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How to start an LLC in Louisiana

Every step to form your LLC in Louisiana, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$125
Regular report
$35
What you file
Articles of Organization and Initial Report
Where
The Louisiana Secretary of State

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in Louisiana

Filing Articles of Organization and Initial Report with the Louisiana Secretary of State$125
The regular report that keeps it in good standing$35
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the Louisiana Secretary of State's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    Your registered agent must accept the appointment in a signed statement filed with your formation documents (for an LLC, the agent's affidavit on the Initial Report); on the paper forms it's signed before a notary.

  3. With the state

    File your Articles of Organization and Initial Report

    File them with the Louisiana Secretary of State online through geauxBIZ; paper forms must be signed before a notary, and businesses in 14 parishes, including Orleans, Jefferson and East Baton Rouge, must file online. The state's fee is $125, plus a $5 convenience fee if you pay by card. Once they're filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  5. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Articles of Organization and Initial Report are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  6. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    If you'll sell taxable goods or services, or hire employees, register your tax accounts with the Louisiana Department of Revenue before you start, online through LaTAP or geauxBIZ. Employers also register with the Louisiana Workforce Commission for unemployment insurance, which geauxBIZ also handles.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  7. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    geauxBIZ's business license checklist lists the federal, state and local licenses and permits that may apply to your business. Your parish and city may need their own licenses, permits or zoning approval.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  8. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization and Initial Report and your EIN.

  9. With the state

    Put the yearly report in your calendar

    Every LLC in Louisiana files an annual report with the Secretary of State each year, on or before the anniversary of the date it was formed. The fee is $35, plus $5 if you pay by card. The Secretary of State revokes the articles of an LLC that goes three years in a row without filing.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in Louisiana

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Louisiana?

The state's fee to file Articles of Organization and Initial Report is $125. To stay in good standing, it also files a regular report, which costs $35. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does Louisiana require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. Louisiana asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It costs $35, and the step below says when it's due and where to file it.

Can I form an LLC in Louisiana myself?

Yes. You file Articles of Organization and Initial Report with the Louisiana Secretary of State and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from Louisiana's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

Louisiana's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states