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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Textbook chapter 1 · Arkansas

Arkansas LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 7 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

In 2026 the services this chapter recommends for forming an LLC in Arkansas are AR Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Arkansas Registered Agent.co ($199), best first. 7 sections take the reader through formation; the state fee is $45, with $150 for the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key points

Charge at the filing office $45 sos.arkansas.gov, as published October 2026
Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report $150 a year Due date as the state words it: May 1
Three years of state fees $345 No service fee included
Number of sections 7 First to last

What this chapter teaches

  • How an LLC is formed in Arkansas
  • How to satisfy the registered agent rule
  • What is filed every year afterward
  • The recommendations and their reasons

The Arkansas shortlist

Three-year cost and paperwork completed carry the most weight; how we grade lists all five.

1. AR Registered Agent.org: best for owners who intend to stay in Arkansas

Top recommendation
$199 and fees, then $99 each year

AR Registered Agent.org is ranked first in Arkansas: the filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and three-year cost counts for 34% of the ranking.

The Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is not in the price, so the owner files it every year.

Price covers

  • The filing is made for you
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 and the state fee
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • Year-one agent service at no added cost

Limitations

  • The Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is left for the owner to file
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit AR Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for no franchise tax report to prepare

Any state
$199 a year, renewing at $199

Entry number 2 is Mainstay Filing, where the textbook price of $199 a year includes filing, a registered agent and the franchise tax report, with no change at renewal.

Total three years and it comes to $200 more than AR Registered Agent.org.

The Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is handled too, with Arkansas's $150 added at cost.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork completed
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Franchise tax report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • Official fee with nothing added

Advantages

  • $199 per year for everything listed
  • Renews at $199
  • The EIN application is filed for you

Limitations

  • After year one it costs $100 more annually
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Arkansas Registered Agent.co: best for LLCs that stay in Arkansas

Local option
$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Third place is held by Arkansas Registered Agent.co, since the filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

The Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is not in the price, so the owner files it every year.

It charges exactly what AR Registered Agent.org charges.

Price covers

  • The filing is made for you
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 and the state fee
  • Year-one agent service at no added cost
  • $99 yearly from year two

Limitations

  • The Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is left for the owner to file
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit Arkansas Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Arkansas rankings compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 AR Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit AR Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Arkansas Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Arkansas Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. Add the $45 state fee to every row.

The chapter, section by section

  1. Section 1

    Select and check the company name

    Check the name against the Arkansas register kept by the Arkansas Secretary of State; this avoids a rejected filing.

    Consider whether a matching web address is available too.

  2. Section 2

    Select a registered agent for the LLC

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual or a business entity serving as agent in Arkansas. The company can also name a position inside it, such as its manager, whose holder then receives papers.

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Arkansas, plus an Arkansas mailing address if it differs. A P.O. box on its own is not accepted.

    You may use any recommended service for this section.

    Reference: arkleg.state.ar.us, as published October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Self-filing compared with hiring help

    The state fee, $45, applies either way; the recommended services charge $199 for their part.

  4. Section 4

    Your paperwork here is the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company

    The Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01) goes to the Arkansas Secretary of State with a fee of $45; the governing law is Ark. Code Ann. § 4-38-201. Once accepted, the LLC exists. The filing office describes its processing time as Most filings within two business days of receipt.

    Reference: sos.arkansas.gov, as published October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Apply for a federal tax identification number

    The IRS, not Arkansas, issues EINs. Apply after the state approves the LLC and give the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing prepares the EIN application as part of its package.

  6. Section 6

    Record how the company will be run

    Ownership and management rules belong in the operating agreement, an internal record that is separate from the Arkansas filing.

  7. Section 7

    Record the recurring deadlines

    Calendar entry for the owner: the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report, at $150, every year, due May 1. Lateness is penalized at $25.

    Reference: sos.arkansas.gov, as published October 2026

What each section costs in Arkansas

SectionPaid toPrice
Fee to form Paid to the state$45
Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report Paid to the state$150 every year
Late filing Paid to the state$25
Service fees (optional) The service$199 in year one
State fees across years one to three Paid to the state$345

Rows for the state rely on Arkansas's published fee schedules (listed in the bibliography below), and each service row uses that company's own price. For three years the state row adds the filing, the report in year two, the report in year three and any minimum tax.

How the ranking came out

finished ahead of on tuition over three years, which counts for 34%.

By year three AR Registered Agent.org has cost $397, a saving of $200 next to Mainstay Filing.

Arkansas review questions

Which fees does Arkansas charge when an LLC is formed?

The official schedule lists $45. Paid help raises the first-year bill by $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The document to look for is the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01); the Arkansas Secretary of State receives it.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

How long does Arkansas take to process the filing?

Plan for Most filings within two business days of receipt. No paid expedite is offered.

What does Arkansas require each year?

Arkansas requires the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report every year, at $150, with timing described as May 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state accepts filings directly from owners, so no service is needed: $45 plus a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

AR Registered Agent.org, because $199 to start with the first agent year paid, followed by $99 annually. After it come Mainstay Filing and Arkansas Registered Agent.co.

See also

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Footnote for Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax report: what and: see sos.arkansas.gov (October 2026).
  2. Footnote for Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax: amount and filing: see sos.arkansas.gov (October 2026).
  3. Footnote for Arkansas report due date: see sos.arkansas.gov (August 2026).
  4. Footnote for Ark: see arkleg.state.ar.us (August 2026).
  5. Footnote for Arkansas formation fee: Filing fee, official source: see sos.arkansas.gov (October 2026).
  6. Footnote for Arkansas registered agent statute: see arkleg.state.ar.us (October 2026).
  7. Footnote for Processing, official source: see sos.arkansas.gov (October 2026).
  8. AR Registered Agent.org, pricing page: consulted November 13, 2026
  9. Mainstay Filing, Arkansas service page: consulted November 13, 2026
  10. Arkansas Registered Agent.co, pricing page: consulted November 13, 2026