Florida Nonprofit Formation
How to Start a Nonprofit in Florida
Florida makes incorporation easy and fundraising regulated: articles filed through the Division of Corporations get most organizations started within days, but nearly every charity that asks Floridians for money must first register under the Solicitation of Contributions Act and renew every year. Here is the full sequence, from Sunbiz to your first compliant campaign.
- All 50 states
- Specialist support
- Human review on every filing
Talk to an expert
Tell us about your situation and we will follow up within one business day.
Florida Nonprofit Formation
How do you start a nonprofit in Florida?
To start a nonprofit in Florida, you recruit at least three directors, file articles of incorporation for a not for profit corporation with the Florida Division of Corporations, obtain an EIN, adopt bylaws at an organizational meeting, and apply to the IRS for 501(c)(3) status. Before asking Florida residents for donations, the organization must register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under the Solicitation of Contributions Act and renew that registration every year; small charities under the statutory revenue threshold can file a simplified exempt registration. Florida sales tax exemption requires a separate application to the Department of Revenue, and the corporation files a Florida annual report each year to stay active.
- Do I have to register before fundraising in Florida?
- Almost always, yes. The Solicitation of Contributions Act requires charitable organizations to register with FDACS before soliciting contributions in or from Florida, and the annual renewal keeps that authority current. Small charities under the statutory revenue threshold can claim a simplified exempt registration, but it is a filing, not an automatic pass, and religious institutions have a statutory exemption with its own contours.
- How many directors does a Florida nonprofit need?
- Three. Chapter 617 requires a Florida not for profit corporation to have at least three directors. Officers may overlap with the board, and directors do not need to be Florida residents.
Charitable registration licensing by the numbers
- US jurisdictions require a charitable registration license
- 36 of 52 US jurisdictions require a charitable registration license Source: state regulator statutes compiled in our state-law index. Charitable registration state laws
The Cornerstone Way
A repeatable method, from first filing to every renewal
Faster licenses, less effort on your side, fewer mistakes, and fewer headaches. It is the way we combine experienced specialists, intentional AI, and the Atlas platform across one sequenced process.
-
Discover
We connect you with independent attorneys to pin down which licenses you need.
-
Prepare
Your licensing specialist assembles each application; our software handles the repetitive work.
-
Review
That same specialist reviews every filing before it reaches a regulator.
-
Approve
We submit, track each application, and keep you posted until the license is granted.
-
Renew
We file every renewal ahead of its deadline in Atlas so licenses stay current.
Anyone can list five steps. Here is what makes ours hold up.
The shortcut
The common approach is to scrape the web for an answer and hope it is current. When the rules change, or the page was wrong to begin with, the mistake surfaces as a deficiency after the filing is in, when it costs the most time.
The Cornerstone Way
-
Specialists who know the answer
Decades of licensing specialists, so the answer is right rather than guessed.
-
Trusted relationships with the regulator
Direct, trusted relationships with regulators, so we ask the question instead of assuming the answer.
-
Living internal checklists
Checklists that update the moment we learn something new, so deficiencies are caught before they happen.
Forming a Florida Nonprofit Corporation
A Florida not for profit corporation is formed under Chapter 617 of the Florida Statutes by filing articles of incorporation with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, most easily through the Sunbiz portal. Florida requires at least three directors and a Florida registered agent who signs the filing. The state adds two obligations founders should plan for from day one: the annual report to the Division of Corporations due each year to keep the corporation active, and registration with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) under the Solicitation of Contributions Act before soliciting donations, renewed annually thereafter. Sales tax exemption is a separate application to the Department of Revenue.
Florida Formation Steps in Order
The national playbook in our pillar guide at /how-to-start-a-nonprofit applies in Florida with two state-specific emphases: the annual report that keeps the corporation alive and the FDACS registration that makes fundraising legal.
1. Name, directors, and registered agent
Check the name on Sunbiz, seat at least three directors, and appoint a Florida registered agent who accepts in the filing.
2. File articles of incorporation
File under Chapter 617 through Sunbiz, adding the IRS purpose and dissolution clauses the statutory minimum omits.
3. EIN, bylaws, and organizational meeting
Obtain the EIN, adopt bylaws and a conflict of interest policy, elect officers, and open the bank account.
4. Apply for 501(c)(3) status
File Form 1023 or 1023-EZ. Florida has no state income tax on individuals, but the corporation pursues federal exemption the same as anywhere else.
5. Register with FDACS before soliciting
File the charitable organization registration under the Solicitation of Contributions Act, or the small-charity exempt filing if under the revenue threshold, and renew annually.
6. Sales tax exemption and the annual report
Apply to the Department of Revenue for the consumer's certificate of exemption, and calendar the Division of Corporations annual report; missing it administratively dissolves the corporation.
The Solicitation of Contributions Act in Practice
Florida's registration net is one of the widest in the country: charitable organizations and sponsors register with FDACS before soliciting in or from Florida, including online appeals that reach Florida donors. Registration renews annually with financial reporting tiered to contribution levels, and professional solicitors and fundraising consultants register separately, with solicitors posting surety bonds. Late renewals draw fines, and soliciting while unregistered is an enforceable violation. The Florida detail page at /charitable-registration-laws/florida-charitable-registration-laws tracks the thresholds and current requirements, and the multistate view at /charitable-registration-state-laws shows every other state your Florida campaigns may reach.
Gaming, Foreign Charities, and the Rest of the Stack
Florida authorizes drawings by chance for qualified charities under conditions that stop short of a full raffle license but carry strict disclosure rules; bingo runs under its own statute with local enforcement. Out-of-state charities soliciting Floridians register with FDACS the same as home-state organizations and, if they operate in Florida, qualify as foreign corporations with a Florida registered agent; our coverage at /registered-agent-for-nonprofits includes Florida and every other state. Solicitor bonds place through our in-house surety practice, and the whole Florida calendar, annual report, FDACS renewal, and Form 990, runs alongside your other states in one program at /nonprofit-licensing.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready for licensing the Cornerstone way?
Anyone can file paperwork and hand you a license. Licensing the Cornerstone way is the same outcome done right: fewer deficiencies, a faster path to approval, less work on your plate, and renewals that stay managed long after you go live.
-
Right the First Time
We prepare and file it correctly the first time, so most applications are accepted on the first submission instead of bouncing back with correction notices.
-
25 to 30x
faster than doing it yourself
Faster to Licensed
Start applications for 12 to 15 states on your own and it crawls. Hand those same states to a Cornerstone Licensing Specialist and they get you licensed 25 to 30 times faster, pursuing every state at once and knowing what each examiner expects.
-
97-98.5%
of the work handled for you
Less Work for You
You answer questions once, then Cornerstone generates and files the license. Your part is the few minutes it takes to confirm the details.
-
99.995%
on-time submissions in 2025
Renewals That Stay Managed
Every license, bond, and renewal date lives in Atlas and is tracked for you, so nothing lapses once you are approved.
Ready to Apply?
Start Your Application Now
Save and resume from any step. An expert reviews every submission within one business day.
Charitable registration regulations by state
Charitable registration regulations by state
Where you operate shapes what you file
52 of 52 jurisdictions documented. Pick a state to see the regulator, the license rule, and the bond.
Explore More From Our Team
Tools and references our customers use most.
Stay Ahead of the Rules
Recent rule changes, deadline announcements, and state agency updates we are tracking for you.
- Watch NMLS Jul 30, 2026
NMLS remote work status tracking deadline for MLO records
NMLS directed companies to complete MLO remote-status details by August 31, 2026 in preparation for 2027 renewals. The system change does not make remote work permissible in every state, but it adds a reporting and recordkeeping step for companies using remote work arrangements.
- Action NMLS Jul 30, 2026
Updated MU4 and MU2 disclosure questions in NMLS
NMLS implemented updated MU4 and MU2 disclosure questions effective April 18, 2026. Users were urged to complete updates by August 31, 2026 to avoid blocking filings.
- Action Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner TX Jul 30, 2026
OCCC regulated lender licensing amendments implementing NMLS transition
Texas OCCC adopted broader regulated lender licensing amendments effective through a January 2026 adoption to implement transition to NMLS for regulated lender licenses under Texas Finance Code Chapter 342. The changes affect OCCC-regulated secondary mortgage and home-loan activity rather than SML's primary mortgage regime.
- Action Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner TX Jul 30, 2026
OCCC adoption of RMLO NMLS registration amendments to 7 TAC §2.102
In March 2025, the Texas Finance Commission adopted amendments to 7 TAC §2. 102 tied to RMLO NMLS registration.
- Watch New York Department of Financial Services NY Jul 30, 2026
New York DFS proposed regulation on issuance of payment stablecoins
On June 9, 2026, NYDFS posted a proposed regulation on issuance of payment stablecoins, with comments due June 22, 2026. DFS said the proposal would align New York's stablecoin framework with new federal requirements under the GENIUS Act and would address reserve concentration limits and risk-management programs.
Get Your Florida Nonprofit Registered and Renewed
From Sunbiz articles to the FDACS registration and every renewal after, we run the Florida program and the rest of your fundraising map with it.