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Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Lab sheet 1 · Louisiana

Forming an LLC in Louisiana (2026): 7 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services

Ranked by measured reading, the services for forming an LLC in Louisiana in 2026 are LA Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Louisiana Registered Agent.co ($199). Recorded figures: 7 procedures, $125 to file, $35 for the annual report.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

Before the procedures

Formation fee
$125static.sos.la.gov (observed October 2026)
Annual report
$35 a yearRecorded due date: on or before the anniversary date of organization
State fees collected in three years
$195Filing plus recurring state fees
Procedure count
7In sequence

Sheet aims

  • Where and how a Louisiana LLC is filed
  • What the agent rule says
  • The recurring state filing
  • How the readings compare

Best reading

Louisiana: the ranked services

The order follows five published criteria, set out in how we measure.
Best overall

1. LA Registered Agent.org: best for owners who remain in Louisiana

$199 in year one, $99 later

The sheet starts with LA Registered Agent.org, because formation measures $199 beyond the state fee; the agent renews at $99.

On three-year cost it reads below Mainstay Filing, a large part of the measurement.

The annual report lies outside the price.

What the price performs

  • The filing is performed for you
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • $199 and the state fee
  • The first agent year is included
  • $99 a year afterward

Measured limits

  • Responsibility for the annual report stays with the owner
  • It charges $99 for the EIN procedure
Visit LA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for no annual report paperwork

$199 annually, state fee extra

Mainstay Filing is an acceptable second choice: at $199 a year it completes three procedures (filing, registered agent, annual report) under one charge.

A gap of $200 to LA Registered Agent.org across three years fixes its position.

Included in the service: the annual report, with the state's $35 charged as Louisiana sets it.

What the price performs

  • The filing is performed for you
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report filed on schedule
  • EIN application included
  • State fee at cost

Measured strengths

  • $199 at renewal
  • It submits the EIN application
  • $199 a year covers filing and agent and report

Measured limits

  • LA Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Single-state plan

3. Louisiana Registered Agent.co: best for a second Louisiana candidate

$199 in year one, $99 later

Reading 3 belongs to Louisiana Registered Agent.co, because formation measures $199 beyond the state fee; the agent renews at $99.

The annual report lies outside the price.

It publishes the same prices as LA Registered Agent.org.

What the price performs

  • The filing is performed for you
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • $199 and the state fee
  • The first agent year is included
  • $99 a year afterward

Measured limits

  • Responsibility for the annual report stays with the owner
  • It charges $99 for the EIN procedure
Visit Louisiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Readings and prices at a glance

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1LA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit LA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Louisiana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Louisiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Posted prices, observed November 13, 2026. Each row also requires the $125 state fee.

The procedures

  1. Procedure 1: Select a name

    A name held by another Louisiana company can cause the filing to be returned; the business search at the Louisiana Secretary of State gives the answer in advance.

    TipCheck the matching web domain in the same sitting.

  2. Procedure 2: Assign the registered agent role

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Louisiana citizen who lives in the state, a law partnership or professional law corporation, or a corporation or LLC formed in Louisiana or authorized there. A new agent signs a notarized acceptance.

    The address has to be a registered office in Louisiana, which the law treats as the company's domicile. P.O. boxes and virtual offices are not accepted.

    TipThe registered agent role is part of each ranked service.

    Specimen: legis.la.gov (observed October 2026)

  3. Procedure 3: File directly or engage help

    Without a service the whole bill is the state's $125. Each of the ranked services adds $199 and handles the paperwork.

  4. Procedure 4: Prepare the Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company

    Required inputs: the Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company (Form 365), $125, and the Louisiana Secretary of State as the receiving office.

    Specimen: static.sos.la.gov (observed October 2026)

  5. Procedure 5: Request the LLC's federal tax ID

    Sequence: state approval, then the IRS number. With Mainstay Filing, this procedure is performed for the owner.

  6. Procedure 6: Prepare an operating agreement

    An operating agreement is the owners' rulebook. The company retains it; the state does not collect it.

  7. Procedure 7: Log the recurring deadlines

    Log the annual report: $35, every year, deadline on or before the anniversary date of organization.

    Specimen: legis.la.gov (observed October 2026)

What will be paid

ItemPaid toCost
Forming the LLCPayable to the state$125
Annual reportPayable to the state$35 every year
Help from a serviceThe service$199 up front
State total over three yearsPayable to the state$195
Every state amount here can be verified against the specimens below. The three-year row combines formation, two later reports and a minimum tax where one exists, and it never includes service prices.

Why this order

Measured cost over three years decided first place in Louisiana. It carries 36% of the reading, and the remainder comes from procedures the price performs, reading at year two, fit with the state protocol and price legibility.

The cost criterion goes to LA Registered Agent.org: $397 across three years, against $200 more at Mainstay Filing.

Review questions on Louisiana

How large is the Louisiana state fee for a new LLC?

The official fee is $125. A ranked service adds $199 in year one.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company (Form 365) is the instrument, and the Louisiana Secretary of State receives it.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Louisiana require each year?

File the annual report every year, paying $35; the deadline is on or before the anniversary date of organization.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. An owner can file with the $125 fee, provided a registered agent is appointed.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

The order of the readings is LA Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and Louisiana Registered Agent.co. LA Registered Agent.org is first because $199 above the state fee, with year-one agent service included, then $99 a year.

Specimens and records

  1. Louisiana Secretary of State: primary record at geauxbiz.sos.la.gov, last observed August 2026.
  2. Louisiana Secretary of State: primary record at sos.la.gov, last observed August 2026.
  3. Louisiana yearly filing: Annual report, official source: primary record at legis.la.gov, last observed October 2026.
  4. Louisiana Secretary of State fee changes effective October: primary record at static.sos.la.gov, last observed October 2026.
  5. Louisiana registered agent statute: primary record at legis.la.gov, last observed October 2026.
  6. Entry November 13, 2026: LA Registered Agent.org, pricing page
  7. Entry November 13, 2026: Mainstay Filing, Louisiana service page
  8. Entry November 13, 2026: Louisiana Registered Agent.co, pricing page