Register your Louisiana LLC Online
Complete the form below in 2–3 minutes. Your LLC and EIN come at no extra cost — you only pay Louisiana’s own $105 state fee.
- Enter your desired LLC name
- Choose your state
- Receive your LLC and free EIN by email
Trusted by Thousands Nationwide
What is an LLC in Louisiana?
An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a simple structure for running your business under a professional name. It separates your business from your personal name, and it's the most common way to add a partner, sell the business, or look like a real company instead of a side project.
That separation goes further than the name. If the business owes money or gets sued, your house, car, and personal bank accounts are generally off-limits — as long as you run the LLC properly. It doesn't protect you from something you personally did wrong.
A sole proprietorship skips all of that. You're doing business under your own name or a DBA, and everything stays tied to you personally.
A corporation does the same separation as an LLC, but it's built for a different job: issuing stock and bringing in outside investors. An LLC is simpler to run and cheaper to keep up if that's not you right now.
Benefits of an LLC in Louisiana
- Add partners or co-owners whenever you're ready
- Transfer ownership if you sell the business
- “Louisiana Company, LLC” shows you’re a real business
- Shows you’re registered (Louisiana Secretary of State)
- Get a matching domain like LouisianaCompanyLLC.com
- Simpler upkeep than forming a corporation
What's different about a Louisiana LLC
Louisiana won't accept your Articles of Organization unless you also file an Initial Report at the same time, naming your registered agent and, if you already know them, your first members or managers. There's no extra charge for the second document — it's included in your $105 filing fee, $100 today.
Louisiana has no franchise tax on a standard LLC, and the state finished repealing its corporate franchise tax entirely for tax periods starting January 1, 2026 — a corporation now owes only Louisiana's flat 5.5% income tax, not a separate tax on top of it. Forming the LLC itself doesn't require publishing a notice in a newspaper, unlike a handful of other states.
Cost to start an LLC in Louisiana
$105 to the Louisiana Secretary of State — that's it. We don't charge a filing fee on top of it. A Louisiana corporation runs $80 through the same process.
| What you get |  | Others |
|---|---|---|
| EIN (Tax ID) | Free | up to $99 |
| Registered agent | Freefirst year | up to $249per year |
| Name check | Free | usually free |
| Louisiana state filing feespaid to the state — same for everyone | $105 | $105 |
Free EIN with your Louisiana LLC
Your EIN (Employer Identification Number) is what opens a business bank account and identifies your company to the IRS — it's like a Social Security Number for your LLC. It's included at no extra cost, right alongside your LLC.
LLC vs Corporation in Louisiana
An LLC is simpler and more flexible, and keeps “LLC” in your business name. A corporation is a more formal structure built for issuing stock and outside investment, and keeps “Inc” or “Corp” in the name instead. 97% of our clients choose an LLC.
What is a Sole Proprietor in Louisiana?
A sole proprietorship means you're doing business as an individual. You can file a DBA with your parish to use a name other than your own. As an individual, you can't add a partner to the business, because everything is tied to your personal name and Social Security Number. If you later want to add partners or sell the business, you'll need to start an LLC or corporation.
File a DBA Under Your LLC
A DBA (Doing Business As) lets one LLC operate under more than one business name. In Louisiana, that's a Trade Name registration filed with the Secretary of State's Commercial Division — the same office that formed your LLC — for $75. An individual doing business under a different name registers locally instead, with the Clerk of Court in their own parish.
A DBA isn't required if you're fine using your LLC's own name.
Example: Louisiana Company, LLC dba Louisiana Auto Brokers.
DBA vs LLC in Louisiana
A DBA only gives you another name to use. The LLC is the actual business entity that owns the DBA name and holds all legal rights.
Common Questions
Why start an LLC in Louisiana?
It separates the business from your own name, lets you add or remove owners as the business grows, and reads as a real, established company.
How long does it take to get a Louisiana LLC?
Filing takes a few minutes on this page. Louisiana doesn't publish a fixed turnaround for standard filings, but paid rush service exists if you need it faster: $30 for 24-hour processing, $50 for same-day priority service, both paid directly to the state.
What's Louisiana's LLC annual report, and what does it cost?
$30 a year, rising to $35 on October 1, 2026, due on or before the anniversary date your LLC was formed — not a fixed calendar window shared by every LLC. It's a state filing requirement, not a tax. Miss it and Louisiana marks the LLC not in good standing; miss it for 3 consecutive years and the state revokes the LLC's articles of organization.
Do I need an EIN for my Louisiana LLC?
Yes, for a business bank account and for the IRS to recognize your company. It's included free when you file here.
What's a registered agent, and do I need one?
A registered agent is the address Louisiana sends legal mail to. Every LLC needs one, and it's included free for your first year when you file here.
Do I need an operating agreement?
Louisiana doesn't require one to file, and its law even allows an oral agreement among multiple members — but a bank will still want a written one to open your business account. You can add it when you file, or write your own later.
Still deciding on a name?
Try the free name generator — type a word you like, get real available options back, then come straight here to file.
Page updates (2)
- October 1, 2026 — Louisiana raises its Commercial Division filing fees across the board: LLC filing to $125, annual report to $35, corporation filing to $95, trade name registration to $95. Louisiana Secretary of State fee schedule →
- January 1, 2026 — Louisiana's corporation franchise tax is fully repealed; corporations now pay only the state's flat 5.5% corporate income tax. Louisiana Department of Revenue →
Sources (6)
Every fact on this page was checked directly against Louisiana's own filing agency, revenue agency, and statutes — verified September 20, 2026.
- Louisiana Secretary of State — Forms & Fee Schedule — current filing fees, through September 30, 2026
- Louisiana Secretary of State — Fee Schedule Effective 10/1/26 — the Act 921 fee increase, every line item
- La. R.S. 12:1305 — the Articles of Organization and Initial Report filed together
- La. R.S. 12:1308.1 — the annual report's anniversary-date deadline
- La. R.S. 12:1308.2 — the 3-year revocation rule and reinstatement
- Louisiana Department of Revenue — Corporate Income & Franchise Tax — the 5.5% flat rate and the franchise tax repeal