Whether you’re starting a new LLC or updating the registered agent for your existing business, it’s important to choose the best Louisiana registered agent for your needs.

This article will help you to choose the registered agent that best fits your business, go over the basic functions of registered agents, and answer common questions about registered agents.

If you haven’t yet formed your LLC, you can get one year of registered agent services for free if you form your LLC with Northwest Registered Agent ($29 + state fees). (This is a great deal!).

Best Louisiana Registered Agent Service

When choosing a registered agent service, you want someone who understands the importance of staying compliant and being diligent about legal processes and paperwork. That’s why Northwest Registered Agent is our #1 registered agent service choice for Louisiana businesses.

We recommend Northwest Registered Agent, which offers everything that you need to form your LLC along with Registered Agent services. The company boasts over 20 years of operations helping small businesses start or grow.

Northwest has a 100% Error-Free Guarantee with outstanding customer support, exceptional services, and high prices to match. If data privacy and access to customer support are top on your list, the extra costs of working with Northwest Registered Agent may be well worth it for you and your business.

What Does a Louisiana Registered Agent Do?

A registered agent does a few things for a company. Their main task is to be present when or if the company needs to receive tax or legal paperwork. These would be documents that can’t be sent to a mailbox or delivered to a front desk; rather, documents that must be handed directly to the person who represents the company.

A simple example would be a service of process, which is the delivery of legal documents in a lawsuit. These service documents must be delivered directly to the company’s representative – the registered agent – to ensure they are received.

This may seem like a small task, but the caveat that makes this a critical position is that the registered agent is required to be at the documented location to receive these papers during all “regular business hours.” This is the main reason that most people choose to use a registered agent service rather than operating as their own agent.

Other forms that your registered agent may receive on your behalf are:

• Tax forms
• Legal documents
• Official government correspondence
• Service of process

Another function of a registered agent is to file official documents with the state in which the LLC or corporation is established. In most states, businesses are required to file an annual report once per year to keep the business in “good standing” with the state.

Can I Be My Own Registered Agent in Louisiana?

The short answer is yes, you can be your own registered agent.

Whether or not that’s the best plan for you or your company is another question entirely. If you are looking to spend the absolute, bare minimum amount of money on your business, then being your own registered agent may not be a terrible choice. Still, even in that scenario, we don’t recommend it.

Benefits of Using a Registered Agent Service

There are only a few realistic options when it comes to whom you file as your registered agent:

• Yourself
• An attorney
• A registered agent service

As mentioned above, being your own agent has pitfalls and isn’t recommended. What’s more, an attorney in this position would be quite expensive and is generally only a viable option if you had them form your business for you.

So, that leaves you with the option of using a service. Here are the biggest benefits of using a professional registered agent service:

Privacy

When you form an LLC or corporation, your formation data goes into a state database which is open and searchable to the public. The information in this database can include:

• Business name
• Formation date
• Registered agent name
• Registered agent address

While you can’t stop the state from publishing this information, you can retain the privacy of your name and your address by using a registered agent service. Since this information is public, marketing companies use these databases to gather information to market their products and services to business owners. Your mailbox will thank you for keeping your business address private.

Another major privacy benefit is having legal documents delivered to your agent and not you personally. If, for some reason, someone brings a lawsuit against your company, would you rather have your agent call you with these documents or have them served to you in front of your customers, clients, or employees?

Easy Compliance

Along with privacy, another of the main benefits of using a registered agent service is that they will help to keep your business in “good standing” with the state.

Some states require LLCs and corporations to file annual reports or other timely documents. While these generally aren’t difficult tasks, they are often easily forgotten or lost in the day-to-day work that your business hands you.

Your registered agent will send you reminders that this work needs to be completed, and some will even provide you with the proper documents to make your work even easier.

How Do I Elect a Registered Agent in Louisiana?

All LLCs in Louisiana are required to have a registered agent. A registered agent carries out the important function of handling a business’s official communications.

Your LLC’s registered agent will receive official communications from the state and other parties. Some of the mailings they might get include the process of service paperwork, tax paperwork, and other important mailings. A signature from the registered agent may be required when some of these communications are received.

When choosing a registered agent, you will need the agent’s full name and business address. Their full name could be a personal name (if using an individual agent) or a business name (if using a registered agent service).

As you complete Articles of Organization as part of your Louisiana LLC formation, you’ll designate a registered agent. An LLC formation service can take care of the articles and agent for you, or you can fill out everything on your own.

Registered agents can be chosen through online or mail submission:

1. To submit your registered agent’s information online, create an account on Louisiana geauxBIZ. This is the official platform for submitting business documents to the Louisiana Secretary of State. Navigate to the section for LLC Articles of Organization, to where includes information about your LLC’s registered agent. The Louisiana LLC filing fee is $100 when filing online. The payment can be made with a credit card when you submit all of your LLC’s information.
2. To submit your registered agent’s information with a hard copy form, download the Articles of Organization for Domestic LLCs (Form 365) from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website. The information for your LLC’s registered agent is entered in Article 2 and Article 3 of the Initial Report. Your registered agent must sign this form in front of a notary public. Both forms can be mailed to the Louisiana Secretary of State – Commercial Division. The filing fee is $100 when filing via hard copy, and payment should be included with the forms. The mailing and physical address, as well as the fax number, can be found in the contact information section below.

How Can I Change My LLC’s Registered Agent in Louisiana?

If you decide to update your registered agent information, there are several things you can do to change your previous registered agent to a new one in Louisiana.

• File Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent To change your registered agent’s information, complete the Notice of Change of Registered Office and/or Change of Registered Agent (Form 983). You can submit the form online via the Louisiana geauxBIZ platform or by submitting a hard copy of the form to the Louisiana Secretary of State – Commercial Division’s address. If filing a hard copy, your new registered agent must sign the form in front of a notary public. The filing fee is $25 via credit card (online) or check or money order (hard copy).
• File Your Louisiana LLC Annual Report You can update the status of your registered agent by filing an annual report. You must file your Louisiana LLC annual report within the filing period. The easiest way is to file your annual report online via Louisiana geauxBIZ with a fee of $30 payable to the Louisiana Secretary of State.

If you choose to use or switch to a registered agent service, they should complete and file the changes for you. For more information about our recommended Registered Agent service for your LLC, check out our Northwest Registered Agent review.

Louisiana Secretary of State Contact Information

Mailing Address

Louisiana Secretary of State
Commercial Division
P.O. Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125

Physical Address

Louisiana Secretary of State
8585 Archives Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm

Phone: (225) 925-4704

Fax: (225) 932-5314 (submissions must include a cover sheet)

Email: geauxBIZ Commercial Division