LLC Formation in Louisiana (2026): 7 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services
Short answer for Louisiana, 2026: use LA Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Louisiana Registered Agent.co ($199), ranked best to worst, if you want help starting an LLC. Numbers to know: 7 moves, a $125 filing fee, a $35 annual report.
Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. Each row still needs Louisiana's $125 fee.
Starting a Louisiana LLC, move by move
Move 1
Check the name is free
Start at the Louisiana Secretary of State: its business records show whether a Louisiana company already uses your name.
A spare name saves a redo.
Move 2
Name a registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Louisiana citizen who lives in the state, a law partnership or professional law corporation, or a corporation or LLC formed in Louisiana or authorized there. A new agent signs a notarized acceptance.
The address has to be a registered office in Louisiana, which the law treats as the company's domicile. P.O. boxes and virtual offices are not accepted.
Any service we rank here can serve as your registered agent.
Where this comes from:legis.la.gov, read October 2026
Move 3
File yourself or pay a service
$125 goes to the state regardless. A service costs $199 extra; the ranking shows who to use.
Move 4
Finish and lodge the Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company
Send the Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company (Form 365) and $125 to the Louisiana Secretary of State. That brings the LLC into being.
Approval first. Then the IRS. Mainstay Filing's yearly price covers this application.
Move 6
Sign an operating agreement
Owners sign it to settle shares, votes and what happens when someone leaves. It is private and never filed.
Move 7
Keep the LLC active
Louisiana requires the annual report every year, due on or before the anniversary date of organization, costing $35.
Where this comes from:legis.la.gov, read October 2026
What you will pay
What
Goes to
Figure
The formation move
The state
$125
Annual report
The state
$35 every year
Service fees (optional)
The provider
$199 to begin
Three-year state total
The state
$195
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 LA Registered Agent.org is first
The deciding criterion: founder outlay over three years, at 27% of the mark.
LA Registered Agent.org takes the cost criterion: $397 over three years, against $200 more at Mainstay Filing.
What founders ask
What does it cost to file an LLC in Louisiana?
$125, per the official fee schedule. A service adds $199 the first year.
Which form creates the LLC?
The destination for the Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company (Form 365) is the Louisiana Secretary of State.
Is a registered agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Louisiana require each year?
The repeating item is the annual report ($35, every year, due on or before the anniversary date of organization).
Can I form the LLC without a service?
Yes. Pay the state $125 at filing; the LLC still needs a registered agent.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Pick LA Registered Agent.org: forming costs $199 beyond the state fee; the agent renews at $99. Behind it: Mainstay Filing and Louisiana Registered Agent.co.