How to Start an LLC in Louisiana

Forming a limited liability company in Louisiana means filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State, Commercial Division, and keeping up with the state's ongoing requirements afterward. This guide walks through the exact steps, forms, and fees involved in Louisiana LLC formation, from picking a compliant business name to filing your first annual report. If you're wondering how to start an LLC in Louisiana without guessing at what the state actually requires, this is the process, start to finish.

What You'll Need Before You Start

Gather these before you sit down to file. Having them ready keeps you from stopping mid-filing on the geauxBIZ portal.

• A compliant LLC name that includes "L.L.C.," "L.C.," or "Limited Liability Company" and is distinguishable from every other business name on file with the Secretary of State.
• A Louisiana registered agent with a physical street address in the state (no P.O. boxes only).
• The names and addresses of your organizer(s), the people or entities forming the LLC.
• A filing fee of $100, payable through the geauxBIZ portal.
• An email address for your geauxBIZ account, since Louisiana files LLCs online.
• An operating agreement template or draft (not filed with the state, but you'll want one).
• Your Social Security number or existing EIN if you plan to apply for a federal Employer Identification Number right after filing.

Step 1: Choose and Check Your Louisiana LLC Name

Louisiana law requires your LLC name to contain "L.L.C.," "L.C.," or the full phrase "Limited Liability Company." The name must be distinguishable from every corporate, LLC, and trade name already on file or reserved with the Secretary of State, and the office checks for this by alternate spellings and phonetic similarity, not just an exact-match search. That means "Bayou Sweets LLC" and "Byou Sweets, L.L.C." can both get flagged as too similar.

A few naming rules to keep in mind:

• Your name cannot imply the company is a parish, state, or federal agency.
• It cannot contain the phrase "doing business as" or "d/b/a."
• It cannot indicate a purpose that isn't lawful for an LLC. Louisiana LLCs specifically cannot be formed for banking, insurance underwriting, homesteads, or building and loan associations.
• If a Louisiana company had its registration revoked, its name is unavailable for three years after that revocation.

Search the Secretary of State's business name database before you commit to a name. If you're not ready to file your Articles of Organization yet but want to lock in the name, you can reserve it for 120 days for a $25 fee through the file business documents page.

Common mistake: Assuming a name is available because a quick web search doesn't turn up a matching business. The Secretary of State's database is the only source that matters for Louisiana LLC formation, and it flags close phonetic matches your Google search won't catch.

Step 2: Appoint a Louisiana Registered Agent

Every business registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State must have a registered agent with a physical street address in the state. The agent's job is to receive legal documents (like lawsuit notices) on behalf of the LLC and forward them to you.

Your registered agent can be almost anyone of legal age who is a Louisiana resident, including:

• One of the LLC's organizers or members
• An employee of the business
• An attorney or accountant
• A commercial registered agent service

The agent's name and address become public record on the Secretary of State's website. When you file your Articles of Organization, you must also include an affidavit of registered agent confirming the person or company has agreed to serve in that role.

Tip: If you run your LLC out of your home and don't want your home address listed publicly, a commercial registered agent service is worth the annual cost (typically $50 to $300 a year, depending on the provider) just for the privacy.

Step 3: File Articles of Organization

This is the core step in Louisiana LLC formation. You'll file the Articles of Organization, Louisiana Limited Liability Company (Form #365), through the geauxBIZ online portal, which is the Secretary of State's official filing system for new businesses.

The standard filing fee is $100. Louisiana does not publish a guaranteed standard turnaround time for regular processing, but two paid expedite options are available if you need your LLC formed fast:

• $30 expedite: processed within 24 hours, in addition to the $100 filing fee.
• $50 priority expedite: processed while you wait, in person at the Baton Rouge office, in addition to the $100 filing fee.

During the filing, you'll provide your LLC's name, its registered agent and address (with the affidavit of registered agent), the organizer's information, and your principal business address. Once approved, the Secretary of State issues confirmation that your LLC legally exists.

Common mistake: Listing a registered agent address that's just a P.O. box. Louisiana requires a physical street address for the registered agent, and filings with a P.O.-box-only address get rejected.

Step 4: Draft an Operating Agreement

Louisiana does not require LLCs to file an operating agreement with the state, but you should still write one. An operating agreement is an internal document that spells out:

• Ownership percentages among members
• How profits and losses are divided
• Management structure (member-managed versus manager-managed)
• Voting rights and procedures for major decisions
• What happens if a member wants to leave or the LLC needs to dissolve

For a single-member LLC, this still matters. Banks often ask for it before opening a business account, and it reinforces that your LLC is a separate legal entity from you personally, which matters if your liability protection is ever challenged in court.

Step 5: Get an EIN from the IRS

An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a federal tax ID issued by the IRS, free of charge, at irs.gov. You'll need one to open a business bank account, hire employees, and file federal taxes for your LLC. Even single-member LLCs with no employees typically get an EIN to keep business banking separate from personal finances.

You can apply online and generally receive your EIN immediately if you're applying with a valid Social Security number or existing Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

Step 6: Register for Louisiana State Taxes

Depending on what your LLC does and whether it has employees, you may need to register with the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Key points:

• No LLC-specific franchise or privilege tax. Louisiana doesn't charge a separate state franchise tax just for being an LLC. The state's corporation franchise tax is repealed entirely for franchise tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
• Pass-through taxation is the default. By default, LLC income passes through to the members and is taxed at Louisiana's flat 3% individual income tax rate (for taxable periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025).
• If you elect corporate taxation, your LLC pays Louisiana's flat 5.5% corporate income tax instead.
• Sales tax. If you sell taxable goods or services, register for a sales tax permit through the Department of Revenue's business registration page. Louisiana's state sales tax rate is 5%, and most parishes add their own local sales tax on top of that.

Louisiana does not issue one general statewide business license. Instead, the geauxBIZ portal generates a checklist of the specific federal, state, and local licenses and permits your business may need based on your industry and location. Most day-to-day operating permits, like an occupational license, are issued at the parish or city level, not the state level.

Step 7: File Your Annual Report

Louisiana LLCs must file an Annual Report every year, on or before the anniversary date of the LLC's formation (La. R.S. 12:1308.1). The fee is $30. This report can only be filed within a filing window around your renewal date, not any time during the year, so mark your formation anniversary on a calendar and set a reminder ahead of it.

Common mistake: Missing the annual report window entirely. Because it can only be filed within a specific period around the anniversary date rather than year-round, business owners who wait until "tax season" to think about state filings often miss it and have to deal with the fallout of a delinquent filing.

Louisiana LLC Formation Costs at a Glance

Item	Cost
Articles of Organization filing fee	$100
Optional 24-hour expedite	$30
Optional priority (while-you-wait) expedite	$50
Name reservation (optional, 120 days)	$25
Annual Report (every year)	$30
Trade name / trademark registration with the Secretary of State (optional)	$75

If you want to operate under a name different from your legal LLC name, note the distinction: registering a trade name, trademark, or service mark with the Secretary of State costs $75. A true "DBA" in the traditional sense is filed at the parish Clerk of Court level, and those fees vary by parish and aren't published by the state, so confirm the cost with your local Clerk of Court's office.

Tips for a Smooth Louisiana LLC Formation

• File online through geauxBIZ. It's the Secretary of State's built-in system and walks you through each required field, reducing the odds of a rejected filing.
• Search the name database first, every time. Do this before you order business cards, build a website, or reserve a domain name.
• Keep your registered agent info current. If your agent moves or resigns, update it with the Secretary of State promptly. Missed legal notices because of outdated agent information are the LLC's responsibility, not the agent's.
• Separate your finances immediately. Open a business bank account with your EIN as soon as your LLC is approved. Commingling personal and business funds is one of the fastest ways to undermine the liability protection an LLC is supposed to provide.
• Set a recurring reminder for your Annual Report window. The anniversary-date filing system trips up more Louisiana business owners than any other ongoing requirement.

What You Can Reasonably Expect

Once your Articles of Organization are filed and approved, your Louisiana LLC generally should be considered legally formed, though actual processing time can vary and the Secretary of State does not publish a guaranteed standard turnaround for non-expedited filings. Many filers find that paying for the $30 or $50 expedite option gets them a faster answer when timing matters, such as when a bank or contract deadline is waiting on formation confirmation. After approval, expect a short follow-up sequence: obtaining your EIN, opening a business bank account, and registering for any state tax accounts or local licenses your specific business and parish require.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Louisiana business formation requirements, fees, and tax rates can change, and individual circumstances vary. Before filing, consult a licensed Louisiana attorney or a CPA familiar with Louisiana business taxes, and verify current fees and procedures directly with the Louisiana Secretary of State and the Louisiana Department of Revenue. The Louisiana Small Business Development Center and the SBA Louisiana District Office also offer free guidance for new business owners.