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Founder Primer

LLC paperwork, boiled down for founders.

Quick read 1 · Indiana

LLC Formation in Indiana (2026): 7 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services

Best picks for starting an LLC in Indiana in 2026, in order: Mainstay Filing ($199), Indiana Registered Agent.co ($199) and IN Registered Agent.org ($199). To start the LLC: 7 moves and $95 paid to Indiana; the business entity report follows every two years.
From the Founder Primer desk

Key facts

Charged by the state
$95
Official page: forms.in.gov (August 2026)
Business entity report
$32 every 2 years
Mark it: last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years
State cost, years 1 to 3
$127
State charges only
Primer moves
7
Listed below

You will know

  • The official Indiana fee and form
  • What the registered agent rule asks
  • What comes after formation
  • Which services we pick and why

The Indiana shortlist

Five published criteria set the order; read them on how we score.

Best overall $199 a year plus the state fee ($294 at checkout)

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a business entity report that someone else files

We start with Mainstay Filing: the founder pays $199 a year and skips three separate vendors for filing, registered agent and business entity report.

Three years run $200 higher than Indiana Registered Agent.co, and more of the work gets done.

Add the business entity report to what it handles, with Indiana's $32 passed on without markup.

Inside the price
  • We prepare and file the formation
  • Registered agent all year
  • Business entity report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • No markup on the state fee
In its favor
  • It files the EIN application for you
  • $199 yearly, all in
  • $199 on renewal
Against it
  • Indiana Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less
Indiana specialist $199 plus state fee, $99/yr after

2. Indiana Registered Agent.co: best for a small first invoice

Indiana Registered Agent.co lands second: $199 to file, then $99 a year to keep the agent.

The price leaves out the business entity report, so you file it every two years.

Inside the price
  • The filing is made for you
  • Agent service for year one
In its favor
  • $199 above the state fee
  • Agent renews at $99
  • Agent covered for year one
Against it
  • No business entity report service
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Indiana specialist $199 plus state fee, $99/yr after

3. IN Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that stay in Indiana

IN Registered Agent.org lands third: $199 to file, then $99 a year to keep the agent.

The price leaves out the business entity report, so you file it every two years.

Indiana Registered Agent.co and this service charge alike.

Inside the price
  • The filing is made for you
  • Agent service for year one
In its favor
  • Agent renews at $99
  • Agent covered for year one
  • $199 above the state fee
Against it
  • No business entity report service
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)

All prices in one table

# Service First year From year two Three-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199 $199/yr $597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Indiana Registered Agent.co $199 $99/yr $397 Visit Indiana Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 IN Registered Agent.org $199 $99/yr $397 Visit IN Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Posted prices, read November 13, 2026. No row includes the $95 state fee.

Starting a Indiana LLC, move by move

  1. Move 1

    Name the company

    Name search comes first. Use the records at the Indiana Secretary of State.

    Have a backup ready.

  2. Move 2

    Who is the registered agent?

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An individual, a general partnership, an Indiana filing entity, or a foreign entity registered in Indiana. A business cannot serve as its own agent.

    The address has to be a physical street address in Indiana. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    The services we rank supply a registered agent.

    Where this comes from: Official page: faqs.in.gov (October 2026)

  3. Move 3

    File yourself or pay a service

    DIY costs the $95 state fee and your time. A service adds $199 and does the forms; our ranking says which.

  4. Move 4

    Prepare the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company

    This is the filing that creates the company: the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form State Form 49459), sent to the Indiana Secretary of State with $95.

    Where this comes from: Official page: forms.in.gov (August 2026)

  5. Move 5

    Sort out the EIN

    With the state's approval in hand, request an EIN so the LLC can open accounts of its own. Hire Mainstay Filing and the EIN application is handled.

  6. Move 6

    Write an operating agreement

    A single-owner Indiana LLC still benefits from a written operating agreement in the files.

  7. Move 7

    Handle Indiana's recurring filing

    What repeats is the business entity report ($32, every two years, by last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years).

    Where this comes from: Official page: forms.in.gov (August 2026)

What you will pay

Move Paid to Figure
Filing the LLC State agency $95
Business entity report State agency $32 every two years
A service, if you hire one Your service $199 in the first year
Three years of state fees State agency $127

State fees come from the official pages in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where one applies.

Why Mainstay Filing is first

won on to-dos the price takes off you (38% of the mark), with close behind.

Indiana Registered Agent.co costs less, yet the business entity report would still be yours.

Indiana quick answers

How big is the Indiana formation fee?

You pay $95 to file. Hire help and add $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The destination for the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form State Form 49459) is the Indiana Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Indiana require each year?

Mark your calendar for the business entity report: $32, every two years, last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Allowed. File yourself for $95 and arrange a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, Indiana Registered Agent.co and IN Registered Agent.org, best mark first.

Next primer

Sources, so you can check us

  1. Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division facts trace to inbiz.in.gov (read August 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  2. Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division facts trace to forms.in.gov (read August 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  3. Indiana report due date facts trace to law.justia.com (read August 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  4. Ind facts trace to forms.in.gov (read August 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  5. Indiana registered agent statute facts trace to faqs.in.gov (read October 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  6. The Indiana service page from Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
  7. The pricing page from Indiana Registered Agent.co, November 13, 2026
  8. The pricing page from IN Registered Agent.org, November 13, 2026