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Founder Mentor Guide

Mentor walkthrough 1 · Louisiana

Louisiana LLC Formation Walkthrough (2026): 7 Stages and the 3 Best LLC Services

Ranked for 2026, the services worth your call for forming an LLC in Louisiana are LA Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Louisiana Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. Expect 7 stages and a $125 state fee, then $35 for the annual report.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

The short version

State filing fee
$125
static.sos.la.gov, seen in October 2026
Annual report
$35 a year
When it falls due: on or before the anniversary date of organization
Three-year state cost
$195
Filing plus the repeating state fees
Stages
7
In order

Walkthrough goals

  • The Louisiana formation paper, its price and who gets it
  • What the agent rule says
  • How to stay in good standing
  • Who we would phone to file

Who we would phone in Louisiana

Three-year cost and work taken off your desk weigh the most; how we score lists all five.

Our call

1. LA Registered Agent.org: best for Louisiana LLCs working to a budget

Top recommendation$199 in year one, $99 after

Start with LA Registered Agent.org; the formation costs $199, and each later year of agent service is $99.

Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and three-year cost is 32% of the ranking.

Expect to prepare the annual report yourself every year.

What you get

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • No agent fee in year one
  • A small $99 renewal

What to watch

  • Preparing the annual report is on your plate
  • An EIN add-on costs $99
Visit LA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Mainstay Filing: best for no annual report to worry about

Does the most for you$199 per year

Mainstay Filing comes in second: $199 yearly buys formation, registered agent and annual report together, so you carry no surprise bills at renewal.

Three years here run $200 above LA Registered Agent.org, and cost is 32% of our ranking.

It handles the annual report too, adding Louisiana's $35 at cost.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • Registered agent all year long
  • Annual report filed for you
  • The EIN application comes with it
  • State fee passed through at cost

What works

  • The EIN stage is part of the package
  • The renewal stays at $199
  • $199 yearly with everything in it

What to watch

  • $100 a year more than LA Registered Agent.org at renewal
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. Louisiana Registered Agent.co: best for a local filer

In-state service$199 in year one, $99 after

Our third call, Louisiana Registered Agent.co: the formation costs $199, and each later year of agent service is $99.

Expect to prepare the annual report yourself every year.

LA Registered Agent.org and this service cost the same.

What you get

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • No agent fee in year one
  • A small $99 renewal

What to watch

  • Preparing the annual report is on your plate
  • An EIN add-on costs $99
Visit Louisiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every price in one table

#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.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Plan for $125 more in state fees, whichever row you pick.

Formation in order

  1. Stage 1

    Choose a name that is open

    Look your name up on the Louisiana register at the Louisiana Secretary of State. It takes a few minutes and spares you a rejected filing.

    Pick a second choice now.

  2. Stage 2

    Name your registered agent

    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.

    You can hire whichever recommended service you like for this.

    Check it yourself: legis.la.gov, seen in October 2026

  3. Stage 3

    Do it yourself or pay someone

    Doing it yourself costs just the $125 state fee. A service adds $199 and takes over the forms; our ranking shows who we would phone.

  4. Stage 4

    The paper to file is the Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company

    What you need: the Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company (Form 365), a check or card for $125, and the Louisiana Secretary of State as the address.

    Check it yourself: static.sos.la.gov, seen in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    Get your EIN

    State approval first, IRS number second. Pick Mainstay Filing and this stage is done for you.

  6. Stage 6

    Draft the operating agreement

    It spells out shares, voting and what happens if someone leaves. It stays private.

  7. Stage 7

    Stay in good standing in Louisiana

    Keep the LLC active by sending in the annual report every year ($35) before on or before the anniversary date of organization.

    Check it yourself: legis.la.gov, seen in October 2026

The bill

ItemWho gets paidSum
The formation stageGoes to the state$125
Annual reportGoes to the state$35 every year
A filing service (optional)The provider$199 to start
State total across three yearsGoes to the state$195
Add the filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax and you have the state's three-year total. The pages listed below show where each figure came from.

Why the list runs this way

On three-year bill (32% of the score) finished first, with right behind.

Add up three years and LA Registered Agent.org lands on $397, $200 below Mainstay Filing.

Short answers

Which fees does Louisiana charge when an LLC is formed?

Louisiana bills $125. Service fees on our list run $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Mail or upload the Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company (Form 365) to the Louisiana Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Louisiana require each year?

Once a year the LLC sends in its annual report and pays $35, due on or before the anniversary date of organization.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

You can. The state takes $125 at filing, and the LLC still needs a registered agent on record.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Go with LA Registered Agent.org: $199 to get going, agent service for year one included, then $99 each year. Then Mainstay Filing and Louisiana Registered Agent.co.

Where we got the facts

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