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).

After choosing your Arkansas LLC’s name, 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.

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:

After filing your Certificate of Organization, you’re in business with your Arkansas LLC. 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.

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.

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:

• Arkansas LLC Certificate of Organization (a copy is fine)
• LLC operating agreement
• EIN
• LLC Resolution to Open a Bank Account (if a multi-member LLC)

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.

As of January 1, 2024, non-U.S.-originated LLCs are required to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The deadline for filing your BOI Report depends on when your business was registered in the U.S.

The BOI Report requirement is currently under review, but the deadline for existing businesses to file the BOI Report is April 25, 2025. New businesses will have 30 days from their U.S. registration date to file. We’ll keep our pages up to date as court rulings play out, so you’re not left out of the know about this important business filing.

*This is informational commentary, not advice. This information is intended strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. This information is not intended to create, nor does your receipt, viewing, or use of it constitute, an attorney-client relationship. More information is available in our Terms of Service.