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The LLC filing is not a license. In Arkansas those are different things handled by different offices. This page shows which office does which and what the LLC costs to keep active.
Who issues licenses in Arkansas?
The Secretary of State's business services FAQ answers the question directly. It asks where to get a state business license and says a state board, commission or association regulates most businesses that need a state license or permit. Selling real estate is the example: you get that license from the Real Estate Commission.
So the route is by trade, not by company type. Find the board for your work, such as a contractor, a health provider or a seller of regulated goods, and ask it. We did not read any board's pages, so we give no fees for them.
Where does the sales tax number come from?
The same FAQ says a tax number may refer to a sales tax identification number. You get it from the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration. It is not issued by the Secretary of State.
An EIN is a third number, and it comes from the IRS. See how to get an EIN and our state tax ID lookup guide for the difference.
What does the LLC itself cost?
The entity side is on the Secretary of State's forms and fees pages.
- Certificate of Organization, form LL-01. $50 on paper or $45 online.
- Franchise Tax Registration. Goes with form LL-01 and has no fee.
- Annual franchise tax report. $150 for an LLC, due on or before May 1 each year.
- Online payment. A $5 processing fee applies when you pay the franchise tax online, and none by mail.
Franchise tax keeps accruing until the entity is dissolved, withdrawn or merged. The state also bars other filings while franchise tax is unpaid. For the full formation steps, see our Arkansas LLC guide.
What order should you follow?
- Form the LLC and file the Franchise Tax Registration with it.
- Get the EIN.
- Ask the Revenue Division whether you need a sales tax number for what you sell.
- Ask the board for your trade whether you need a state license or permit.
- Ask your city or county whether it wants anything else.
- Put May 1 in your calendar for the franchise tax report.
Doing steps three to five early saves you from opening for business and then finding a missing permit. The Secretary of State also states that the Franchise Tax report form carries the filing number, so keep that number handy for each year.
How do you check a license or a business?
We did not read a license verification tool, so we do not link one for professional licenses. Ask the licensing board. For the LLC itself, the Secretary of State's Corporation Entity Search shows the filing, as covered in our Arkansas business search guide. The record lists addresses, and owners are not listed. See business license lookup for general tips.
What about a trade name?
If you plan to use a brand name, that is a fictitious name filing. See the Arkansas DBA guide.
What this page does not cover
City and county licenses, professional board fees, sales tax rates and filing frequency are outside this page. We did not read those sources. This is not legal or tax advice. Fees and forms can change, so confirm each one on the agency's own site before you pay. Use the links above rather than a search result.