How to Start an LLC in Louisiana: Fees, Filings and Annual Requirements
Forming an LLC in Louisiana: the state filing fee, how to file, name rules, registered agent, annual report, state taxes, DBA and sales tax permit — from the official state sources.
Quick answers for Louisiana
- LLC filing fee
- The filing fee for Articles of Organization for a Louisiana LLC (Form 365) is $125. Optional faster service costs extra: $35 for "expedite" (processed within 24 hours) or $60 for "priority expedite" (processed while you wait). La. Secretary of State, Forms & Fee Schedule; Form 365
- Annual report
- A Louisiana LLC must file an annual report with the Secretary of State on or before the anniversary date of its organization each year, listing its registered office, registered agent(s) and managers or members. The fee is $35. La. R.S. 12:1308.1; La. Secretary of State, Forms & Fee Schedule; Business Filings FAQs
- State franchise or minimum tax
- Louisiana's corporation franchise tax has been repealed for franchise tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2026 (earlier periods may still have filing obligations). La. Department of Revenue, Corporate Income & Franchise Tax
- How to file
- File Articles of Organization (Form 365) together with the LLC Initial Report (Form 973) with the Louisiana Secretary of State's Commercial Division. The articles cannot be accepted unless the Initial Report is also filed. La. Secretary of State, Form 365 and Form 973 instructions; File Business Documents
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Forming the LLC
| LLC filing fee | The filing fee for Articles of Organization for a Louisiana LLC (Form 365) is $125. Optional faster service costs extra: $35 for "expedite" (processed within 24 hours) or $60 for "priority expedite" (processed while you wait). Credit card payments carry an additional $5 statutory convenience fee. The Secretary of State says Commercial Division fees increased effective October 1, 2026 under Act 921 of the 2026 Regular Session; the amounts here are from the current schedule. |
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| How to file | File Articles of Organization (Form 365) together with the LLC Initial Report (Form 973) with the Louisiana Secretary of State's Commercial Division. The articles cannot be accepted unless the Initial Report is also filed. The Initial Report lists the registered office, registered agent(s) and first managers or members, and includes an affidavit in which each registered agent accepts the appointment before a notary. Filings can be made online through geauxBIZ, by mail, by fax, or in person; businesses in certain parishes (including East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans and others listed on the form) must file available documents online through geauxBIZ. On filing, the office issues a certificate of organization. |
| Name rules and reservation | The name must contain the words "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "L.C." A name can be reserved for 120 days with a Name Reservation (Form 398), filed by fax or mail; the fee is $25. The office says the name of a revoked corporation or LLC is not available until 3 years after the revocation date. |
| Registered agent | Every business registered with the Secretary of State must have an agent with a physical address in Louisiana (a municipal address, not just a post office box). The Secretary of State says an agent can be almost anyone of legal age who is a legal resident of Louisiana, such as an organizer, a member, an employee, an attorney or an accountant. To change the agent or registered office, file Change of Registered Office or Agent (Form 983); the fee is $30. |
Keeping the LLC in good standing
| Annual report | A Louisiana LLC must file an annual report with the Secretary of State on or before the anniversary date of its organization each year, listing its registered office, registered agent(s) and managers or members. The fee is $35. The report must be filed every year even if nothing has changed, and can be filed online. If the LLC receives a Notice of Intent to Revoke, it must file the annual report within 30 days of the notice (60 days for a foreign LLC) or its charter will be revoked, and reinstatement fees are significantly higher. |
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| State franchise or minimum tax | Louisiana's corporation franchise tax has been repealed for franchise tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2026 (earlier periods may still have filing obligations). An LLC taxed as a corporation for federal income tax purposes is generally taxed as a corporation for Louisiana income tax (a flat 5.5% for tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025); an LLC taxed as a partnership federally is generally treated as a partnership for Louisiana income tax. |
| Sales tax permit | State sales tax accounts are issued by the Louisiana Department of Revenue. New businesses register their tax accounts online through LaTAP (the "Register My Business" link); geauxBIZ also lets businesses handle Secretary of State filings and tax registrations in one place. The Department says a business generally needs a sales tax account if it sells taxable goods or services, leases taxable property, or meets the remote-seller economic nexus requirements. The Department's page does not state a registration fee. Parish and local sales taxes are administered separately. |
| DBA / assumed name | The Secretary of State says DBAs are not filed with its office; they are filed at the parish level with the local Clerk of Court. Separately, a business can register a trade name with the Secretary of State (Trade Name, Trademark & Service Mark Registration, Form 309) for a $95 fee, and a trade name can be reserved for 120 days for $25. Ask the parish Clerk of Court for local DBA filing fees. |
Out-of-state LLCs and closing
| Registering an out-of-state LLC | An out-of-state LLC files an Application of Foreign Limited Liability Company for Certificate of Authority (Form 972) with a certificate of good standing or existence from its home state that is less than 90 days old. The fee is $185. |
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| Closing an LLC | An LLC that is no longer doing business, owes no debts and owns no immovable property can dissolve by filing an Affidavit to Dissolve (Form 368), signed before a notary by all members (or all organizers if no membership interests were issued); the fee is $125. An LLC that still has debts, assets or immovable property must use the longer dissolution process ($125 filing fee for dissolutions). |
Where to get help in Louisiana
Starting an LLC & Small Business FAQ
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Louisiana?
The filing fee for Articles of Organization for a Louisiana LLC (Form 365) is $125. Optional faster service costs extra: $35 for "expedite" (processed within 24 hours) or $60 for "priority expedite" (processed while you wait). Credit card payments carry an additional $5 statutory convenience fee.
How do you form an LLC in Louisiana?
File Articles of Organization (Form 365) together with the LLC Initial Report (Form 973) with the Louisiana Secretary of State's Commercial Division. The articles cannot be accepted unless the Initial Report is also filed. The Initial Report lists the registered office, registered agent(s) and first managers or members, and includes an affidavit in which each registered agent accepts the appointment before a notary. Filings can be made online through geauxBIZ, by mail, by fax, or in person; businesses in certain parishes (including East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans and others listed on the form) must file available documents online through geauxBIZ. On filing, the office issues a certificate of organization.
What are the LLC name requirements in Louisiana?
The name must contain the words "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "L.C." A name can be reserved for 120 days with a Name Reservation (Form 398), filed by fax or mail; the fee is $25. The office says the name of a revoked corporation or LLC is not available until 3 years after the revocation date.
Do you need a registered agent for an LLC in Louisiana?
Every business registered with the Secretary of State must have an agent with a physical address in Louisiana (a municipal address, not just a post office box). The Secretary of State says an agent can be almost anyone of legal age who is a legal resident of Louisiana, such as an organizer, a member, an employee, an attorney or an accountant. To change the agent or registered office, file Change of Registered Office or Agent (Form 983); the fee is $30.
Does an LLC have to file an annual report in Louisiana?
A Louisiana LLC must file an annual report with the Secretary of State on or before the anniversary date of its organization each year, listing its registered office, registered agent(s) and managers or members. The fee is $35. The report must be filed every year even if nothing has changed, and can be filed online. If the LLC receives a Notice of Intent to Revoke, it must file the annual report within 30 days of the notice (60 days for a foreign LLC) or its charter will be revoked, and reinstatement fees are significantly higher.
What state taxes does an LLC pay in Louisiana?
Louisiana's corporation franchise tax has been repealed for franchise tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2026 (earlier periods may still have filing obligations). An LLC taxed as a corporation for federal income tax purposes is generally taxed as a corporation for Louisiana income tax (a flat 5.5% for tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025); an LLC taxed as a partnership federally is generally treated as a partnership for Louisiana income tax.
How do you register a DBA in Louisiana?
The Secretary of State says DBAs are not filed with its office; they are filed at the parish level with the local Clerk of Court. Separately, a business can register a trade name with the Secretary of State (Trade Name, Trademark & Service Mark Registration, Form 309) for a $95 fee, and a trade name can be reserved for 120 days for $25.
How do you get a sales tax permit in Louisiana?
State sales tax accounts are issued by the Louisiana Department of Revenue. New businesses register their tax accounts online through LaTAP (the "Register My Business" link); geauxBIZ also lets businesses handle Secretary of State filings and tax registrations in one place. The Department says a business generally needs a sales tax account if it sells taxable goods or services, leases taxable property, or meets the remote-seller economic nexus requirements.
How do you register a foreign LLC in Louisiana?
An out-of-state LLC files an Application of Foreign Limited Liability Company for Certificate of Authority (Form 972) with a certificate of good standing or existence from its home state that is less than 90 days old. The fee is $185.
How do you dissolve an LLC in Louisiana?
An LLC that is no longer doing business, owes no debts and owns no immovable property can dissolve by filing an Affidavit to Dissolve (Form 368), signed before a notary by all members (or all organizers if no membership interests were issued); the fee is $125. An LLC that still has debts, assets or immovable property must use the longer dissolution process ($125 filing fee for dissolutions).
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.