How to form an LLC in Louisiana (2026)

File a domestic Louisiana LLC on geauxBIZ when you live in Louisiana and will do the work from Louisiana. Articles of Organization (Form #365) cost $125 on the SOS Forms & Fee Schedule (Act 921 fees in effect since 1 October 2026). Five steps: confirm Louisiana facts, gather the Articles with a Louisiana registered agent, file on geauxBIZ, pay $125, then get a free EIN. Compare structures on LLC vs sole proprietorship.

Short version for 2026: form through Louisiana SOS geauxBIZ (linked from sos.la.gov/business-services) (Articles of Organization, Form #365), expect $125 (raised from $100 on 1 October 2026 under Act 921), appoint a Louisiana registered agent with a municipal street address — see registered agent, skip any newspaper advertising pitch that is not on the Articles path, and calendar the $35 annual report due on or before the organization anniversary each year.

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

$125. The SOS Forms & Fee Schedule (re-checked 12 October 2026) lists Articles of Organization Form #365 at $125 — the Act 921 amount in effect since 1 October 2026 (was $100 before that date). Optional expedite 24h ($35) or priority ($60) appear on the special-handling table but are not required for a normal online filing. Budget $35 a year for the annual report after that. Credit cards add a $5 statutory convenience fee.

How do I file Articles of Organization on geauxBIZ?

Go to sos.la.gov/business-services and open geauxBIZ (geauxbiz.sos.la.gov). Create or sign into an account, file Articles of Organization for a new Louisiana LLC, enter the name and Louisiana registered agent (municipal street address), then pay. The accepted filing is your formation proof — keep the receipt.

1. Confirm you live and work in Louisiana. Use this path only if you live in Louisiana and will do the work from Louisiana. A Georgia operator should not treat Louisiana filing as a default upgrade.
2. Gather Articles of Organization information. Have a distinguishable LLC name, Articles of Organization (Form #365) details, a Louisiana registered agent with a municipal street address, and member or manager information as the form requires.
3. File on geauxBIZ. File Articles of Organization through Louisiana Secretary of State geauxBIZ at geauxbiz.sos.la.gov (linked from sos.la.gov/business-services).
4. Pay the $125 Articles of Organization fee. Pay the $125 Articles of Organization fee printed on the SOS Forms & Fee Schedule (Act 921 fees in effect since 1 October 2026). Pay what geauxBIZ shows and keep the receipt.
5. Get an EIN after the articles are accepted. After the state Articles of Organization are accepted, obtain an Employer Identification Number free on IRS.gov. Form the state entity first.

Does a Louisiana LLC need a registered agent?

Yes. Articles of Organization will not finish without a Louisiana registered agent who has a municipal street address — not a P.O. box alone. The agent and office go on the public record. Changing them later uses Form #983 at $30 on the fee schedule. DIY versus commercial: Registered agent basics.

When is the Louisiana LLC annual report due, and what does it cost?

Every Louisiana LLC files an annual report each year, due on or before the anniversary date of organization (La. R.S. 12:1308.1). The state fee is $35 on the SOS Forms & Fee Schedule (re-checked 12 October 2026). File online through geauxBIZ. Missed reports can lead to not-in-good-standing status and, after prolonged nonfiling, revocation.

Do I get an EIN before or after the Louisiana LLC?

Usually right after. The IRS says to form the state entity first, and the EIN is free on IRS.gov. Get it the same day the Articles are accepted if you need a bank account. Walkthrough: Get an EIN.

Does a Louisiana LLC need newspaper publication?

No. The SOS Articles of Organization path and Forms & Fee Schedule do not list a newspaper publication step for a standard domestic Louisiana LLC. Skip any publication add-on that is not on the formation path.

Louisiana LLC fee table (re-checked 12 October 2026)

Fees re-checked on the SOS Forms & Fee Schedule and the Act 921 fee-change PDF on 12 October 2026. If geauxBIZ shows a different checkout total, pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt. Credit card convenience fee: $5. Optional expedite 24h $35 / priority $60.

File in Louisiana if the work is in Louisiana

A domestic Louisiana LLC is organized by filing Articles of Organization (Form #365) with the Louisiana Secretary of State. Online filing runs through geauxBIZ. A company already formed somewhere else that wants to transact business in Louisiana files a foreign LLC Application (Form #972) — a different instrument (fee schedule $185).

Filing in Wyoming, Delaware, or Georgia does not move Louisiana work out of Louisiana. A foreign entity that transacts business here still needs a Louisiana registered agent and Louisiana foreign registration, plus the formation state’s agent and report. Home-state filing is the cheaper default for a one-state operator. Multi-state registration overview: Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.

What to have on the desk before opening geauxBIZ

Checked against the SOS Forms & Fee Schedule, the 10/1/26 fee-change PDF, and geauxBIZ on 12 October 2026:

• A distinguishable LLC name. Search SOS business records before ordering letterhead. Optional name reservation (Form #398) is $25 on the fee schedule — not required to form.
• Articles of Organization details, including the registered agent and Louisiana municipal street address (not a P.O. box alone), plus member or manager information as the current form requires.
• Registered agent who can accept service of process in Louisiana. See Registered agent basics for a new LLC.
• Organizer / payment method. Credit card payments are subject to a statutory convenience fee ($5 on the special-handling table).

No newspaper or other advertising is required on the standard domestic Articles of Organization path. If member/manager details were incomplete at formation, a Supplemental Initial Report (Form #366) may be due — $30 on the current fee schedule. Low-profit L3C and professional paths are out of scope for a default 1099 single-member LLC on this page.

File through geauxBIZ

The primary path on this page is geauxBIZ at geauxbiz.sos.la.gov (linked from sos.la.gov/business-services). Create or sign into an account, file Articles of Organization for a new Louisiana LLC, and pay. The Forms & Fee Schedule lists $125 for Form #365 (Act 921 fees in effect since 1 October 2026).

Optional trade name, certified copies ($20), or other line items belong on the current fee schedule and checkout screen — this page does not invent add-ons. Pay what geauxBIZ shows and keep the receipt.

After the Articles of Organization are filed

Formation with the SOS is not a Louisiana Department of Revenue tax account, a sales-tax license, a city license, or a professional license. Those have their own filings. geauxBIZ can route some LDR / Louisiana Works registrations in the same session — follow only the screens that apply.

The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first, then obtain an Employer Identification Number. That application on IRS.gov is free.

Louisiana does not require an operating agreement to be filed with the Articles of Organization. A written agreement still matters between members. Banks often ask for one anyway. See LLC operating agreement basics.

Annual report — due on the organization anniversary, $35

Louisiana requires an annual report for domestic LLCs on or before the anniversary date of organization each year (La. R.S. 12:1308.1). Fee: $35 on the SOS Forms & Fee Schedule (re-checked 12 October 2026). File from the geauxBIZ annual-report path.

Put the anniversary on a calendar the day articles are accepted. Cross-state renewals: LLC annual report and annual registration. This page does not compute anyone’s tax.

Missing reports can lead to not-in-good-standing status and, after prolonged nonfiling, revocation. Overview of admin-dissolve vs reinstate: Reinstate an administratively dissolved or revoked LLC.

Louisiana LLC FAQ

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

Louisiana Secretary of State Forms & Fee Schedule lists Articles of Organization — Louisiana Limited Liability Company (Form #365) at $125 (Act 921 fees in effect since 1 October 2026; re-checked 12 October 2026). File through geauxBIZ (geauxbiz.sos.la.gov). Credit card payments add a statutory convenience fee ($5 on the special-handling table). Optional expedite 24h ($35) or priority ($60) are not required for the online path. Pay what geauxBIZ shows and keep the receipt.

When is the Louisiana LLC annual report due?

On or before the anniversary date of organization each year (La. R.S. 12:1308.1). SOS Forms & Fee Schedule prices the annual report at $35 (re-checked 12 October 2026). File through geauxBIZ. A Supplemental Initial Report (Form #366, $30) may be required if member/manager information was not complete at formation — that is a separate formation follow-up, not the recurring annual report. Cross-state renewals: LLC annual report and annual registration.

Does a Louisiana LLC need a registered agent?

Yes. Articles of Organization and the annual report require a registered agent with a Louisiana municipal street address (not a P.O. box alone). Change of Registered Office or Agent (Form #983) is $30 on the fee schedule. DIY versus commercial tradeoffs: Registered agent basics for a new LLC.

Does a domestic Louisiana LLC need newspaper publication?

No. The Louisiana SOS Articles of Organization path and Forms & Fee Schedule do not include a newspaper publication step for a standard Louisiana LLC. Skip any “Louisiana LLC publication” add-on that is not on the Articles path. New York LLCs do publish under a different statute — see How to form an LLC in New York.

Should I form in Wyoming or Delaware if I live and work in Louisiana?

For a one-state operator who lives and works in Louisiana, home-state (domestic Louisiana) filing is the honest default. A Wyoming or Delaware LLC that transacts business in Louisiana still needs a Louisiana registered agent and a Louisiana foreign LLC Application (Form #972, $185 on the fee schedule) — plus the formation state’s agent and report. Multi-state overview: Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.

How do I file Louisiana Articles of Organization on geauxBIZ?

Open geauxBIZ (linked from sos.la.gov/business-services), create or sign into an account, file Articles of Organization (Form #365) for a new Louisiana LLC with a distinguishable name and a Louisiana registered agent (municipal street address), then pay the $125 Articles fee. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.

Do I get an EIN before or after filing the Louisiana LLC?

After the Articles of Organization are accepted. The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first; the EIN application on IRS.gov is free. Walkthrough: Get an EIN after the state entity exists. After the EIN, park operating cash in a dedicated account — see First business checking account.

What this page does not cover

• Low-profit L3C, professional entities, conversions, or foreign registration of an out-of-state company beyond the fee citation above.
• Sales-tax, employer withholding, unemployment, Workers’ Compensation, or local business licenses.
• Whether an S corporation election is worth the payroll. That is a CPA conversation after there is real net income.
• Any promise that an LLC prevents a personal guarantee on a bank account or a business card. It usually does not.
• Telling a Georgia operator to file Louisiana as a sophistication upgrade.
• Voluntary dissolution — Affidavit to Dissolve Form #368 is $125 on the SOS fee schedule, and the paper form is sworn before a notary (you can do that online through Business Anywhere); confirm before filing; see Dissolve or cancel an LLC.
• Processor fees or portal line items that are not printed on the sources above.