How to Start an LLC in Louisiana: Filing, EIN, and Annual Report

To start an LLC in Louisiana, you file Articles of Organization and an Initial Report with the Secretary of State and pay a $100 filing fee. Most people do it online through the state’s geauxBIZ portal, though you can also mail paper forms to the Baton Rouge office. Once the state approves your filing, your LLC legally exists, and you move on to a short list of federal and state follow-ups before opening for business.¹

Pick a Name and a Registered Agent

Your LLC’s name has to include “Limited Liability Company” or an approved abbreviation (“L.L.C.” or “LLC”), and it must be distinguishable from every other entity already on file with the Secretary of State.² Run your name through the Secretary of State’s business search before you file. If you want to hold a name while you get organized, you can reserve it for 60 days for $25.³

Every Louisiana LLC also needs a registered agent with a physical address in the state.⁴ The agent accepts legal documents on your behalf, such as lawsuits or state notices, and forwards them to you. The agent must be a Louisiana resident or a business entity authorized to operate in the state.⁵ You can serve as your own agent if you have a qualifying address and can be reached at it during business hours; otherwise, hire a commercial registered agent service.

File the Articles of Organization and Initial Report

Louisiana uses two documents to create your LLC: Form 365 (Articles of Organization) and an Initial Report.

The Articles of Organization must include the LLC’s full name, its business purpose, and whether it’s a low-profit LLC (L3C). Louisiana lets you state that the company is formed “for any lawful purpose,” so you don’t have to describe every activity in detail.⁶ Optional provisions include a dissolution date, whether managers will run the LLC instead of members, or limits on member authority; skip them and the state’s default LLC rules apply.⁷

The Initial Report lists the names and addresses of your managers (if the LLC is manager-managed) or your members (if member-managed). If you file by mail, each registered agent listed has to sign before a notary public to confirm they accept the role.⁸ geauxBIZ handles that acknowledgment electronically for online filings.

How to Submit and What It Costs

The geauxBIZ portal walks you through entering your information, uploading documents, and paying at checkout. The filing fee is $100, with a $5 statutory convenience fee added for card payments.⁹ You can also mail your documents to the Secretary of State at P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804, or drop them off at 8585 Archives Avenue in Baton Rouge. Mailed filings must include a check or money order for the exact amount.

Standard filings are processed in the order received. If you need it faster, 24-hour processing costs an extra $30, and priority “while you wait” processing at the Baton Rouge office costs an extra $50.¹⁰ Once approved, you receive a Certificate of Organization confirming the LLC exists.

Get an EIN from the IRS

After the state approves your LLC, apply for an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. The EIN is your federal tax ID, and you’ll need it to open a business bank account, file tax returns, and hire employees. Applying online is free, and the IRS issues the number immediately when you finish; the person applying gives their own Social Security number or taxpayer identification number as the responsible party.¹¹

Your EIN is separate from the charter number the Secretary of State assigns. You’ll use both: the charter number for state matters, the EIN for federal tax purposes.

Register for State Taxes and Local Permits

If you’ll sell taxable goods or services or plan to hire employees, register with the Louisiana Department of Revenue through the LaTAP portal after your Secretary of State registration is complete.¹² Common accounts include sales tax and employer withholding. LLCs with employees also register separately with the Louisiana Workforce Commission for unemployment insurance tax.

For state income tax, Louisiana follows the federal treatment: a single-member LLC is taxed as a sole proprietorship and a multi-member LLC as a partnership, unless you elect a different classification. One recent change worth noting: Louisiana repealed its corporate franchise tax for tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2026, so LLCs that elected corporate taxation no longer owe it.¹³

Local licenses are a separate matter. Depending on your business type and location, your parish or municipality may require occupational licenses or permits. geauxBIZ can flag some local requirements based on your business address, but you should also contact your parish government, local sales tax office, or planning and zoning department directly. A home-based consultant faces different rules than a restaurant or a contractor, and skipping this step can lead to fines or an order to stop operating.

Put an Operating Agreement in Place

An operating agreement is a private contract among the members that sets out how the LLC runs: how profits and losses are split, who can do what, how decisions get made, and what happens when a member leaves. You don’t file it with the state — it stays with your business records.

Louisiana doesn’t require one. Without an agreement, though, the state’s default LLC rules control. The default gives each member one vote regardless of investment, and major decisions require a majority vote.¹⁴ An operating agreement lets you override those defaults, for example by tying voting power to ownership percentages or requiring unanimous consent for certain actions.

The agreement also settles how the LLC will be managed. In a member-managed LLC, every owner takes part in day-to-day decisions. In a manager-managed LLC, one or more designated managers (who may or may not be members) run operations while the other members stay passive. If your articles are silent, Louisiana defaults to member management.⁷

File the Annual Report Every Year

Louisiana requires every LLC to file an annual report with the Secretary of State to update basic information such as the registered agent, principal address, and names of managers or members. The filing fee is $30.⁹

The report is due on the anniversary of your LLC’s formation, and the filing window is only 30 days around that date.¹⁵ Miss it and your LLC falls out of good standing, which means it can’t enter into contracts with the state and any existing state contracts can be voided. Miss it for three straight years and the Secretary of State will revoke your articles of organization after 30 days’ written notice.¹⁶ Reinstatement is possible within three years by filing the application, submitting the current annual report, and paying a $75 reinstatement fee plus $30 for each missed report, but staying current is much cheaper and simpler.¹⁷

1
Louisiana Secretary of State. File Business Documents
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Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes RS 12:1306 – Name
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Louisiana Secretary of State. Corporation and Limited Liability Company Name Reservation Instructions
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Louisiana Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions – File Business Documents
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Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes RS 12:1308 – Registered Office and Registered Agent
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Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1302 – Purpose
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Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes RS 12:1305 – Articles of Organization and Initial Report
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Louisiana Secretary of State. Articles of Organization for Louisiana Limited Liability Company
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Louisiana Secretary of State. Get Forms and Fee Schedule
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Louisiana Secretary of State. Fee Schedule
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Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number
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Louisiana Department of Revenue. Business Registration
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Louisiana Department of Revenue. Is the Corporation Franchise Tax Repealed?
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Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1318 – Voting Rights of Members
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Louisiana Secretary of State. Annual Report Filing Instructions
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Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1308.2 – Failure to File Annual Report, Revocation and Reinstatement of Articles
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Louisiana Secretary of State. Articles of Reinstatement