Louisiana LLC Cost: Filing Fees, Annual Report & Total

Louisiana's fee schedule is one to double check before paying. The state's fees were recently changed, and a filing can show up with two or three slightly different prices depending on how you file and who is quoting it.

The amounts here come from the sources named in each table and were checked on Oct 11, 2026. Because the fees recently changed, confirm the current amount with the Louisiana Secretary of State before you file.

The Articles of Organization create the LLC. The remaining items are optional or apply to later changes.

Filing online costs $130, which includes a card fee. A name reservation costs $25. A trade name registration, which also covers trademarks and service marks on the same form, costs $95. A Certificate of Good Standing costs $25 and a certified copy of your Certificate of Organization costs $20.

An LLC formed in another state pays $185 to register in Louisiana. Changing your registered agent later costs $30.

Louisiana sells speed in two forms.

A 24-hour turnaround costs $35. Priority while-you-wait processing costs $60. That second option exists for people who go to the office in person. Neither is needed for most filings, and each adds to the base fee.

Louisiana LLCs file an annual report.

It costs $35/yr, according to LLC University. Add that to your yearly budget from the start. A registered agent is required as well. You can serve in that role yourself if you have a Louisiana address, or you can hire a commercial service, quoted at $100 – $300/yr.

The three sources report two different figures. LLC University and LegalZoom agree. ZenBusiness is a few dollars higher because it quotes the online filing price, which includes a card fee. LegalZoom's number is described as covering the articles plus an initial report.

Since the state recently changed its fees, any page, including this one, can lag behind. When two sources differ, check the Secretary of State's current fee schedule. The state's own figure decides what you owe.

Two small fees confuse Louisiana filers. A name reservation holds an LLC name before you file the Articles of Organization, so it makes sense when you are still arranging a bank account or a lease. A trade name registration is different. It covers a name your business uses in public that is not its legal name, and the same form can cover trademarks and service marks.

Most owners need neither at the start. If your LLC's legal name is also the name you advertise under, you can leave both off the first bill. Add them only when a real branding need appears.

An agent change is easy to forget in a budget. If you start as your own agent and later hire a service, or switch providers, the state charges $30 to record the change. Plan on it if you expect to move, travel often, or change your mind about handling legal mail yourself.

Think of the cost in two layers. The first layer is what the state charges: the filing, plus the yearly annual report. The second layer is what private companies charge: the registered agent, a formation service, and any document templates. Layer one is small and predictable. Layer two is where the totals diverge, and it is entirely your choice.

The state filing fee is only part of what a business owner pays. A registered agent, a formation service, and a good standing certificate all sit outside the main filing. A founder who files online, serves as their own agent, and skips every optional item pays about the online filing figure and the annual report each year.

A founder who hires an agent and reserves a name first sees the total climb quickly. Price the items one by one and decide which you need.

Louisiana's filing is manageable to complete without outside help. A formation service charges extra for preparing the documents and sometimes bundles an agent or an operating agreement. Anyone forming a company with several owners, or with complicated ownership terms, should ask a licensed attorney about the agreement between members.

None of these figures include income tax, sales tax, payroll, or local permits. Those depend on the business. Ask a licensed CPA what applies to yours, and check with your parish or city about local licensing.