AI-Powered Formation

Arizona Secretary of State

Form your Arizona LLC, Corporation, or Nonprofit with chat-first AI business formation. State filing, registered agent, EIN, and ongoing compliance workflows — connected from the start.

Arizona Business Filing Overview

The Arizona Corporation Commission is the state authority responsible for registering LLCs, corporations, nonprofits, and other business entities in Arizona. The standard LLC formation fee is $50 with a processing time of 5-7 days. Online filing is available.

Formation Fee$50
Processing Time5-7 days
Online FilingAvailable
Annual Report Fee$0
Annual Report DueAnniversary month
SOS Phone(602) 542-3026

Arizona Entity Requirements

State-specific governance rules for Arizona LLCs, Corporations, and Nonprofits.

Members

Minimum required1
Residency requiredNo

Management Structure

DefaultMember Managed

Member-managed unless the articles of organization provide for manager management

Operating Agreement

Required to fileNo

An operating agreement may be oral, implied, in a record, or any combination of those forms.

Annual Meeting

RequiredNo

No statutory annual meeting requirement for LLCs

Formation Filings in Arizona

These are the primary documents filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission to create a new legal entity. Each entity type has different requirements, fees, and processing times.

Articles of Incorporation

Corporation
Agency:Arizona Corporation Commission
Filing Fee:$60 + processing fee if filing online
Processing Time:5-7 days
Filing Method:Online or Mail
Expedited:Yes — $35 for 1-2 days processing

What to know

  • Includes authorized shares and par value
  • Names the registered agent
  • Sets the corporation's purpose

Articles of Organization

LLC
Agency:Arizona Corporation Commission
Filing Fee:$50 + processing fee if filing online
Processing Time:14-16 days
Filing Method:Online or Mail
Expedited:Yes — $35 for 7-10 days processing

Arizona requires newspaper publication of LLC formation notice. Costs $40–$70 for most counties.

What to know

  • Names the registered agent and required filing contact information
  • Sets the registered office address
  • May include an optional effective date

Articles of Incorporation (Nonprofit)

Nonprofit
Agency:Arizona Corporation Commission
Filing Fee:$10 + processing fee if filing online
Processing Time:5-7 days
Filing Method:Online or Mail

What to know

  • Public benefit purpose statement required
  • Asset dedication language for IRS
  • Members or directors structure

Foreign Qualification

LLCCorporation
Agency:Arizona Corporation Commission
Filing Fee:$150 + processing fee if filing online
Processing Time:5-7 days
Filing Method:Online or Mail

What to know

  • Required when operating, hiring employees, or owning property in another state
  • Needs Certificate of Good Standing from home state
  • Creates registered agent and annual report obligations in the new state

Ongoing Compliance in Arizona

After formation, Arizona entities must maintain ongoing filings to remain in good standing. Missing deadlines can result in late fees, administrative dissolution, and loss of liability protection.

Annual Report

LLCCorporationNonprofit
Agency:Arizona Corporation Commission
Filing Fee:$0 + processing fee if filing online
Processing Time:Immediate (online)
Filing Method:Online or Mail
Due Date:Anniversary month
Filing Period:Annual

LLCs: no annual report. Corporations: annual report required.

What to know

  • Due date varies by state (often anniversary date or fixed month)
  • Filing fees range $10–$825 by state
  • Failure to file results in administrative dissolution

Amendment to Formation Documents

LLCCorporationNonprofit
Agency:Arizona Corporation Commission
Filing Fee:$25 + processing fee if filing online
Processing Time:5-7 days
Filing Method:Online or Mail

What to know

  • Board or member approval typically required
  • Certified copy may be needed for banks and contracts
  • Most states allow online amendment filing

Articles of Dissolution

LLCCorporationNonprofit
Agency:Arizona Corporation Commission
Filing Fee:$35 + processing fee if filing online
Processing Time:5-7 days
Filing Method:Online or Mail
Tax Clearance:Not required

What to know

  • May require tax clearance before filing
  • Assets must be distributed before dissolution
  • Protects against future liability claims

Change of Registered Agent

LLCCorporationNonprofit
Agency:Arizona Corporation Commission
Filing Fee:$5 + processing fee if filing online
Processing Time:5-7 days
Filing Method:Online or Mail

What to know

  • Must be maintained at all times
  • Registered agent must be available during business hours
  • Can be an individual or registered agent service

Document Retrieval in Arizona

Certified documents from the Arizona Corporation Commission are often required by banks, investors, lenders, and for foreign qualification in other states.

Certificate of Good Standing

LLCCorporationNonprofit
Agency:Arizona Corporation Commission
Filing Fee:$10 + processing fee if filing online
Processing Time:1-2 days
Filing Method:Online or Mail

What to know

  • Required by most banks when opening accounts
  • Needed for foreign qualification in other states
  • Typically valid for 30–90 days

Apostille

LLCCorporationNonprofit
Agency:Secretary of State
Filing Fee:$3
Processing Time:3-5 days
Filing Method:Mail Only

What to know

  • Required for international business expansion
  • Issued by Secretary of State office
  • Attaches to formation documents and good standing certificates

Arizona Tax Snapshot

Understanding Arizona's tax environment is critical for choosing the right formation state and planning your entity's ongoing obligations.

State Income TaxYes
Personal Income TaxYes
State Sales Tax5.6%
Franchise TaxNo franchise tax

Arizona's Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) is a seller's tax on gross receipts, not a traditional sales tax. Corporate income tax rate is 4.9%. LLCs taxed at member's individual rate.

Arizona Agency Directory

Key government agencies for Arizona business formation, tax registration, and employer compliance.

Arizona Corporation Commission

Primary filing authority for Arizona business entities

Arizona Corporation Commission

Entity formation (corporations, LLCs), annual reports

Arizona Department of Revenue

Transaction privilege tax, income tax, withholding

Industrial Commission of Arizona

Workers' compensation, labor standards

Form your Arizona entity today.

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