The minimum LLC Cost in Louisiana is $100, which covers the processing fee for filing your LLC formation documents (known as the Articles of Organization) with the Secretary of State.

Having said that, the total cost of forming a Louisiana LLC will depend on several factors, including your personal preferences and business needs.

In our How Much Does an LLC Cost in Louisiana article, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about the different costs associated with launching and maintaining an LLC.

LLC Cost in Louisiana

In the table below, you can find a summary of the main requirements of forming a Louisiana limited liability company (LLC) and their associated fees.

                                                         

Requirement	Fee
Articles of Organization	$100-$150
Registered Agent	$0-$150+
LLC Name	$0-$100
Operating Agreement	$0+

Louisiana LLC Filing Fee ($100+)

All LLCs in Louisiana must file their respective formation documents with the Secretary of State in order to become registered with the state.

If you’re looking to form a domestic LLC, you will need to file the Articles of Organization and pay a $100 processing fee.

By contrast, you will need to submit an Application for Authority if you’re looking to register a foreign LLC, which will cost you $150 instead.

If you choose to use an LLC formation service, the cost will be a little higher as it will include a small service fee in addition to Louisiana’s state filing fee.

The fees for an LLC formation service can range significantly, but can start from as low as $29, increasing if you decide to purchase any additional offerings.

For more details on the formation process, you can check out our in-depth Louisiana LLC Formation guide.

Note: Louisiana law requires that your LLC’s Articles of Organization be notarized before being submitted to the Secretary of State.

Louisiana Registered Agent ($0-$150+)

As part of the process of filling your Articles of Organization (or Certificate of Authority), you’ll need to appoint a registered agent.

This is a person or entity that you must assign to receive tax and other governmental correspondence on behalf of your Louisiana LLC.

While you can act as your own registered agent at no cost, it’s often recommended to hire a professional service in order to avoid any potential penalties or legal issues caused by non-compliance with state regulations.

It can also be a great way of ensuring that your personal information is kept private (i.e., out of public records).

The cost of a registered agent service varies from provider to provider, with prices starting at $49 per year and reaching over $150, depending on the level of service and features offered.

Note: Your LLC’s registered agent will need to sign the Affidavit and Acknowledgment of Acceptance section of the Articles of Organization in order to be accepted. This will need to be done in the presence of a notary public.

Alternatively, you can find some of the top recommendations for professional RA services in our Best Registered Agent Services of 2024 article.

Naming Your Louisiana LLC ($0-$100)

When forming your Louisiana LLC, you’ll be required to pick a suitable name that’s available to use.

There are two potential costs to be aware of when naming your LLC.

Reserving Name

If you’ve settled on the perfect name for your LLC but aren’t quite ready to file your formation documents, you will have the option of reserving your chosen name in order to prevent others from taking it.

To do this, you’ll need to submit a Name Reservation application alongside a $25 filing fee to the Louisiana Secretary of State.

After your application is processed, your chosen name will be reserved for a period of 120 days.

We recommend conducting a preliminary name availability check before submitting your request in order to make sure the name you want has not already been taken by another entity.

Note: If a domestic or foreign business has been revoked, its name will not be available for three years following the revocation date.

When choosing a name for your LLC, it’s important to select one that corresponds to an available domain. This is because a matching domain ensures consistency between your LLC’s name and its online presence, which helps to strengthen its brand recognition and credibility.

Doing Business As (DBA) Name

If you want to operate your Louisiana business under a name other than the one it’s legally registered as, you’ll need to obtain a Doing Business As (DBA) name — which is also known as a Trade Name in Louisiana.

To file your DBA name, you will need to first conduct an Entity Name Search on the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website in order to ensure that your desired name is not already in use by another business.

Once you’ve confirmed your prospective name’s availability, you will need to fill out the Assignment Of Trade Name, Trademark or Service Mark form and submit it to the Louisiana Secretary of State alongside a $75 processing fee.

Note: DBA names in Louisiana expire after ten years.

Louisiana LLC Operating Agreement ($0+)

While not mandatory, it’s good practice for LLCs to have an operating agreement.

This document defines the roles and responsibilities of the members or managers in your LLC and will help prevent and solve any business disputes that may arise later on.

While you can opt to hire an online service or business attorney to draft this document for you (which typically costs at least a few hundred dollars), it’s actually quite straightforward to do it yourself at no extra cost.

It’s also important to note that this doesn’t actually need to be filed with the Louisiana Secretary of State — it’s purely an internal document.

Additional Louisiana LLC Formation Costs

On top of the more common fees outlined above, there are a number of potential additional formation costs that LLCs in Louisiana may encounter depending on their circumstances.

We’ve summarized some of these additional costs below:

Expedited Louisiana LLC Filing

The Louisiana Secretary of State provides two expedited processing options for business document filings:

• 24 Hour Processing: $30
• Immediate Processing: $50 (only available for in-person filings)

Note: These expedited fees apply in addition to the standard filing fees for your LLC’s documents. Any payments made with credit cards will also be subject to a statutory convenience fee of $5.

Local Business Licenses

In order to comply with the local-level regulations of your city and county, your business may be required to obtain some local business licenses.

While very few municipalities impose a general licensing requirement for businesses operating within their limits, your LLC might need a municipal license if it’s involved in certain activities.

For instance, if your LLC operates a Bed and Breakfast in Franklinton, you will need to secure a local business service license, which comes at a cost of $2 per sleeping room.

Certificate of Good Standing

A Louisiana Certificate of Good Standing is a document often required to open a business bank account; it can also be requested by lenders in order to check that your LLC is properly registered and legally authorized to conduct business with the state.

You can get this certificate — which includes a $20 fee — through the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website.

You can also obtain certified copies for $15 (per individual document) or $25 (for multiple documents).

Cost to Maintain an LLC in Louisiana

In addition to the cost of forming an LLC in Louisiana, there are also several ongoing costs you’ll be responsible for paying each year.

We’ve outlined these recurring costs associated with maintaining a Louisiana LLC below.

Annual Report

All LLCs in Louisiana must file an annual report with the Secretary of State in order to keep their business’s information up-to-date.

This report requires a $30 processing fee and will need to be filed within 30 days of your renewal date, which is the anniversary of the date your LLC was initially formed.

To file your annual report, you will need to visit the GeauxBiz portal and enter your Charter Number and Renewal ID. This will allow you to update your LLC’s records, which include details about your registered agent, officers, and/or members.

Any updates that require confirmation, such as appointing a new registered agent, will not be finalized until the appointee accepts their role via email.

Registered Agent Maintenance

If you decide to take advantage of a professional registered agent in order to handle your legal documents, you’ll be required to pay an annual fee in return for their services. This fee commonly ranges between $35 and $300 depending on the provider and features you select.

While you’re not required to use a professional registered agent service, it’s highly recommended for most small business owners.

Taxes

In addition to the federal taxes your LLC is required to pay regardless of the state it’s based in, there are a variety of state-specific taxes in Illinois you need to be aware of, including:

• Sales tax
• Employment taxes
• Business privilege taxes
• Property taxes

Additionally, there are various local taxes your LLC may need to pay depending on the municipality or county it’s based in, such as:

• Sales and use taxes
• Property tax

Louisiana vs Other States

Louisiana is regarded as a competitive state for LLCs, offering modest formation fees of $100 and annual filing fees of just $30.

This cost structure makes it an attractive option for entrepreneurs aiming for affordability and straightforward compliance.

In comparison, states like Delaware impose higher initial filing fees, which range from $90 to $200, and an annual franchise tax of $300 — costs that are multiple times those associated with forming and maintaining an LLC in Louisiana.

Even so, it should be noted that the best state to form your LLC will generally be the one in which you plan to primarily operate your business from.

This is because this makes it far easier to stay legally compliant on a number of levels, including taxation, licensing, and filing requirements, as you’ll only need to deal with one state’s set of rules.