Arkansas · Start a business
How to start a business in Arkansas
Arkansas sole proprietors record a business name with the county clerk, not the Secretary of State.
See the checklistShort answer
To start a business in Arkansas, pick a structure and file with the Secretary of State: $45 for an LLC, $45 for a corporation's articles. Then name a registered agent, get an EIN and register for state taxes.
Last checked .What do you file before you open in Arkansas?
Pick a structure
Most owners choose an LLC or a corporation; the S corp or C corp tax choice comes later. See Arkansas LLC guide, Arkansas corporation guide, S corp or C corp in Arkansas. By trade: cleaning business, handyman.
Check and register the name
Search the Secretary of State records before you pick a name: state name search. In Arkansas, a sole proprietor records the business name with the local county clerk, while a corporation doing business under a fictitious name first files it with the Arkansas Secretary of State. 1 See Arkansas name search guide.
File with the state
Arkansas charges the state filing fee once: an LLC costs $45 2 and a corporation's articles of incorporation cost $45 3. See LLC cost.
Name a registered agent
An Arkansas corporation's registered agent must have a street address in Arkansas and be located at that address; a PO box or mail drop is not allowed. 4 Our registered agent service runs through our partner Registered Agents Inc (RAI), the registered agent of record. See Arkansas registered agent rules.
Which accounts do you open after you file in Arkansas?
Get an EIN
An EIN is the business's federal tax ID. The IRS issues it online, for free, and warns about websites that charge for one. 5
Open your state tax accounts
The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration runs the Arkansas Taxpayer Access Point, an online service for tax accounts, and its Register for a Tax Account page sends new businesses there to apply. 6 See Sales tax permit.
Register as an employer
Employers that pay wages in Arkansas register with the Arkansas Division of Reemployment through its Tax21 portal, and a business counts as an employer once it has one or more workers for some portion of ten or more days in a calendar year. 7 Arkansas employers report each new employee to the Arkansas Division of Reemployment within 20 calendar days of hire, using the Tax21 online system. 8 Arkansas workers' compensation law reaches almost every working Arkansan, though businesses with two or fewer employees may not be covered, and it does not apply to agricultural farm labor, domestic help or employment by nonprofit, religious, charitable or relief organizations. 9
What keeps your Arkansas business in good standing?
Check licenses and permits
In Arkansas, businesses that need a state license or permit are mostly regulated by a state board or commission, and most cities also issue a privilege or business license, according to the Arkansas Secretary of State. 10
Calendar the yearly filings
Arkansas annual franchise tax / report: $150, due May 1 every year. 11 See Arkansas annual report.
Use free local help
Small business advising in Arkansas runs through the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. 12 The Arkansas Secretary of State's New Businesses page lists the steps for starting a new business entity in Arkansas. 13
What it costs to start a business in Arkansas
Do you need a business license in Arkansas?
It depends on the trade and the place. The U.S. Small Business Administration says most small businesses need a combination of licenses and permits from federal and state agencies, and that requirements and fees depend on the business activity and the issuing agency. 16 Arkansas's own rule is in step 8. 10 Where to look up licenses: Arkansas Secretary of State New Businesses page.
- Contractor license threshold. Under the Arkansas Commercial Contractors Licensing Law, a contractor needs a license or registration for commercial work when the cost of the work in Arkansas, including labor and materials, is $50,000 or more. 15
How to register a business name in Arkansas
| Question | Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Where it is filed | With the county 1 |
| Office | County Clerk |
| What it is called | assumed name |
Check that the name is free first: state name search.
Also in Arkansas
- Minimum wage notice. The Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing notice says covered employees must be paid at least $11.00 an hour, effective January 1, 2021, and that the Arkansas Minimum Wage applies to an employer of four or more persons. 17
- Annual wage statements. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration Withholding Tax Branch asks employers to send W-2 and 1099 state copies by January 31 and to file the AR3MAR annual reconciliation by February 28. 18
More for Arkansas
Start your Arkansas business
We file it, and the state fee shows before you pay.
Start my LLCCommon questions
What are the steps to start a business in Arkansas?
Pick a structure, file with the Secretary of State, name a registered agent, get an EIN, register for state taxes with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, then handle hiring, licenses, yearly filings and local help.
What does it cost to register a business in Arkansas?
In Arkansas, an LLC filing is $45 and a corporation's articles of incorporation are $45. The annual report is $150 each year.
Can I start a business in Arkansas with no money?
Arkansas charges $45 to file an LLC, and the annual report is $150 each year. An EIN is the business's federal tax ID. The IRS issues it online, for free, and warns about websites that charge for one. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center network lists its Little Rock center as the lead center and offers one-to-one confidential consulting to for-profit businesses at no charge.
Are there small business grants in Arkansas?
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission lists a Technology Transfer Assistance Grant, a matching grant that helps move innovative technology into an Arkansas-based business, among its small business funding programs.
What is the Arkansas SBDC?
The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center network lists its Little Rock center as the lead center and offers one-to-one confidential consulting to for-profit businesses at no charge.
Sources 19 links, checked Nov 13, 2026
- DBA or trade name registration sos.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- Official state fee schedule for LLC filings sos.arkansas.gov, checked Oct 18, 2026
- Corporation filing sos.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Registered agent rule sos.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- IRS: employer identification number irs.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- State tax registration dfa.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- Unemployment insurance registration reemployment.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- New hire reporting reemployment.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- Workers' compensation coverage labor.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- General business license sos.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- Arkansas annual franchise tax / report sos.arkansas.gov, checked Sep 1, 2026
- Small Business Development Center asbtdc.org, checked Nov 13, 2026
- State business portal sos.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- US Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly file, 2025 added up) census.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- Contractor license threshold labor.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- SBA: licenses and permits sba.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- Minimum wage notice labor.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- Annual wage statements dfa.arkansas.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- State small business funding arkansasedc.com, checked Nov 13, 2026
Last verified Nov 13, 2026.
This page explains the rules; it is not legal or tax advice.