't file your Articles.

2. Professional LLC rules

Arizona has a separate statute for professional LLCs. It covers licensed work like law, accounting or medicine. The name must contain "professional limited liability company," or "PLLC." Check with your own licensing board first. The Commission won't tell you if your field needs one.

3. Member vs. manager disclosure

What becomes public depends on your setup. A manager-managed LLC lists its managers, plus any member who owns 20% or more. A member-managed LLC lists every member, no matter how small their share is. Either way, that list is public record.

4. Publication requirement

Whether you must publish depends on your statutory agent's county. Step 6 above covers the full rule and what counts as compliance.

5. Business license system

Arizona has no general state business license. Selling taxable goods or services needs a Transaction Privilege Tax license instead. Apply for it at AZTaxes.gov. Your city or town may also require its own local license, so check first.

6. Reinstatement and late-filing consequences

Arizona LLCs skip annual reports. Losing a statutory agent can trigger dissolution instead. You can then apply for reinstatement within six years. The fee is $100, plus anything else owed. Wait past six years, and you'll need a brand-new LLC instead.

What to Do After Your Arizona LLC Is Approved

Open a bank account using the Articles the ACC approved and the EIN you got in Step 5. Most banks ask for both.

Register for any needed Transaction Privilege Tax license at AZTaxes.gov before you start selling. See our guide to filing LLC taxes in Arizona for what comes next.

Check your city or town for its own license too. Line up insurance that fits your business. Set up basic bookkeeping from day one.

Ongoing compliance in Arizona is light, since there's no annual report at all. Your main job is simple: keep your statutory agent's address valid with the Commission. Let it lapse, and the state can dissolve your LLC.

FAQs

References:

1. https://www.azleg.gov/arsDetail/?title=29
2. https://azcc.gov/docs/default-source/corps-files/instructions/l010i-instructions-articles-of-organization.pdf