How to File Articles of Organization for LLC in Arkansas: Guide

If you are starting a business in Arkansas, there’s a good chance that it will be a limited liability company. LLCs have many benefits, including owners’ asset protection, pass-through taxation, increased business credibility, and last but not least, a quick and affordable setup.

Arguably, the most important aspect of the LLC registration is compiling and submitting the Articles of Organization. What’s the deal about this document and what should you remember when preparing one for your Arkansas-based company? This article has the answers you’re looking for.

What is an Article of Formation?

An Article of Formation is an official paper that provides the state government with important details about your LLC. Typically, the Article contains the name and address of an organization, the information about the statutory agent, the type of company’s management, and the organizer’s signature.

In Arkansas, this document is known as the Certificate of Organization, but in some states, it may be called the Articles of Organization or Certificate of Formation. All of these names should not be confused with the Articles of Incorporation, which is a similar form used for registering a corporation.

This document has to be filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State, and once it’s approved, your LLC is officially registered and can legally do business in the Natural State.

How to File Articles of Organization LLC in Arkansas: Step by Step

The preparation of the Certificate can be divided into three steps:

1. Find a template of the Certificate of Organization for LLC in Arkansas;
2. Fill out the form by providing basic data about your business;
3. File the document with the Secretary of State.

Let’s go over each step and find out the most efficient way to complete it.

Step 1: Get Your Articles of Organization Forms

First, you need to get a blank template of the specific form known as LL-01. For that, you should head on to the official website of the Arkansas Secretary of State and look for the section called Forms/Fees/Records Requests. There, you can choose the type of your business (in our case, a limited liability company) and then proceed to the selection of forms and services, including the Certificate of Organization. You can either fill it out online, print it out, or download it as a PDF.

There’s an alternative source of various LLC-related templates that come courtesy of professional business formation services. Some of the most popular examples are:

• ZenBusiness;
• Northwest Registered Agent;
• LegalZoom;
• Harbor Compliance;
• IncFile;
• Rocket Lawyer;
• Swyft Filings.

You can hire one of these companies to take care of the entire LLC registration process, including the preparation of the Certificate of Organization and an operating agreement, obtaining a tax ID number, creation of a business website, and so on.But if you just need a blank copy of the Certificate, most of these companies provide it for free.

Step 2: Fill Out the Articles of Organization and Transmittal Information Form

The Certificate of Organization for LLC in Arkansas has 5 items for you to fill out:

1. The name of the LLC;
2. The address of the principal office;
3. The name and address of the registered agent;
4. The name and title of at least one officer for franchise tax purposes;
5. The signature of the Organizer.

The LLC name

The first item on the list is naming your company. The name must not contain forbidden words, duplicate or mock another brand, or be misleading in any way. Here is the list of words to avoid in Arkansas-based LLCs:

• “Bank”, “Trust” or any combination of these words unless approved by the Arkansas State Bank Department;
• “Engineer” or “Engineering” unless certified by the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors;
• “FBI”, “State”, “Federal” or any other words that may imply that your company is a government organization;
• “Razorback(s)” or “Arkansas Razorback(s)” unless approved by the University of Arkansas;
• Any insurance-related names unless approved by the Arkansas Insurance Department;
• Any medical terms unless certified to provide medical services by the Arkansas State Medical Board;
• Any profanity or inappropriate language.

All LLC names must include a legal entity tag, such as:

• Limited liability company;
• Limited company;
• LLC;
• L.L.C.;
• Ltd.

You will receive an “LLC” tag by default if you don’t mention it in the Certificate.
The Arkansas Secretary of State website also allows you to check the availability of your desired business name or reserve one for 120 days ($25).

The Principal Office Address

After the name, you need to provide the address of your headquarters in Arkansas. However, you can only use a street number, so no post office boxes are allowed.

If your LLC is organized in another state, it’s qualified as a foreign business, so you must file an Application for a Certificate of Registration (FL-01) that will allow you to operate in Arkansas.

Registered Agent Info

Next on the list of required items in the Certificate of Organization in Arkansas is the name and address of your registered agent.

A registered agent (also known as a statutory agent or agent for service of process) is a person or a business that accepts correspondence sent to your LLC by the IRS, the state government, or a federal agency. The agent is required to be at least 18 years old (for individuals) and have a physical Arkansas address where it’s able to receive mail during regular business hours.

It’s not the best idea to represent your own company yourself as this creates a lot of inconveniences, such as:

• Increased chance of missing a deadline or a lawsuit;
• No schedule flexibility;
• No working location flexibility;
• Exposed privacy.

We recommend hiring a company that specializes in registered agent services or business formation (see Step 1). In that case, your Certificate of Organization will have the name of such company and its address.

Franchise Tax Officer

Every LLC, corporation, insurance company, and bank in Arkansas must pay an annual franchise tax of $150. For this purpose, the state requires you to delegate at least one member or manager of your company to the franchise tax officer role.
The Certificate of Organization in Arkansas template comes with an additional page that you need to fill out when filing the initial tax report. Keep in mind that you must do this by May 1st of the year following the formation of your LLC. For example, if your company is registered on September 15th, 2022, your first report should be submitted by May 1st, 2023.

Organizer’s Signature

Every Certificate of Organization for LLC has to be signed by the organizer. Pay attention that the organizer is not necessarily the owner, manager, or employee of your LLC. It can be any third party that you trust to prepare and file the Certificate with the Secretary of State, for example, one of the aforementioned business formation companies.

Please note that when filling out a printed copy of the Certificate, you may only use black or blue ink.

Want to know the requirements for articles of organization in other states? Select state:

Step 3: File the Certificate of Organization in Arkansas

Once every item in the Certificate of Organization copy is filled out, you will need to send it to the Arkansas Secretary of State (see the address in the Contact section below). The Secretary charges a $50 fee that should be attached to the letter in the form of a check or money order (cash is not allowed).

You have to wait a couple of weeks for the State’s approval. If the Secretary rejects your Certificate application (for example, due to an invalid LLC name), the filing fee will not be returned.

How to Register Articles of Organization in Arkansas Online?

Filing the Certificate online is easier, cheaper ($45 vs $50 by mail), and significantly faster. First of all, your form reaches the Secretary immediately, and second, the approval generally takes around 3 days.

The filing menu can be found under the Business Services tab on the Secretary of State website. Choose New Businesses – Forms/Fees/Records Requests – LLC – Certificate of Organization for a Dom. Limited Liability Co.

There, you will see several fields to fill out:

1. Filing Act – Here you can only select the default option (1041 of 2021), so just do that and proceed to the next step;
2. Entity Information – Choose the desired name for your LLC. Use a built-in name search to avoid similarities with other companies;
3. Principal Information – Enter the full name, business address, and phone number of the owner if you’re forming a single-member LLC. In the case of a multi-member LLC, type in the entity name and the rest of the data. Please note that you only have to list either of the names, but not both;
4. Registered Agent – Enter the name and Arkansas address of a person or a business that will receive your federal or legal correspondence. You can’t use your company as its own registered agent or use a PO box as the address;
5. Organizers/Officers – Type in the full legal name and address of at least one LLC member and one organizer for franchise tax reports. Note that your LLC cannot be its own Organizer, Manager, or Member. The state guarantees that all personal information about LLC members remains confidential;
6. Submitter Contact Information – Enter the full name, address, phone number, and email of the person or company responsible for the Certificate preparation. Once the documents are processed by the State, they will be returned to the address specified in this field;
7. Annual Report Contact Information – Provide the full name, address, phone number, and email of a person who will be receiving franchise tax reports. This field must be signed by either the organizer or one of the members/managers of the LLC;
8. Agreement – Enter the delayed effective date of the filing no more than 90 days from the date of your online application. Otherwise, leave this field blank for immediate submission. Finally, the organizer has to prove their identity by checking the authorization box and signing the form.

After you’re done, click Submit and select your payment method (online filing allows you to use credit cards). Once the payment is through, the application is complete.

Contact Information for the Arkansas Secretary of State

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