Forming an LLC in Louisiana
Louisiana registered agent representation, billed at $99 per year. Includes the office address on your filings, same-day scanning of legal mail, and reminders for state deadlines.
An LLC in Louisiana is established through one formation filing with the Secretary of State: the Articles of Organization, Form 365, accompanied by an Initial Report. The state's portion is $100, card payments add a statutory $5 convenience charge, and Act 921 of the 2026 Regular Session lifts the base fee to $125 on October 1, 2026. The full sequence, the fee detail, and where our $199 service fits are set out below.
Start Your Louisiana LLC — $199
$199 flat — we handle the documentation, send it to Louisiana Secretary of State, and wait for approval. Allow roughly a week.
The Louisiana LLC, Briefly Explained
The limited liability company pairs owner liability protection with simple default tax treatment. Small businesses across Louisiana default to the LLC structure for liability protection that doesn't come with corporate-level formality.
The Louisiana LLC Filing Fee: $100
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee (Louisiana Secretary of State) | $100 one-time |
| Registered agent (required for every Louisiana LLC) | $99/year |
| State annual report fee | $35/year |
Our filing fee is $199. State fees flow to the Louisiana Secretary of State: $100 for the Articles today, presented as $105 whenever payment is made by card because of the statutory $5 convenience charge. Under Act 921 of the 2026 Regular Session the formation fee rises to $125 on October 1, 2026, so entities planning a fall launch should budget the higher figure. The agent service is $99 annually, billed separately.
A note on the annual report: $35 filed online, $30 by mail, due each year by the organization anniversary. The initial report is bundled with the Articles at no separate charge.
Articles of Organization, Form 365
Louisiana's formation instrument is titled Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company and carries number 365 in the Secretary of State's forms catalog (official PDF). Formation authority comes from La. R.S. 12:1304(A), which directs that the articles be filed together with an initial report; the required contents appear at R.S. 12:1305.
Filing may be completed online through the geauxBIZ system or on paper by mail. Businesses in certain parishes have been required to file online since January 1, 2018. Paper submissions move more slowly, and expedited processing is available from the state at an additional charge.
Louisiana LLC Formation: The Official Steps
- Clear the name. Your chosen name needs an LLC suffix and needs to be clearly distinguishable from anything already on file. Run it through the Secretary of State's entity records before committing. Words implying banking, insurance, or government affiliation are restricted unless you hold the relevant authority.
- Appoint a registered agent. Every Louisiana LLC must have an agent on file at all times: a person or company with a physical address in Louisiana willing to receive legal mail on the LLC's behalf. Whatever address you list is publicly visible through the state's entity search. Our $99/year agent product puts our information on the public listing so yours doesn't have to be.
- Submit Form 365 and the Initial Report. This is the actual formation step. Submit the Articles of Organization and the Initial Report to the Secretary of State with the $100 fee ($105 by card). The filing covers the LLC's name, principal address, the agent's contact details, management type (members vs. managers), and organizer information.
- Prepare an operating agreement. The state does not ask for one at filing time, but write it before the LLC opens for business. It should cover ownership, allocation of profits and losses, decision authority, and member changes. If no agreement exists, Louisiana's statutory defaults govern, and those defaults are not designed for your specific business.
- Obtain the federal EIN. The Employer Identification Number is the LLC's federal tax identifier; banks, payroll, and federal filings all require it. The IRS issues it free through its website in roughly ten minutes, so paying a third party for this step is unnecessary.
- Handle ongoing compliance. Keep the agent designation continuous at a physical Louisiana address, file the annual report through geauxBIZ before the anniversary deadline each year, maintain an absolute split between the LLC's finances and your own, and meet federal and state tax obligations. Neglecting these gives the state grounds to strip good standing and eventually terminate the entity.
Prefer to delegate? Our team prepares and submits the Louisiana filing for $199.
The Registered Agent Piece
The Louisiana agent requirement is unconditional: every limited liability company, every day, agent on file. The agent must:
- Have on file a brick-and-mortar address in Louisiana (a PO box won't satisfy the rule alone)
- Remain available during the regular workday to receive legal service
- Transmit everything that arrives, from lawsuits to tax notices to state correspondence, swiftly enough that deadlines stay intact
An owner who serves as agent personally accepts a tradeoff: the listed address then appears in the Secretary of State's publicly searchable records.
Our agent product in Louisiana is $99 a year. Our details go on the public listing in place of yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Louisiana?
The Secretary of State charges $100 for the formation filing, or $105 with the card convenience charge, and Act 921 raises the base to $125 on October 1, 2026. Beyond formation, the annual report runs $35 online or $30 by mail each year.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Louisiana?
Typical turnaround at Louisiana Secretary of State is roughly a week.
Does Louisiana require an annual report?
Yes. It is due by the organization anniversary each year, at $35 online or $30 by mail.
Do I need a registered agent for my Louisiana LLC?
Yes. Louisiana requires a designated agent at a Louisiana physical address from formation onward. The rule applies continuously starting at formation.
Can I form an LLC in Louisiana if I live in another state?
Yes. Out-of-state owners can form Louisiana LLCs freely. The one state-specific item is the Louisiana agent, which our $99/year plan covers.
File Your Louisiana LLC With Our Help
Self-filing with the Secretary of State is fully available through geauxBIZ or the paper Form 365. The state fee is $100 at present and $125 from October 1, 2026. The agent requirement is the one thing you can't skip.
Sign up for our agent service and list us on your Louisiana LLC's filing. For $99 per year, the plan lists our Louisiana address, scans anything that arrives the same business day, and surfaces due-date reminders ahead of time.
Need just the registered agent piece? The registered agent option comes to $99/year on a stand-alone basis.
Questions about Louisiana LLC formation or how the agent role works? Visit our FAQ page or reach out any weekday.
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