Louisiana LLC at a glance
An LLC in Louisiana is one of the cheaper US options to keep running: $100 to form and $30 a year for the annual report. The step that surprises most founders is the notarized registered agent affidavit that goes in with the formation filing.
| Item | Louisiana rule |
|---|---|
| Formation document | Articles of Organization plus an Initial Report |
| State filing fee | $100 |
| Where to file | Louisiana Secretary of State, online through geauxBIZ |
| Expedite | $30 for 24-hour service or $50 for "while you wait" service |
| Annual report | $30, due on or before the anniversary date of formation |
| Registered agent | Required, with a notarized affidavit of acceptance |
| Name ending | Limited liability company, L.L.C. or L.C. |
| Publication requirement | None in the LLC formation statute |
The fees above come from the Secretary of State fee statute, La. R.S. 49:222, which sets $100 for LLC articles of organization, $30 for annual reports, $25 for a name reservation and the two expedite fees. To compare the running cost with other states, use our LLC state fee comparison tool.
How to start an LLC in Louisiana
You start a Louisiana LLC by choosing a name, lining up a registered agent who will sign a notarized acceptance, and filing the Articles of Organization and Initial Report on geauxBIZ with the $100 fee. These are the steps in order.
- Choose and check the name. Under La. R.S. 12:1306, the name must contain "limited liability company", "L.L.C." or "L.C." and must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State’s records from other corporations, partnerships, LLCs, reserved names and registered trade names. You can reserve a name for $25 before filing.
- Appoint a registered agent. The agent must be a Louisiana resident or a qualifying company (see the registered agent section below). The agent signs a notarized affidavit of acknowledgment and acceptance, which is filed with the Initial Report. Our registered agent service can fill this role.
- File the Articles of Organization and Initial Report. La. R.S. 12:1305 says the articles state the name, the purpose and whether the company is a low-profit LLC. The Initial Report gives the registered office (a street address, not a P.O. box only), each agent’s name and address, and the managers or members. The Secretary of State’s start a business page points to geauxBIZ, where you reserve the name and file online. Our articles of organization guide explains the fields.
- Sign an operating agreement. Louisiana does not ask you to file one, but a written agreement sets out ownership, voting and what happens if a member leaves. Banks often ask for it.
- Get an EIN. The EIN is free from the IRS. With an SSN or ITIN you can apply online; without one you apply by fax, mail or phone, as the IRS EIN page explains. Our EIN application service handles the no-SSN route.
- Register for state taxes you need. If you sell taxable goods or hire staff in Louisiana, register with the state and local tax agencies before you start trading.
- Set the annual report reminder. The first $30 report is due by the first anniversary of formation. Our compliance deadline calendar works out the date.
Want our filing team to handle it? We check the name, arrange the agent and the affidavit, prepare and submit the filing, and track it in your portal. The same process for any state is in our how to start an LLC guide.
Louisiana LLC cost
A Louisiana LLC costs $100 in state fees to form and $30 a year after that for the annual report. Expedite and a name reservation are optional extras.
| Fee | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization and Initial Report | $100 | At formation |
| Annual report | $30 | Each year by the formation anniversary |
| Name reservation (optional) | $25 | Before filing |
| 24-hour expedite (optional) | $30 | At filing |
| "While you wait" expedite (optional) | $50 | At filing |
| Change of registered agent or office | $25 | When it changes |
| Amended articles | $100 | If you change the articles |
| Supplemental initial report | $25 | If you update the initial report |
The arithmetic for a small LLC with no extras: $100 in the first year, because the first annual report is not due until the first anniversary. In year two you pay $30, and $30 each year after. With a name reservation and 24-hour expedite the first year is $100 + $25 + $30 = $155. The notary charge for the agent’s affidavit is not a state fee and depends on the notary you use.
Our package price, which includes the registered agent, is shown on our pricing page with the $100 state fee passed through at cost.
Louisiana LLC annual report
Every Louisiana LLC files an annual report with the Secretary of State on or before the anniversary date of its organization, and the fee is $30. It is filed online, and the Secretary of State’s annual report page sends filers to geauxBIZ.
- What it contains: under La. R.S. 12:1308.1, the street address of the registered office, the names and addresses of the registered agents, and the managers (or members if there are no managers). A manager, member or agent signs it.
- When: on or before the anniversary of the date the LLC was organized, every year.
- If you miss it: the statute sets no late fee, but La. R.S. 12:1308.2 says the Secretary of State shall revoke the articles of an LLC that fails to file for three consecutive years, after at least 30 days’ written notice mailed to the registered agent.
- After revocation: the LLC can be reinstated within three years by filing a reinstatement application, the current annual report and the fee. The statute fee list sets $100 for reinstatement proceedings. A revoked LLC’s name is held back from other businesses for three years.
Three years sounds generous, but a lapsed LLC can struggle with banks and contracts well before revocation. Our LLC annual report service files the report and sends reminders.
Louisiana registered agent
Every Louisiana LLC must keep at least one registered agent and a registered office with a street address in the state. La. R.S. 12:1308 allows two kinds of agent:
- an individual who is a citizen of Louisiana and lives in the state; or
- a partnership or professional law corporation authorized to practice law in Louisiana, or a domestic or foreign corporation or LLC authorized to do business in Louisiana whose articles allow it to act as agent and which has filed a certificate naming at least two individuals at its Louisiana address who can receive process.
The agent receives lawsuits and official notices, and its address is on the public record. Each agent signs a notarized affidavit accepting the appointment, which is filed with the Initial Report. Changing the agent or registered office later costs $25 under La. R.S. 49:222. If you live outside Louisiana, a commercial agent is the practical choice, and our registered agent service covers it.
Louisiana LLC registration timing
Louisiana does not publish a guaranteed standard processing time on the pages we checked, but it sells two expedite levels: $30 for 24-hour service and $50 for "while you wait" service. geauxBIZ lets you reserve the name and file the formation in one place, which avoids a separate name step. Our team starts once your order and documents are complete, including the signed agent affidavit, and we cannot make the state move faster than it publishes.
State taxes that affect a Louisiana LLC
Louisiana charges no yearly LLC fee beyond the $30 annual report, so for most small LLCs the state tax questions are sales tax and income tax.
- Sales and use tax for remote sellers: the Louisiana Sales and Use Tax Commission for Remote Sellers says a seller with no physical presence must register and collect once its gross revenue from sales of tangible personal property delivered into Louisiana is more than $100,000 in the previous or current calendar year. Its remote seller FAQ has the full test. Our sales tax registration service can file the application.
- Income tax: an LLC taxed as a partnership or disregarded entity passes its profit through to its owners. Louisiana-source income can be taxed in Louisiana even for owners who live elsewhere, so ask a licensed tax professional about your facts, and also if you plan to elect corporate tax treatment.
- Employer registration: hiring staff in Louisiana brings payroll withholding and unemployment insurance registrations.
Forming a Louisiana LLC as a non-resident
You do not need to live in Louisiana or the US to form a Louisiana LLC. The statutes set no residency rule for members or managers; the requirement is a Louisiana registered agent and registered office.
Louisiana is a sensible choice if the business will actually operate there. If you live outside the US and have no Louisiana customers, staff or property, Wyoming or New Mexico are usually the simpler choices for a founder abroad, and New Mexico has no annual report for LLCs at all. Our Wyoming vs Delaware vs New Mexico LLC comparison and best state for an LLC guide set out the numbers. An LLC formed elsewhere that does business in Louisiana registers here as a foreign LLC, which the fee statute prices at $150.
- Form 5472: a single-member LLC wholly owned by a foreign person files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, even with no income. The penalty for not filing is $25,000. See our Form 5472 guide.
- BOI: US-formed LLCs, including those owned by non-US persons, no longer file beneficial ownership reports with FinCEN under the final rule published 14 August 2026.
- Address: the registered office is for legal papers. Banks and payment platforms usually want a separate business address, which our US business address service provides.
How to dissolve an LLC in Louisiana
A Louisiana LLC closes by filing dissolution paperwork with the Secretary of State, and La. R.S. 49:222 sets a $100 fee for LLC dissolution proceedings. There are two routes.
- Dissolution by affidavit: under La. R.S. 12:1335.1, an LLC that is no longer doing business, owes no debts and owns no immovable property can be dissolved by an affidavit signed by the members (or the organizer if no membership interests were issued) and filed with the Secretary of State.
- Dissolution after winding up: an LLC with debts or property settles them first, then files articles of dissolution.
Before filing, file final state and federal tax returns and close accounts. An LLC that is simply abandoned stays on the record until it is revoked for missing three annual reports. Our LLC dissolution service handles the state filing and the final federal steps.
Doing it yourself vs using Borderless Filings
You can form a Louisiana LLC yourself on geauxBIZ for $100 and file the $30 annual report each year. The harder part is the registered agent and the notarized affidavit, especially if you are outside the state.
What our service adds is preparation and checking before filing (name rules, agent, addresses), the agent and affidavit, submission by our filing team, tracking and secure document storage in your portal, the EIN without an SSN for non-residents, and reminders before each anniversary. You can start your order once you have a name. Nearby options are on our Texas LLC, Arkansas LLC and Mississippi LLC pages, and every state is on our US LLC states page.
Sources
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 49:222: Secretary of State fees (via Justia)
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1305: Articles of organization and initial report
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1306: LLC name
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1308: Registered office and registered agent
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1308.1: Annual report
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1308.2: Revocation and reinstatement
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1335.1: Dissolution by affidavit
- Louisiana Secretary of State: Start a business
- Louisiana Secretary of State: File annual report
- Louisiana Sales and Use Tax Commission for Remote Sellers: FAQ
- IRS: Get an employer identification number
- IRS: Instructions for Form 5472
- FinCEN: Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting
Fees, deadlines and rules on this page were last checked on 27 September 2026.