WITH EMPLOYEES
6,675
U.S. CENSUS CBP 2023
GUIDES · FLORIDA · CLEANING SERVICES
Start a cleaning business in Florida
UPDATED JUL 2026 · DATA RETRIEVED JUL 2026
THE SHORT ANSWER
To start a cleaning business in Florida you'll file Articles of Organization with the Florida Division of Corporations on Sunbiz ($125), get a free EIN from the IRS, and check county rules. Commercial jobs add a Department of Revenue registration, because Florida taxes nonresidential cleaning. Total startup filings: ~$125 and 2–5 business days. No statewide cleaning license is required.
Source: Florida Division of Corporations · Florida DOR · IRS — verified Jul 2026
RETRIEVED JUL 27 2026
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU · CBP + NES
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU · CBP + NES
CLEANING SERVICES — FLORIDA ESTABLISHMENTS · NAICS 56172 · 2023
FL
STATE OF FLORIDA
CLEANING SERVICES
CLEANING SERVICES
SOLO OPERATORS
SOLO
166,471
NONEMPLOYER 2023 · 96.1% OF TOTAL
STATE FILING FEE
$125
ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION
PROCESSING TIME
PROCESSING
2–5
BUSINESS DAYS
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, CBP 2023 + NONEMPLOYER STATISTICS 2023 — RETRIEVED JUL 2026 CENSUS.GOV/CBP /METHODOLOGY/
MARKET SIGNAL
695,943 new business applications in Florida (last 12 mo) ▲ 13% YoY
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics — retrieved Jul 2026 Embed this chart
Florida is the highest-volume formation state in this pilot, and cleaning demand tracks its service economy: dense metro corridors, heavy tourism turnover, and year-round residential churn. The state side of the paperwork is light: one Sunbiz filing. The real local work is the county Business Tax Receipt and the May 1 annual-report deadline that trips up first-year owners; commercial operators also register with the Department of Revenue, since Florida taxes nonresidential cleaning.
File your Florida LLC in 7 steps
1
STEP 1 OF 7
Choose and search your business name
Your name must include "LLC" or "L.L.C." and be distinguishable from existing Florida entities. Search current records on Sunbiz before filing. The Division of Corporations rejects names that conflict with an active registration.
search.sunbiz.org — Sunbiz records search
Florida Sunbiz — entity name search (UI as of Jul 2026)
2
STEP 2 OF 7
Appoint a registered agent
Florida requires a registered agent with a physical street address in the state. You can act as your own agent, which makes your address public. A commercial agent lists theirs instead. The agent must sign or electronically accept the designation on your filing.
3
STEP 3 OF 7
File the Articles of Organization on Sunbiz
File online at Sunbiz. The e-filing start screen opens with a disclaimer worth reading as written: once submitted, the Articles cannot be changed, canceled, or refunded. Accept it, click "Start New Filing," enter your name exactly as searched, list your principal address, and pay by card. The $125 total covers the $100 filing fee plus the $25 registered agent designation. Online filings are typically processed in 2–5 business days.
efile.sunbiz.org — Sunbiz e-file
Florida Sunbiz — Articles of Organization e-filing start screen, before any filing data (UI as of Jul 2026)
4
STEP 4 OF 7
Get a free EIN from the IRS
Apply for an Employer Identification Number on the IRS website after the LLC is approved. It is free and takes about ten minutes online; you need it for banking, hiring, and taxes. Ignore any site that charges for an EIN.
irs.gov — EIN Assistant
IRS — "Get an employer identification number," EIN Assistant entry (UI as of Jul 2026)
5
STEP 5 OF 7
Create an operating agreement
Florida doesn't require an operating agreement, but banks routinely ask for one and it fixes ownership and profit splits in writing. Single-member LLCs can use a short standard form; multi-member LLCs should document splits and exit terms.
6
STEP 6 OF 7
Check licenses and local permits
Florida has no general statewide business license, but most counties and many cities require a local Business Tax Receipt before you operate. For cleaning work specifically: Florida has no state cleaning license, but most counties require a Business Tax Receipt before you take jobs, and cleaning nonresidential buildings is sales-taxable, so commercial work means registering with the Department of Revenue. Commercial clients commonly ask for proof of liability insurance and a janitorial bond. Check your county's tax collector site first.
7
STEP 7 OF 7
Calendar the annual report and open a bank account
Florida LLCs must file an annual report on Sunbiz between January 1 and May 1 ($138.75); missing the window adds a steep late fee. Open a separate business bank account with your filed articles and EIN to keep liability protection intact.
File it yourself, or have it done
Same state fee either way. The difference is your time, and whose address goes on the public record.
DIY
WITH NORTHWEST
State fee
$125
$125
Service fee
$0
$39
Your time
~4 hrs
~10 min
Registered agent (1 yr)
you, publicly listed
included, private
Start your Florida LLC →
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Common questions
Do I charge sales tax on cleaning work in Florida?
Only on commercial work. Florida taxes nonresidential cleaning services, so cleaning offices, stores, or other commercial buildings means registering with the Department of Revenue and collecting sales tax plus any county surtax on those invoices. Cleaning homes is not taxable, so a purely residential operation skips this registration.
Do I need a license to clean houses in Florida?
No statewide cleaning license exists in Florida. What you will likely need is a local Business Tax Receipt from your county or city before operating, plus liability insurance if you want commercial contracts. Register the LLC and get your free EIN first. Both are prerequisites.
What ongoing fees does a Florida LLC have?
Budget for the $138.75 annual report, due on Sunbiz between January 1 and May 1 every year. Filing late adds a $400 penalty, the single most common first-year mistake. Local Business Tax Receipts also renew annually at rates your county sets.
Can I be my own registered agent in Florida?
Yes. Any Florida resident with a physical street address in the state can serve as agent, including yourself. Your name and address then appear on the public record, and you must be reachable there during business hours. Those are the main reasons owners hire a commercial agent instead.
What does the $125 Florida filing fee cover?
The $125 combines the $100 Articles of Organization filing fee and the $25 registered agent designation fee. It creates the LLC itself. It does not include an EIN (free from the IRS), local business tax receipts, or the $138.75 annual report Florida requires every year.
Source: BusinessFormation.us analysis of U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 and Nonemployer Statistics 2023 (establishment counts, NAICS 56172), and Business Formation Statistics (monthly applications); retrieved Jul 2026. businessformation.us/start/cleaning-business/florida/