Florida (FL) · Requirements summary
Florida charity registration requirements for nonprofits
A nonexempt organization generally must file with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) before soliciting contributions in or from Florida. This requirements summary covers the filing trigger, current fee tiers, exemptions, financial statements, renewal timing, disclosures, and recovery checks.
Reviewed against current FDACS guidance and the 2025 Florida Statutes on .
CharityClarity is a quick state charity registration lookup tool, not legal advice or a complete compliance review. State availability can vary.
Filing trigger
Unless an exclusion or exemption applies, file before soliciting in or from Florida, using another person to solicit, or participating in a charitable sales promotion.
Renewal clock
The annual renewal is tied to the anniversary of FDACS approval. The late fee is $25 for each month or part of a month after the due date.
Small-charity route
Organizations below $50,000 in contributions may qualify for an annual no-fee filing only when the compensation, inurement, and fundraiser conditions are also met.
Florida charity registration requirements at a glance
Use the organization’s facts and the live FDACS instructions before selecting a filing path.
| Requirement | Current Florida rule |
|---|---|
| Regulator | FDACS, Division of Consumer Services, Solicitation of Contributions program. |
| Initial filing | File online or use the current FDACS-10100 charitable-organization application. A nonexempt organization must file before covered solicitation activity begins. |
| Annual renewal | Renew on or before the date one year after FDACS approved the initial registration. Use the FDACS record and renewal notice to confirm the exact expiration date. |
| Registration fee | $10 to $400, based on contributions received during the preceding fiscal or calendar year. The statutory fee tiers appear below. |
| Late filing fee | FDACS may assess $25 for each month or part of a month after an annual renewal was due. |
| Small-charity filing | FDACS-10110 is an annual, no-fee route for a qualifying organization below $50,000 in contributions with unpaid fundraising personnel, no prohibited inurement, and no professional fundraising consultant, solicitor, or commercial co-venturer. |
| Financial attachment | A Florida financial statement or permitted IRS return package is required. CPA review or audit rules begin at $500,000 in annual contributions. |
| Financial extension | Submit the filed IRS Form 8868 to request an FDACS financial-statement extension matching the IRS date. Registration documents and fees remain due by expiration; the small-charity filing is not extension-eligible. |
| Solicitation disclosure | Covered solicitations must include point-of-solicitation information and Florida’s prescribed registration-and-financial-information notice. Website and printed-material placement rules differ. |
| Status and recovery | Check the public FDACS record, identify the missing renewal, financials, fee, or correction, and confirm an approved/current status before treating fundraising as cleared. |
Florida registration fee tiers
Section 496.405 bases the single registration fee on contributions received during the preceding fiscal or calendar year.
| Contributions | Fee |
|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | $10 |
| $5,000 to less than $100,000 | $75 |
| $100,000 to less than $200,000 | $125 |
| $200,000 to less than $500,000 | $200 |
| $500,000 to less than $1 million | $300 |
| $1 million to less than $10 million | $350 |
| $10 million or more | $400 |
Exclusions, exemptions, and the $50,000 small-charity test
Do not use revenue alone to claim an exemption. Florida’s rules distinguish exclusions from the Act and narrower registration exemptions.
- Section 496.403 excludes specified bona fide religious institutions, educational institutions, government entities, blood establishments, and political contributions.
- Section 496.406 includes exemptions for qualifying member-only solicitation, certain federally chartered veterans’ organizations, named-individual appeals that meet separate trust rules, and qualifying small charities.
- The small-charity test requires less than $50,000 in total contributions during the fiscal year, unpaid fundraising personnel, no prohibited inurement, and no professional fundraising consultant, professional solicitor, or commercial co-venturer.
- A qualifying small charity must file FDACS-10110 annually before soliciting. If contributions reach $50,000 during the year, it must register under section 496.405 within 30 days.
Financial statements, renewal, and IRS extensions
- Less than $500,000: a compilation, review, or audit is optional for the Florida financial statement.
- $500,000 to less than $1 million: an independent CPA must review or audit the financial statement.
- $1 million or more: an independent CPA audit is required.
- A permitted Form 990 and schedules, or Form 990-EZ with Schedule O, may be submitted instead of the Florida financial statement. Confirm the professional-preparer rule that applies at $500,000 or more.
- An IRS extension does not postpone every Florida item. Submit Form 8868 for the matching financial extension, while keeping the registration documents and fee on the FDACS expiration calendar.
If the filing is already late or the public record is not current, use the Florida delinquency recovery guide rather than treating the matter as a routine renewal.
Florida solicitation and website disclosure requirements
Registration is only one part of Florida fundraising compliance. Section 496.411 requires point-of-solicitation information about the organization and fundraising purpose. A registered charity or qualifying small charity also must conspicuously display Florida’s prescribed registration-and-financial-information notice, including the Division’s toll-free number and website, on covered solicitations, confirmations, receipts, and reminders.
For a website, the prescribed notice applies on a page that processes contributions or identifies a mailing address or telephone number used to process them. Covered printed materials also must display the FDACS registration number. Review the exact statutory language before publishing or changing a donation flow.
Official Florida sources
- FDACS Solicitation of Contributions — current program guidance, online filing, forms, small-charity rules, financial extensions, and disclosures.
- FDACS-10100 registration application — current application, filing information, fee schedule, and attachment checklist.
- FDACS small-charity application guide — agency instructions for the annual FDACS-10110 filing available through the program page.
- Florida Statutes section 496.403 — entities and activity outside the Act.
- Florida Statutes section 496.405 — registration trigger, annual renewal, documents, fees, and late fee.
- Florida Statutes section 496.406 — registration exemptions and the small-charity test.
- Florida Statutes section 496.407 — financial statements and CPA thresholds.
- Florida Statutes section 496.411 — solicitation, website, and printed-material disclosures.
Requirements, forms, fees, and official interpretations can change. Confirm the live FDACS instructions and statutes before filing. Compliance Express does not provide legal or tax advice.
Florida charity registration requirements FAQ
Who must register before soliciting donations in Florida?
Unless an exclusion or exemption applies, a charitable organization or sponsor that intends to solicit contributions in or from Florida, have another person solicit on its behalf, or participate in a charitable sales promotion generally must file with FDACS before that activity.
How much is the Florida charity registration fee?
The current statutory fee ranges from $10 to $400 based on contributions received during the preceding fiscal or calendar year. A qualifying FDACS-10110 small-charity filing has no registration fee.
Does every nonprofit below $50,000 qualify as a small charity?
No. The organization also must satisfy Florida’s unpaid-personnel, no-inurement, and no-professional-fundraiser conditions, and it must submit the small-charity filing annually before soliciting.
When does Florida require a CPA review or audit?
At $500,000 to less than $1 million in annual contributions, the financial statement must be reviewed or audited by an independent CPA. At $1 million or more, an independent CPA audit is required.
When is the Florida charity registration renewal due?
The renewal is generally due on or before the date one year after FDACS approved the initial registration. Confirm the organization’s exact expiration date in the FDACS record and renewal notice.
Does an IRS extension extend every Florida filing item?
No. FDACS can match the financial-statement extension to a filed IRS Form 8868, but the registration documents and fee remain due by the expiration date. The small-charity filing is not eligible for that extension.