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A Louisiana LLC exists once the Secretary of State accepts your Articles of Organization. The fee schedule lists the filing at $125. The same schedule puts the yearly annual report at $35. So the state cost to start and stay current for the first year is $160, before any rush fee. The fee schedule changed on October 1, and these are the new amounts, per the Commercial Division fee schedule.
If you only need to look a company up, our Louisiana business search guide covers that.
What do I put in a Louisiana LLC name?
The name has to contain "limited liability company", "L.L.C." or "L.C." under R.S. 12:1306. A low-profit LLC uses "L3C" instead. The same section says the name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from other companies, reserved names and registered trade names.
That last part catches people out. The Secretary of State's FAQ says trade names conflict with LLC names. It also says a revoked company's name stays unavailable until 3 years after the revocation date.
Search the Commercial Database without the ending, then call the office for a preliminary check if you want one. The state calls these checks preliminary. A full review happens when you file.
A reservation costs $25 and lasts 120 days. You send the form by fax or by mail. It only makes sense if you will wait a while before filing. See name reservation for how it works in general.
Who can be the agent for a Louisiana LLC?
Every filing needs an agent with a physical address in Louisiana. The agent can be almost anyone of legal age who is a legal resident of the state, such as a member, an employee, an attorney or an accountant. Details are in our Louisiana registered agent guide.
How do I file the Articles of Organization?
- Pick your name and your agent.
- Open the filing options on the Secretary of State's file business documents page. Online filing runs through the geauxBIZ portal.
- Complete the Articles of Organization and pay $125. You can also file by mail, by fax or at the Baton Rouge office.
- Add a rush fee only if you need it. Priority service is $60 and 24 hour service is $35.
- Credit card payments carry a $5 convenience fee.
Walk-in filing is at the Commercial Division in Baton Rouge. The fee schedule also lists a Supplemental Initial Report for Louisiana LLCs at $30. Read the form instructions to see whether it applies to you.
What do I do after approval?
Write an operating agreement. We found no step on the state filing pages that asks you to file it, so you keep it in your records. Our operating agreement guide has a free template, which is generic and not legal advice.
Next, get an EIN from the IRS. It is free, and our EIN guide shows how. The Secretary of State says it does not keep tax ID numbers. Sales tax numbers come from the Louisiana Department of Revenue, so register there if you will sell taxable goods.
Then open a business bank account in the LLC's name.
What does a Louisiana LLC owe each year?
An annual report, at $35 for an LLC. You can file it online. If the date has passed, the Commercial Database record shows a bar that reads "Print Annual Report Form for Filing". The Secretary of State's FAQ says the report is required even when nothing has changed.
Late filing does not carry a fee in the state's list. It carries a worse outcome. After a Notice of Intent to Revoke you have 30 days from the notice date. Miss it and the charter is revoked.
Changing members or managers is a separate $30 filing, or you can make the change on an annual report that is due.
The fee pages list no other yearly state charge for an LLC, but ask your accountant about state tax.
Where can I compare Louisiana with nearby states?
Use our LLC fees by state table. Our guides for Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi show the same steps next door.
Ready to file? Use the start an LLC form.
After approval, check the rules in our Louisiana business license guide.