IC Title 23 (2025 ed.), including IC 23-16 (limited partnerships, RULPA-based) and the IC 23-0.5-9 fee schedule - no LLLP provision or filing exists · source↗ (opens the official source)
51 of 61 fee datums on this page are verified against the agency's own published schedule or statute (2026-09-04); the rest are marked pending review in the Status column - portal-surcharge components no official page states, values the official source contradicts (held for a correction package), or sources that could not be reached.
Values were first corroborated across independent internal records; verified cells now also carry the agency's own published schedule or statute as their authority, which is what promotion to verified requires.
Cost position
Ranked 16 of 54 on first-year state
filing cost, at $129.14 against a national median
of $185.00.
Recurring annual cost $32.
See the full ranking.
Where Indiana sits among its neighbours in the first-year cost ranking (USD)Show all 54 jurisdictionsThe full ranking with Indiana highlighted (USD)
Registered-agent statutes, quoted verbatim
The one section on this page that clears the publication gate in full. 7 citations, verified, quoted from the official code with every elision marked.
IC 23-0.5-4-1
◎Verified
Uniform Business Organizations Code (IC 23-0.5), Chapter 4. Registered Agent of Entity · applies to
corporations and LLCs
Entities required to designate and maintain a registered agentSec. 1. (a) The following entities shall designate and maintain a registered agent in this state: (1) A domestic filing entity. (2) A registered foreign entity. (3) An agricultural cooperative formed under IC 15-12. (4) A business trust formed under IC 23-5-1.
Uniform Business Organizations Code (IC 23-0.5), Chapter 4. Registered Agent of Entity · applies to
corporations and LLCs
Street addressSec. 2. If a provision of this chapter other than section 9(a)(4) of this chapter requires that a record state an address, the record must state a street address in this state.
Indiana Business Corporation Law (IC 23-1) · applies to
corp
Articles of incorporation; contentsSec. 2. (a) The articles of incorporation must set forth: (1) a corporate name for the corporation that satisfies the requirements of IC 23-1-23-1 (before its repeal) or IC 23-0.5-3; (2) the number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue; (3) the street address of the corporation's initial registered office in Indiana and the name of its initial registered agent at that office; and (4) the name and address of each incorporator.
Indiana Business Flexibility Act (IC 23-18) · applies to
LLCs
Formation; articles of organization; contentsSec. 4. (a) At least one (1) person may form a limited liability company by causing articles of organization to be executed and filed for record with the office of the secretary of state. A person does not need to be a member of the limited liability company at the time of formation or after formation has occurred. (b) Articles of organization shall contain the following: (1) The name of the limited liability company. (2) The street address of the limited liability company's registered office in Indiana and the name of the limited liability company's registered agent at that office. [...]
Uniform Business Organizations Code (IC 23-0.5), Chapter 2. Filing · applies to
corporations and LLCs
Biennial report; contents; delivery; statement of changeSec. 13. (a) A domestic filing entity or registered foreign entity shall deliver to the secretary of state for filing a biennial report that states: (1) the name of the entity and, if a registered foreign entity, its jurisdiction of formation; (2) the information required by IC 23-0.5-4-3(b); (3) the street address of the entity's principal office; [...] (c) The biennial report must be delivered to the secretary of state for filing every two (2) calendar years on a schedule determined by the secretary of state. [...]
GroundsSec. 1. The secretary of state may commence a proceeding under section 2 of this chapter to dissolve a domestic filing entity administratively if the entity does not: (1) pay any fee, tax, interest, or penalty required to be paid by this article or other law not later than sixty (60) days after it is due; (2) deliver a biennial report to the secretary of state not later than sixty (60) days after it is due; (3) have a registered agent in this state for sixty (60) consecutive days; or (4) notify the secretary of state within sixty (60) days that its registered agent or registered office has been changed, that its registered agent has resigned, or that its registered office has been discontinued.
Uniform Business Organizations Code (IC 23-0.5), Chapter 3. Name of Entity · applies to
corporations and LLCs
Required words or phrasesSec. 2. (a) The name of a business corporation or nonprofit corporation must contain the word "corporation", "incorporated", "company", or "limited", or the abbreviation "Corp.", "Inc.", "Co.", or "Ltd.", or words or abbreviations of similar import in another language. [...] (d) The name of a limited liability company must contain the phrase "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC". [...]
If a represented entity ceases to have a registered agent, or the agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served, the entity may be served by registered or certified mail (or similar commercial delivery) to its principal office; if that fails, by handing a copy to the individual in charge of any regular place of business. Separately, revocation of a foreign registration appoints the Secretary of State as the entity's agent for service (IC 23-0.5-5-11(e)) with a $10 fee (IC 23-0.5-9-56).
What happens if there is no agent
○Pending review
Administrative Dissolution. A domestic filing entity without a registered agent for 60 consecutive days, or that fails to notify the Secretary of State within 60 days of an agent change, resignation, or office discontinuance, may be administratively dissolved (60-day cure window after notice under IC 23-0.5-6-2).
Revocation Foreign. A registered foreign entity's registration may be revoked for not having a registered agent or for failing to file a statement of change within 30 days of a change in the agent's name or address; upon revocation the Secretary of State becomes the entity's agent for service (IC 23-0.5-5-11(e)).
No Court Access. A foreign entity doing business in Indiana may not maintain an action or proceeding in Indiana unless registered - the downstream consequence once registration is revoked for registered agent failure.
Reinstatement Fee. Reinstatement requires paying all back fees, taxes, interest and penalties, a certificate of clearance from the department of state revenue, plus a $20 (electronic) or $30 (paper) application fee under IC 23-0.5-9-42.
Dollar amounts named in the registered-agent statutes
What
Amount
Status
Fee for filing an application for reinstatement following administrative dissolution or revocation (electronic / non-electronic)
$20 / $30
○Pending review
Fee collected each time process is served on the secretary of state under IC 23-0.5 (recoverable as costs by a prevailing party)
$10
○Pending review
Maximum civil penalty for a foreign entity transacting business in Indiana without a certificate of authority
$10,000
○Pending review
Fee for filing a commercial registered agent listing statement (electronic / non-electronic)
$20 / $30
○Pending review
Fee for filing a commercial registered agent termination statement (electronic / non-electronic)
$20 / $30
○Pending review
Filing a registered agent or office statement of change
No fee
○Pending review
Filing a registered agent statement of resignation
No fee
○Pending review
15 statutory citations and their supporting verbatim quotations sit behind this section in the record and are withheld from public display until the review pass lands, because a citation presented as authority is a verification claimed. Statutory references appearing inside the summaries above are part of the recorded text rather than an authority claim, and they are not rendered as citations, linked, or emitted in this page's structured data. How the gate works.
Governance rules
7 governance rules are recorded for Indiana - the organizational and annual meetings, action by written consent, and whether bylaws or an operating agreement are mandatory. Each verified rule links to the statutory text it was verified against, quoted verbatim below.
Organizational meeting required · applies to
corporations ·
yes
the initial directors shall hold an organizational meeting... to complete the organization of the corporation by electing or appointing officers, adopting bylaws
Annual meeting required · applies to
corporations ·
yes
Unless directors are elected by written consent instead of at an annual meeting as permitted by section 4 of this chapter, a corporation shall hold a meeting of the shareholders annually
Action by written consent allowed · applies to
corporations ·
yes
Unless otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation, any action... may be taken without a meeting... if consents in writing... are signed by the holders of outstanding shares having at least the minimum number of votes
Operating agreement required · applies to
LLCs ·
no
"Operating agreement" means any written or oral agreement of the members as to the affairs of a limited liability company and the conduct of its business that is binding upon all the members.
the affirmative vote, approval, or consent of a majority in interest of the members is required to decide a matter connected with the business or affairs of the limited liability company
Action by written consent allowed · applies to
LLCs ·
yes
except as otherwise provided in a written operating agreement... the affirmative vote, approval, or consent of a majority in interest of the members is required
Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division (INBiz portal). Sole proprietorships and general partnerships instead file with the County Recorder in each county where situated - corporations/LLCs/LPs/LLPs do NOT file at the county.
Indiana splits the assumed-name filing by business form within a single statute. Individuals and general partnerships (other than LLPs) doing business under a name other than their real name file a certificate with the county recorder of each county where a place of business or office is situated (IC 23-0.5-3-4(a)); filing entities (corporations, nonprofits, LLCs, LPs, LLPs) doing business under a name other than the name in their organic record file with the Secretary of State (IC 23-0.5-3-4(e)).
Where it is filed
County recorder (each county with a place of business or office) for individuals and general partnerships; Indiana Secretary of State for filing entities.
Publication
IC 23-0.5-3-4 (reviewed in full, subsections (a) through (k)) contains no newspaper-publication requirement; the recorded or filed certificate completes registration.
Name restrictions
A filing entity may not include an entity indicator (such as 'Inc.', 'Corp.', 'LLC', 'LP', or 'LLP') in an assumed business name filing that is inconsistent with its actual entity type, subject to a 12-month grace period after a conversion, domestication, or merger. Separately, a name or assumed name may not contain language falsely indicating or implying connection with a government agency, and an SOS-registered assumed name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records under IC 23-0.5-3-1(a).
Assumed names for registered entities
Filing entities register assumed business names with the Secretary of State under IC 23-0.5-3-4(e). Separately, a foreign entity whose true name does not comply with Indiana's name standards must adopt an alternate name to register to do business; an entity that registers under an alternate name need not also comply with the assumed-name statute, and it thereafter does business under the alternate name or a name authorized under IC 23-0.5-3-4.
Penalties
Violating the assumed-name filing requirement is a Class B infraction.
SOS application for assumed business name, filed electronically (for-profit entity, per assumed name)
$20
Ind. Code § 23-0.5-9-40(a)(1)
◎Verified
SOS application for assumed business name, filed other than electronically (for-profit entity, per assumed name)
$30
Ind. Code § 23-0.5-9-40(b)(1)
◎Verified
SOS application for assumed business name, filed electronically (nonprofit corporation, per assumed name)
$10
Ind. Code § 23-0.5-9-40(a)(2)
◎Verified
SOS application for assumed business name, filed other than electronically (nonprofit corporation, per assumed name)
$26
Ind. Code § 23-0.5-9-40(b)(2)
◎Verified
Cancellation of assumed business name
No fee
Ind. Code § 23-0.5-9-41
◎Verified
Known gaps in the record
Fees: the county-recorder fee for individual/GP filings is cross-referenced to IC 36-2-7-10 (not in corpus) - no dollar figure appears in IC 23-0.5-3-4(d)
Term: IC 23-0.5-3-4 states no duration, expiration, or renewal for assumed business name certificates (full section reviewed)
Exclusiverights: no express no-exclusive-right language in the act; classification rests on the reserved-name and distinguishability provisions cited
Common questions
Where do I file an assumed business name (DBA) in Indiana?
It depends on your business form. Under Ind. Code § 23-0.5-3-4(a), individuals and general partnerships (other than LLPs) record a certificate with the county recorder of each county in which a place of business or office is situated. Under § 23-0.5-3-4(e), filing entities such as corporations, LLCs, LPs, and LLPs file their certificate of assumed business name with the Indiana Secretary of State.
Do I need an Indiana DBA if my business name includes my last name?
Ind. Code § 23-0.5-3-4(i) states that the section does not apply to an individual doing business under a name that includes the individual's true surname, or to a person other than an individual doing business under a name that includes some or all of the true surnames of the individuals comprising it.
How much does an Indiana assumed business name filing cost?
For filings with the Secretary of State, Ind. Code § 23-0.5-9-40 sets the fee at $20 per assumed name filed electronically ($30 on paper) for for-profit entities, and $10 electronically ($26 on paper) for nonprofit corporations. Cancellation is free (§ 23-0.5-9-41). The county recorder's fee for individual and partnership filings is set by a separate fee statute, IC 36-2-7-10.
What is the penalty for not filing an Indiana assumed business name?
Under Ind. Code § 23-0.5-3-4(j), a person or entity that violates the section commits a Class B infraction.
Recurring entity-level tax
No franchise or privilege tax in this jurisdiction
Stored as a delta against the federal baseline:
5 days this state closes that the
federal government does not, and 2 federal
holidays its filing office works through.
Indiana 2026 closure delta
Date
Day
Filing office
2026-02-16
Washington's Birthday (February observance)
OPEN - federal holiday not observed
2026-04-03
Good Friday
Filing office closed
2026-05-05
Primary Election Day
Filing office closed
2026-06-19
Juneteenth
OPEN - federal holiday not observed
2026-11-03
General Election Day
Filing office closed
2026-11-27
Lincoln's Birthday (observed day after Thanksgiving)
Filing office closed
2026-12-24
Washington's Birthday (observed at Christmas Eve)
Filing office closed
Provenance - Indiana 2026 closures◎Verified
Citation withheld: this record did not clear the publication gate.
3 restricted entity-name word entries
are recorded for Indiana - 1 prohibited outright,
the rest requiring an agency's consent or licensure before the word may appear in a name.
Governing law: IC 23-0.5-3-1 to 23-0.5-3-5 (Uniform Business Organizations Code, name chapter).
Indiana restricted entity-name words
Treatment
Word or phrase
Authority
Citation
Status
Consent required
bank (and any derivative: banc, banco, bankcor)
Indiana Department of Financial Institutions
IC 23-0.5-3-5(a)-(b): a filing containing 'bank' or any derivative 'must be forwarded to the department of financial institutions for review' against IC 28-1-20-4, and 'may be filed by the secretary of state only after the filing has been approved by the department of financial institutions'; violation grounds for administrative dissolution per (e)
◎Verified
Prohibited
any language falsely implying the entity is, or is connected with, a government agency
IC 23-0.5-3-1(e): name or assumed name 'shall not contain language that falsely indicates or implies that the ... entity is, or is connected with, a government agency of this state, another state, or the United States'; SOS may remove a violating name per (f)
◎Verified
Restricted
Medical
IC 23-0.5-3-2(a): 'only a professional corporation in which all shareholders are physicians licensed under IC 25-22.5 may use the term "medical" in its corporate name'
● accepted · ○ not accepted · ? unknown or conditional (hover for the recorded condition). Channel data covers 54 jurisdictions (2026-08-15 wave). Source links render on verified rows only.
Contact the filing office
Verified against the agency's own contact page
2026-08-13 - office hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.
Source links render on verified rows only.
Business Services Division, 302 West Washington Street, Room E-018, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Courier / walk-in
302 West Washington Street, Room E-018, Indianapolis, IN 46204 (street address - same for courier)
One consolidated surface: the Business Services Division / INBiz line and Room E-018 street address are what the current form footers instruct; most filings should go through INBiz.in.gov online
Where to search Indiana's UCC (Article 9) financing statements, on what terms, and what the office charges to file one. Verified against the filing office's own pages 2026-09-11. UCC division contacts are listed with the other filing-office contacts above.
UCC records - Indiana◎Verified
Filing office
Indiana Secretary of State - Business Services Division (UCC program delivered through the INBiz portal, inbiz.in.gov)
Filing-office statute
IC 26-1-9.1-501 (cited by Rule 103 of the Indiana UCC Administrative Rules, inbiz.in.gov/Assets/UCC_ADMINSTATIVE_RULES.pdf: 'The place to file is the filing office designated in Indiana Code 26-1-9.1-501'; the statute text itself was not readable - iga.in.gov is a JS app that returned no section text)
Yes, free - the browse search 'allows you to browse lien records and access associated images of UCC filings' (inbiz.in.gov/business-filings/ucc); purchased search certificates also include images (login required)
$13 online through INBiz ($3 online for a public-finance or manufactured-home financing statement); $12 on paper, regardless of page count or number of debtor names
Filing channels
online or paper; Online through the INBiz portal (inbiz.in.gov, 'File Now' at /BOS/Menu/OnlineServices, Access Indiana login); paper UCC-1 (State Form 50181) accepted with the $12.00 fee per the official form instruct
Whether Indiana requires a general state-level business license, and on what terms. A "None" is a verified finding cited to the agency's own pages, not a gap. Which of the state's filings ask for an industry code is in the next section.
State business license - Indiana◎Verified
General state license
None - the state issues no general business license; licensing is occupation-specific and local
Which of Indiana's business filings ask the filer for an industry classification, and in what form. "No industry information" is a positive finding cited to the form. Where the state uses its own category list and the list was captured, it is expandable below. The NAICS and SIC reference lists are on their own page.
Industry code on Indiana filings, 5 of 5 rows verified
Filing
Entity scope
Asks for
Required
Where on the form
Source
Formation
domestic for-profit corporation
no industry information
not asked
State Form 4159 - Articles I (Name and Principal Office), II (Registered Agent), III (Authorized Shares), IV (Incorporators); no purpose or industry article
Indiana has 92 county-equivalents: 92 countyies. Names and codes are the U.S. Census Bureau's (2020 national county codes); county seats and official sites are not yet published here.
All 92 county-equivalents
Indiana county-equivalents
Name
Type
FIPS
Note
Adams County
county
18001
Allen County
county
18003
Bartholomew County
county
18005
Benton County
county
18007
Blackford County
county
18009
Boone County
county
18011
Brown County
county
18013
Carroll County
county
18015
Cass County
county
18017
Clark County
county
18019
Clay County
county
18021
Clinton County
county
18023
Crawford County
county
18025
Daviess County
county
18027
Dearborn County
county
18029
Decatur County
county
18031
DeKalb County
county
18033
Delaware County
county
18035
Dubois County
county
18037
Elkhart County
county
18039
Fayette County
county
18041
Floyd County
county
18043
Fountain County
county
18045
Franklin County
county
18047
Fulton County
county
18049
Gibson County
county
18051
Grant County
county
18053
Greene County
county
18055
Hamilton County
county
18057
Hancock County
county
18059
Harrison County
county
18061
Hendricks County
county
18063
Henry County
county
18065
Howard County
county
18067
Huntington County
county
18069
Jackson County
county
18071
Jasper County
county
18073
Jay County
county
18075
Jefferson County
county
18077
Jennings County
county
18079
Johnson County
county
18081
Knox County
county
18083
Kosciusko County
county
18085
LaGrange County
county
18087
Lake County
county
18089
LaPorte County
county
18091
Lawrence County
county
18093
Madison County
county
18095
Marion County
county
18097
consolidated city-county
Marshall County
county
18099
Martin County
county
18101
Miami County
county
18103
Monroe County
county
18105
Montgomery County
county
18107
Morgan County
county
18109
Newton County
county
18111
Noble County
county
18113
Ohio County
county
18115
Orange County
county
18117
Owen County
county
18119
Parke County
county
18121
Perry County
county
18123
Pike County
county
18125
Porter County
county
18127
Posey County
county
18129
Pulaski County
county
18131
Putnam County
county
18133
Randolph County
county
18135
Ripley County
county
18137
Rush County
county
18139
St. Joseph County
county
18141
Scott County
county
18143
Shelby County
county
18145
Spencer County
county
18147
Starke County
county
18149
Steuben County
county
18151
Sullivan County
county
18153
Switzerland County
county
18155
Tippecanoe County
county
18157
Tipton County
county
18159
Union County
county
18161
Vanderburgh County
county
18163
Vermillion County
county
18165
Vigo County
county
18167
Wabash County
county
18169
Warren County
county
18171
Warrick County
county
18173
Washington County
county
18175
Wayne County
county
18177
Wells County
county
18179
White County
county
18181
Whitley County
county
18183
Other records held
Other records held for Indiana
Record
Value
Status
State trademark registration
$10 per class, 5 year term, $10 renewal
○Pending review
Change of registered agent
$0
○Pending review
Who must be named in public filings
LLC: formation (IC 23-18-2-4(b)) requires only name, registered office/agent, duration, and a manager-managed statement if applicable - NO member or manager names/addresses; the biennial report (IC 23-0.5-2-13(a)) requires member/manager info for NO entity type, only name, RA info (23-0.5-4-3(b)) and principal office s
○Pending review
These come from a research pass its own author graded CANDIDATES. They are shown because they are useful and withheld from every ranking on this site because they are not ratified.