Start an LLC in Arkansas
Starting an LLC in Arkansas can feel overwhelming with confusing paperwork and constant upsells. Keep it simple with our free, straightforward Arkansas LLC guide, or hire us to do it all for just $39.
With Northwest you get everything you need to form your business, backed by real human support. Our LLC formation tools are quick, easy, and built for entrepreneurs who want to get started the right way.
How to Start an LLC in Arkansas
When you form an LLC in Arkansas, your business gets a flexible management structure and tax options. Most importantly, your business gets liability protection. To start an LLC in Arkansas, submit a Certificate of Organization to the Arkansas Secretary of State and pay a $45 filing fee ($50 to file a paper form).
Starting a business in Arkansas requires more than just filing paperwork. Below, we’ll go over everything you need to do to form your LLC.
1. Name Your Arkansas LLC
Your LLC’s name will be officially registered when you file your formation paperwork with the Arkansas Secretary of State. Your name needs to follow Arkansas’s requirement for LLC names, which means it must:
- Contain the words limited liability company or limited company, the abbreviations L.L.C., or L.C., or Ltd. Co.
- Be distinguishable from the name of any other business in Arkansas
You can make sure your preferred name is available by searching the Arkansas Secretary of State’s business registry.
Tip: If your name is available but you’re not quite ready to file formation paperwork, consider filing an Application for Reservation of Entity Name with the Secretary of State. Your name will be reserved for 120 days in exchange for a $25 fee ($22.50 if filed online).
2. Register Your Domain Name
After choosing the name for yourLLC, a good next step is locking down a domain name for your business website. Your domain name (URL) is the web address to your site.
A professional domain name should be easy to remember—and ideally, match or complement your business name. When you register your domain name early, you’re more likely to get a name that meets those standards.
You’ll need to claim a business domain name through a registrar. When you hire Northwest to form your LLC, domain registry is one of many in-house services we provide, so you also get a domain name free for a year, plus your own customizable business website secured with SSL protection, and up to ten email business addresses connected to that domain.
3. File Arkansas Certificate of Organization
Once you’re ready to officially form your business, it’s time to file your Certificate of Organization.
You file your LLC formation paperwork with the Arkansas Secretary of State. You can either file online for $45, or by mail or in person for $50. Certificates filed online take between three and seven business days to process, while mailed forms take seven to 10 business days.
Here’s what to include:
Make sure your name includes Limited Liability Company, Limited Company, or an acceptable abbreviation.
You must list a physical street address as the principal office address for your business. P.O. Boxes are not accepted.
List the name of your registered agent, the person or company authorized to accept legal mail on your LLC’s behalf.
List the physical street address of the Arkansas office where your registered agent can be reached.
For franchise tax purposes, you must list the name and address of at least one of your LLC’s officers.
List a name, address, and phone number of someone you want to receive the Arkansas franchise tax reporting form every year. You’ll also need to list your company’s EIN.
What to Do After Starting an LLC in Arkansas?
4. Adopt an Arkansas LLC Operating Agreement
After filing your Certificate of Organization, your LLC is legally ready to do business in Arkansas. One of your next steps should be to write an operating agreement for the business.
An operating agreement is a contract between the LLC’s members that sets the company rules and structure. It can include any rules you want, but generally covers things like initial investments, profits and losses, voting rights, and dissolution processes.
Arkansas does not require LLCs to adopt a written operating agreement, but it’s standard business practice and can help you avoid legal disputes and misunderstandings.
Tip: Use our free Arkansas operating agreement template to make things easier. It was drafted by our attorneys and includes everything you need in an operating agreement.
5. Get an EIN for Your LLC in Arkansas
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is an unique number given to businesses by the IRS. These numbers aren’t technically required for all LLCs in Arkansas, but if you don’t have one, there’s a laundry list of things you can’t do. For example, you need an EIN if you want to hire employees or open a bank account.
Tip: You can file for an EIN yourself or hire us to do it for you.
6. Get an LLC Bank Account
Opening a bank account is an important step to strengthening your liability protection. LLCs are considered separate legal entities from their owners, but that separation still needs to be demonstrated through good faith practices like keeping your finances separate. If you blur the line between your business and personal funds, you could lose your liability protection.
To open a bank account for your LLC in Arkansas, you’ll likely need your:
- LLC’s Certificate of Organization (a copy is fine)
- LLC’s operating agreement
- EIN
- LLC Resolution to Open a Bank Account (if a multi-member LLC)
7. File Arkansas Annual Franchise Tax Report
All LLCs in Arkansas must file their Arkansas Annual Franchise Tax Report with the Secretary of State by the first of May. The report updates the state on who owns your LLC and how you can be contacted.
The franchise tax is a flat $150, and a $25 fee applies for late reports (with an additional 10% interest for each year you’re delinquent). Worried about forgetting to file it? Hire us to file your Annual Franchise Tax Report for you, and we’ll let you know 90 days before it’s due.
Ready to Start an LLC in Arkansas?
