Jurisdiction record

Louisiana

Everything this record holds on Louisiana: 52 fee cells, 10 verified registered-agent statute citations, 41 good-standing status strings, 7 governance rules, a state-level DBA regime, 15 official statute files in the verification corpus, and 6 monitored sources.

Filing agency: Louisiana Secretary of State. Official sites: agency home (opens the official source) · forms and fees (opens the official source) · fee schedule (opens the official source) · entity search (opens the official source) · annual report filing (opens the official source) · statutes (opens the official source)

Filing fees

Statutory fee is the amount fixed by statute or the agency schedule. Effective remittance is what actually leaves the bank once any e-payment surcharge or bundled component is included. Partnership entity types are covered too: LP is a limited partnership, LLP a limited liability partnership, LLLP a limited liability limited partnership. A row reading not offered or no report required is a verified positive finding cited to the statute that proves it - not a gap.

Louisiana filing fees by transaction and entity type
TransactionStatutory feeEffective remittanceComponents and changesStatus
Formation - LLC$100$105bundled: statutory credit-card convenience fee $5.00; becomes $125.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
Formation - Corporation$75$80bundled: statutory credit-card convenience fee $5.00; becomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
Formation - LP$100not yet publishednoneVerified
Formation - LLP$125not yet publishednoneVerified
Formation - LLLPnot offered in this jurisdictionLa. Civil Code arts. 2801-2848 (partnership, incl. partnership in commendam) and R.S. 9:3431-3435 (registered limited liability partnerships) contain no LLLP provision; the SOS Forms & Fee Schedule lists no LLLP filing · source (opens the official source)Verified
Annual report - LLC$30$35bundled: statutory credit-card convenience fee $5.00; becomes $35.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
Annual report - Corporation$30$35bundled: statutory credit-card convenience fee $5.00; becomes $35.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
Annual report - LP$30not yet publishednoneVerified
Annual report - LLP$125not yet publishednoneVerified
Certificate of good standing - All entity types$20not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - Corporation$25not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - LLC$25not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - Nonprofit$25not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - Corporation$75not yet publishedbecomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
amendment - Nonprofit$75not yet publishedbecomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
amendment - LLC$100not yet publishedbecomes $125.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
amendment - LP$100not yet publishedbecomes $125.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
amendment - corp_foreign$125not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - nonprofit_foreign$125not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - llc_foreign$150not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - lp_foreign$150not yet publishedbecomes $185.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
merger - Corporation$75not yet publishedbecomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
merger - Nonprofit$75not yet publishedbecomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
merger - LLC$100not yet publishedbecomes $125.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
merger - LP$100not yet publishedbecomes $125.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
merger - LLP$125not yet publishedbecomes $155.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
conversion - Corporation$75not yet publishednoneVerified
conversion - Nonprofit$75not yet publishednoneVerified
conversion - LLC$100not yet publishednoneVerified
conversion - LP$100not yet publishednoneVerified
conversion - LLP$125not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_qualification - Corporation$125not yet publishedbecomes $155.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
foreign_qualification - Nonprofit$125not yet publishedbecomes $155.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
foreign_qualification - LLC$150not yet publishedbecomes $185.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
foreign_qualification - LP$150not yet publishedbecomes $185.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
foreign_withdrawal - Corporation$125not yet publishedbecomes $155.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
foreign_withdrawal - Nonprofit$125not yet publishedbecomes $155.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
foreign_withdrawal - LLC$150not yet publishedbecomes $185.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
foreign_withdrawal - LP$150not yet publishedbecomes $185.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
dissolution - Corporation$75not yet publishedbecomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
dissolution - Nonprofit$75not yet publishedbecomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
dissolution - LLC$100not yet publishedbecomes $125.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
dissolution - LP$100not yet publishedbecomes $125.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
cancellation - Corporation$75not yet publishedbecomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
revocation_of_dissolution - Corporation$75not yet publishedbecomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
revocation_of_dissolution - Nonprofit$75not yet publishedbecomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
revocation_of_dissolution - LLC$100not yet publishedbecomes $125.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
reinstatement - Corporation$75not yet publishedbecomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
reinstatement - Nonprofit$75not yet publishedbecomes $95.00 on 2026-10-01Verified
reinstatement - LLC$100not yet publishednoneVerified
reinstatement - corp_foreign$125not yet publishednoneVerified
reinstatement - nonprofit_foreign$125not yet publishednoneVerified
reinstatement - llc_foreign$150not yet publishednoneVerified
Provenance - Louisiana fee scheduleVerified

Every fee datum on this page is verified against the agency's own published schedule or statute (independent re-verification, 2026-09-04); the origin of each value is kept in its record as evidence.

Records
52 fee cells
Retrieved
2026-08-04 to 2026-09-21
Official schedule
the agency's own published schedule (opens the official source)

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 20 of 54 on first-year state filing cost, at $140.00 against a national median of $185.00. Recurring annual cost $35. See the full ranking.

$39 $78 $118 $157 OK Oklahoma $130 NE Nebraska $131 PA Pennsylvania $132 LA Louisiana $140 VA Virginia $150 MN Minnesota $155 WV West Virginia $157
Where Louisiana sits among its neighbours in the first-year cost ranking (USD)
Show all 54 jurisdictions
$260 $520 $780 $1,040 MT Montana $35 MO Missouri $51 NM New Mexico $52 MS Mississippi $53 KY Kentucky $55 HI Hawaii $67 CO Colorado $75 MI Michigan $75 UT Utah $77 IA Iowa $80 AZ Arizona $87 OH Ohio $99 ID Idaho $104 CA California $110 SC South Carolin $125 IN Indiana $129 OK Oklahoma $130 NE Nebraska $131 PA Pennsylvania $132 LA Louisiana $140 VA Virginia $150 MN Minnesota $155 WV West Virginia $157 WY Wyoming $164 GA Georgia $170 KS Kansas $175 NJ New Jersey $182 ND North Dakota $185 WI Wisconsin $196 AR Arkansas $200 CT Connecticut $200 OR Oregon $200 VT Vermont $200 NH New Hampshire $204 RI Rhode Island $208 SD South Dakota $210 NY New York $219 IL Illinois $230 AL Alabama $236 ME Maine $260 WA Washington $280 FL Florida $294 TX Texas $308 NC North Carolin $331 AK Alaska $350 GU Guam $350 DC District of C $399 PR Puerto Rico $400 DE Delaware $410 MD Maryland $464 NV Nevada $575 VI US Virgin Isl $600 TN Tennessee $614 MA Massachusetts $1,040
The full ranking with Louisiana highlighted (USD)

Registered-agent statutes, quoted verbatim

The one section on this page that clears the publication gate in full. 10 citations, verified, quoted from the official code with every elision marked.

La. R.S. 12:1-501 Verified

Business Corporation Act (La. R.S. 12, Chapter 1) · applies to corporations

Registered office and registered agentEach corporation shall continuously maintain in this state both of the following: (1) A registered office that may be, but need not be, the same as any of its places of business. (2) A registered agent, who may be either of the following: (a) An individual who resides in this state. (b) A domestic or foreign corporation or other eligible entity that does all of the following: (i) Continuously maintains an office in this state and, in the case of a foreign corporation or foreign eligible entity, is authorized to transact business in this state. [...]

retrieved 2026-07-29 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.la.gov/legis/lawsearch.aspx (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1308 Verified

Chapter 22. Limited Liability Companies (La. R.S. 12:1301 et seq.) · applies to LLCs

Registered office and registered agentA. Each limited liability company shall continuously maintain: (1) A registered office in this state. (2) At least one registered agent who shall be one of the following: (a) A citizen of the state who resides in this state. (b) A partnership or professional law corporation, which is authorized to practice law in this state, or a domestic corporation, domestic limited liability company, foreign corporation, or foreign limited liability company authorized to transact business in this state, which is authorized by its articles or certificate of incorporation or organization to act as the agent of a limited liability company for service of process and which has on file with the secretary of state a certificate setting forth the name of at least two individuals at its address in this state, each of whom is authorized to receive any process served upon it as such agent.

retrieved 2026-07-29 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.la.gov/legis/lawsearch.aspx (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1-202 Verified

Business Corporation Act (La. R.S. 12, Chapter 1) · applies to corp

Articles of incorporation and signed consent by agent to appointmentA. The articles of incorporation shall set forth all of the following: (1) A corporate name for the corporation that satisfies the requirements of R.S. 12:1-401. (2) The number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue. (3) The street address, not a post office box only, of the corporation's initial registered office, and, if different, the street address, not a post office box only, of the corporation's initial principal office. (4) The name and street address, not a post office box only, of its initial registered agent. [...] (6) The name and address of each incorporator.

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · www.legis.la.gov/legis/lawsearch.aspx (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1304 Verified

Chapter 22. Limited Liability Companies (La. R.S. 12:1301 et seq.) · applies to LLCs

FormationA. One or more persons capable of contracting may form a limited liability company by filing the articles of organization and the initial report with the secretary of state. [...] C. Upon the issuance of the certificate of organization, the limited liability company shall be duly organized, and its separate existence shall begin as of the time of filing of the articles of organization with the secretary of state. [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · www.legis.la.gov/legis/lawsearch.aspx (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1-1621 Verified

Business Corporation Act (La. R.S. 12, Chapter 1) · applies to corp

Annual report for secretary of stateA. Each corporation shall deliver to the secretary of state for filing an annual report that sets forth all of the following information: (1) The name of the corporation. (2) The address of its registered office. (3) The name and address of its registered agent. (4) The address of its principal office. (5) Names and business addresses of its directors and principal officers. [...] C. A corporation's annual report shall be delivered to the secretary of state each year on or before the anniversary of the date that the corporation was incorporated.

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · www.legis.la.gov/legis/lawsearch.aspx (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1308.1 Verified

Chapter 22. Limited Liability Companies (La. R.S. 12:1301 et seq.) · applies to LLCs

Annual reportA. On or before the anniversary date of organization of each limited liability company, a manager of the company, if its management is vested in one or more managers, or a member of the company, if its management is reserved to the members, shall file an annual report each year with the secretary of state, signed in the name of the limited liability company by the manager, member, or agent stating the following: (1) The municipal address, which shall not be a post office box only, of its registered office. [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · www.legis.la.gov/legis/lawsearch.aspx (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1-1442 Verified

Business Corporation Act (La. R.S. 12, Chapter 1) · applies to corp

Administrative terminationA. Subject to Subsection B of this Section, the secretary of state shall terminate the existence of a corporation if, according to the records of the secretary of state, the corporation has failed for ninety consecutive days to do either of the following: (1) Comply with the requirements imposed by R.S. 12:1-501 concerning the continuous maintenance in this state of a registered office and registered agent. (2) File an annual report as required by R.S. 12:1-1621. B. The secretary of state shall give the corporation at least thirty days' written notice of the secretary's intention to terminate the corporation's existence under Subsection A of this Section. [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · www.legis.la.gov/legis/lawsearch.aspx (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1308.2 Verified

Chapter 22. Limited Liability Companies (La. R.S. 12:1301 et seq.) · applies to LLCs

Failure to file annual report; revocation and reinstatement of articles; limitation on authority to do business with the stateA. The secretary of state shall revoke the articles of organization of a domestic limited liability company if it fails to file an annual report for three consecutive years according to the records of the secretary of state. B. At least thirty days prior to revoking the articles of organization pursuant to this Section, the secretary of state shall give notice to the affected limited liability company of his intent to revoke its articles of organization by directing notice of such intention to its last designated registered agent, as shown on the records of the secretary of state. [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · www.legis.la.gov/legis/lawsearch.aspx (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1-401 Verified

Business Corporation Act (La. R.S. 12, Chapter 1) · applies to corp

Corporate nameA.(1) A corporate name may include words in any language but shall be written in English letters or characters. (2) A corporate name shall contain the word "corporation", "incorporated", "company", or "limited", or the abbreviation, with or without punctuation, "corp.", "inc.", "co.", or "ltd.". [...] B. Except as authorized in Subsections C and D of this Section, a corporate name shall be distinguishable upon the records of the secretary of state from all of the following: (1) The corporate name of a corporation or nonprofit corporation incorporated in this state. [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · www.legis.la.gov/legis/lawsearch.aspx (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1306 Verified

Chapter 22. Limited Liability Companies (La. R.S. 12:1301 et seq.) · applies to LLCs

NameA. The name of each limited liability company as set forth in its articles of organization: (1)(a) Except for low-profit limited liability companies, shall contain the words "limited liability company", the abbreviation "L.L.C.", or the abbreviation "L.C.". [...] (3) Shall be distinguishable upon the records of the secretary of state from the name of any corporation, partnership, or other limited liability company organized under the laws of this state, any foreign corporation, partnership, or limited liability company registered or qualified to do business in this state, any name which is reserved under R.S. 12:1307 or R.S. 12:1-402(A), or any trade name registered with the secretary of state, unless any of the following Subparagraphs apply: [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · www.legis.la.gov/legis/lawsearch.aspx (opens the official source)

Registered-agent rules in practice

Who may serve as the agent

Pending review

For domestic corporations (Business Corporation Act of 2015), the registered agent may be an individual who resides in Louisiana, or a domestic or foreign corporation or other eligible entity that continuously maintains a Louisiana office, is authorized to transact business (if foreign), files with the Secretary of State the names of at least two individuals at its Louisiana address authorized to receive process, and is authorized by its organizational documents to act as agent for service of process. For LLCs the rule is narrower: a citizen of the state who resides in Louisiana, or a law-licensed partnership or professional law corporation, or a domestic/foreign corporation or LLC authorized to transact business whose organic documents authorize agent service and which has the two-individuals certificate on file (La. R.S. 12:1308(A)(2)). Foreign corporations remain governed by the pre-2015 law, La. R.S. 12:308(A)(1), which also allows an individual resident whose business office is identical with the registered office, or an individual attorney or law partnership.

Is the agent's consent required

Pending review

Consent required: yes.

What happens when the agent cannot be served

Pending review

For domestic corporations, if the corporation has no registered agent or the agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served, the corporation may be served by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the secretary of the corporation at its principal office; service is perfected on receipt, the return-receipt date, or 5 days after mailing. For LLCs and foreign corporations, if the registered office is vacated for 30 days without a statement of change, the office of the Secretary of State may be treated as the registered office (12:1308(F); 12:308(E)).

What happens if there is no agent

Pending review
  • Administrative Dissolution. The Secretary of State shall administratively terminate the existence of a domestic corporation that has failed for 90 consecutive days to maintain a registered office and registered agent (or to file its annual report), after at least 30 days written notice and an opportunity to cure.
  • Other. For a domestic LLC, if the registered office is vacated and no statement of change is filed within 30 days, the office of the Secretary of State may be treated as the LLC's registered office by any person other than the LLC itself.
  • Revocation Foreign. A foreign corporation's certificate of authority may be revoked by the Secretary of State for failure to maintain a registered agent or registered office in Louisiana, after not less than 60 days written notice and failure to cure. Upon revocation the authority to transact business ceases, but the registered agent's authority to accept service continues.
  • Revocation Foreign. A foreign LLC's certificate of authority may likewise be revoked (or suspended) for failure to maintain a registered agent or registered office in Louisiana, after 60 days notice and failure to cure.
  • No Court Access. A foreign corporation or foreign LLC transacting business in Louisiana without authority may not present any judicial demand before any Louisiana court; the burden is on the entity to prove it is authorized.
  • Civil Penalty. The Secretary of State may impose a penalty of up to $1,000 per violation on a foreign corporation or foreign LLC transacting business without a valid certificate of authority, plus back fees and taxes recoverable by the attorney general (12:314(C), 12:1354(C)).
  • Reinstatement Fee. A corporation terminated administratively may be reinstated within 5 years by filing articles of reinstatement and an annual report (with the registered agent's written consent to appointment) and paying the annual-report filing fee for each year between the last annual report and reinstatement. LLCs revoked for annual-report failure have a 3-year reinstatement window and must pay the reinstatement fee authorized by R.S. 12:1364(A)(1) (amount set in R.S. 49:222, outside this corpus).
Dollar amounts named in the registered-agent statutes
WhatAmountStatus
Maximum penalty per violation against a foreign corporation transacting business without a valid certificate of authority$1,000Pending review
Maximum penalty per violation against a foreign LLC transacting business without a valid certificate of authority$1,000Pending review

12 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 Louisiana - 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.

Louisiana corporate and LLC governance rules
RuleEntityAppliesDetailCitationStatus
Organizational meeting requiredCorporationyesLa. R.S. 12:1-205Verified
Annual meeting requiredCorporationyesLa. R.S. 12:1-701Verified
Action by written consent allowedCorporationyesLa. R.S. 12:1-704Verified
Bylaws requiredCorporationnoLa. R.S. 12:1-206(A)Verified
Operating agreement requiredLLCnoLa. R.S. 12:1301(A)(16)Verified
Annual meeting requiredLLCnoLa. R.S. 12:1318(A)Verified
Action by written consent allowedLLCsee the ruleLa. R.S. 12:1318(A), (D)Verified

The statutory text behind each rule

La. R.S. 12:1-205 Verified

Organizational meeting required · applies to corporations · yes

If initial directors are named in the articles of incorporation, the initial directors shall hold an organizational meeting... to complete the organization of the corporation by appointing officers

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=920218 (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1-701 Verified

Annual meeting required · applies to corporations · yes

Unless directors are elected by written consent in lieu of an annual meeting as permitted by R.S. 12:1-704, a corporation shall hold a meeting of shareholders annually

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=920249 (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1-704 Verified

Action by written consent allowed · applies to corporations · yes

may be taken without a meeting if the action is taken by all the shareholders entitled to vote... The articles of incorporation may provide that any action... may be taken without a meeting

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=920252 (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1301(A)(16) Verified

Operating agreement required · applies to LLCs · no

"Operating agreement" means any agreement, written or oral, of the members as to, or in the case of a limited liability company having a single member, any written agreement between the member and the company

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=76248 (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1318(A) Verified

Annual meeting required · applies to LLCs · no

each member of a limited liability company shall be entitled to cast a single vote on all matters properly brought before the members, and all decisions of the members shall be made by majority vote

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=76269 (opens the official source)

La. R.S. 12:1318(A), (D) Verified

Action by written consent allowed · applies to LLCs · see the rule

The articles of organization or a written operating agreement may provide for any other voting rights of members not inconsistent with Subsection C of this Section.

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence medium · verified · legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=76269 (opens the official source)

See how these rules compare across every jurisdiction.

Doing business as

State-level regime

Verified
Filing office
Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division (geauxBIZ)
State fee
$75 Trade Name Registration (Form 309), rising to $95 on October 1, 2026 (Act 921 of 2026). Name reservation $25; assignment $75 (rising to $95); cancellation $75 (rising to $95).
Term
10 years from date of registration (R.S. 51:216)
Renewal
Renewable for successive 10-year periods; renewal application within 6 months prior to expiration with proof of continued use; SOS sends notice in the year before expiration
Publication
Not required. None for the state trade name registration
Online filing
Available
The regime
Louisiana requires any person transacting business under an assumed name (any name other than the real name of the individual conducting the business) to file a notarized certificate at the parish level - with the clerk of court of each parish where the business is or will be conducted, or with the register of conveyances in the city of New Orleans. The certificate is also a condition precedent to obtaining an occupational license receipt. Corporations organized or lawfully doing business in Louisiana are exempt, as are partnerships whose name includes the real name of at least one partner. This parish-level mandatory filing is separate from Louisiana's voluntary trade-name registration with the Secretary of State under R.S. 51:211 et seq.
Where it is filed
Filing is at the parish level: the clerk of court of the parish or parishes where the business is conducted or will be conducted, except in the city of New Orleans, where the filing is with the register of conveyances. The certificate must be executed and acknowledged before a notary public.
Name restrictions
An assumed name may be in any language but must be expressed in English letters or characters for filing; it may not imply the business is a government agency, may not deceptively or falsely suggest the business is a corporate entity, and may not contain words required by law in a corporate name. A separate section bars use of the name of any public park, playground, or other public facility without written governmental consent (enforceable by civil suit with damages and destruction of infringing items).
Assumed names for registered entities
Louisiana's Business Corporation Act expressly leaves assumed / fictitious / trade names outside the corporate-name chapter (R.S. 12:1-401(E)), and corporations are exempt from the parish assumed-name certificate (R.S. 51:283). The name-conflict mechanism for a foreign corporation whose corporate name is unavailable is the fictitious-name reservation: it may reserve the exclusive filing use of a fictitious name with the Secretary of State. Separately, trade names may be registered with the Secretary of State under the voluntary regime of R.S. 51:211 et seq., and a registered trade name is among the names against which corporate names must be distinguishable (R.S. 12:1-401(B)(6)).
Penalties
Violation is punishable by a fine of $25 to $100, or imprisonment of 10 to 60 days, or both, and each day of continued violation is a separate offense.
License collectors may not issue an occupational-license receipt without presentation of the assumed-name certificate showing compliance.
A licensing official who issues a license without the required compliance is punishable under existing laws for that offense.
Official source
www.sos.la.gov/business-services/forms-fee-schedule (opens the official source)

Fees stated in or alongside the act

1 fee records held for Louisiana
FeeAmountAuthorityStatus
Filing fee (published by the filing office)$75 Trade Name Registration (Form 309), rising to $95 on October 1, 2026 (Act 921 of 2026). Name reservation $25; assignment $75 (rising to $95); cancellation $75 (rising to $95).Official filing-office page / fee schedule official source (opens the official source)Verified

Known gaps in the record

Common questions

Where is a Louisiana assumed business name (DBA) filed?

At the parish level, not with the Secretary of State. La. R.S. 51:281 requires the notarized certificate to be filed with the clerk of court of the parish or parishes where the business is or will be conducted - or, in the city of New Orleans, with the register of conveyances. Louisiana also offers a separate, voluntary trade-name registration with the Secretary of State under R.S. 51:211 et seq.

Do corporations or partnerships have to file the Louisiana assumed-name certificate?

La. R.S. 51:283 exempts any corporation duly organized under Louisiana law or lawfully doing business in Louisiana, and it does not prevent the lawful use of a partnership name that includes the real name of at least one of the persons transacting the business.

What happens if you skip the Louisiana filing?

Under La. R.S. 51:284, a violator 'shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not less than ten days nor more than sixty days, or both,' with each day of continued violation a separate offense. In addition, R.S. 51:281 bars license collectors from issuing an occupational-license receipt without a certificate showing compliance.

Are there restrictions on what a Louisiana assumed name can say?

Yes. The name must be expressed in English letters or characters for filing, may not imply the business is a government agency, may not deceptively or falsely suggest the business is a corporate entity, and may not contain words required by law in a corporate name (La. R.S. 51:281.1). Using the name of a public park, playground, or other public facility requires written consent of the governmental entity (La. R.S. 51:281.2).

Recurring entity-level tax

No franchise or privilege tax in this jurisdiction

Verified

See the national picture and the corporation cost model.

Filing-office closures, 2026

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.

Louisiana 2026 closure delta
DateDayFiling office
2026-01-02Day After New Year's (one-time)Filing office closed
2026-02-16Lundi Gras (one-time)Filing office closed
2026-02-16Washington's Birthday (Presidents Day)OPEN - federal holiday not observed
2026-02-17Mardi Gras DayFiling office closed
2026-04-03Good FridayFiling office closed
2026-10-12Columbus DayOPEN - federal holiday not observed
2026-11-03Election Day (statewide general)Filing office closed
Provenance - Louisiana 2026 closuresVerified

Citation withheld: this record did not clear the publication gate.

Source
www.doa.la.gov/doa/hr/state-holiday-calendar (opens the official source)
Retrieved
2026-07-29
Confidence
high
Review
verified

Good-standing status decoder

41 distinct status strings observed for Louisiana: 3 mean in good standing, 29 mean not in good standing, and 9 are deliberately unresolved. How this decoder is derived and why it can never be marked verified.

Louisiana observed status strings and their verdict
Observed status VerdictConfidence
(BLANK)Unresolved - do not automate on thismedium
ACTIVEIn good standinghigh
ACTIVE (PENDING WITHDRAWAL)Not in good standinghigh
ACTIVE (VOLUNTARY WITHDRAWAL PENDING)Unresolved - do not automate on thismedium
ACTIVE - NOT IN GOOD STANDING FOR FAILURE TO FILE ANNUAL REPORTNot in good standinghigh
ACTIVE / NOT IN GOOD STANDINGNot in good standinghigh
ACTIVE NOT IN GOOD STANDING FOR FAILURE TO FILE ANNUAL REPORTNot in good standinghigh
ACTIVE(VVOLUNTARY WITHDRAWAL PENDING)Not in good standinghigh
ACTIVE-WITHDRAWL PENDINGNot in good standinghigh
ACTIVE/WITHDRAWL PENDINGNot in good standinghigh
ACTIVE: NOT IN GOOD STANDING FOR FAILURE TO FILE ANNUAL REPORTNot in good standinghigh
DEFAULTNot in good standinghigh
DISSOLVEDNot in good standinghigh
FILEDUnresolved - do not automate on thislow
FILED IN <YEAR>Unresolved - do not automate on thismedium
GOOD STANDINGIn good standinghigh
IN GOOD STANDINGIn good standinghigh
INACTIVENot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE (WITHDRAWAL PENDING)Not in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - ACTION BY SECRETARY OF STATENot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - REVOKED/WDPNDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - VOLUNTARY ACTIONNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - WITHDREWNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE / REVOKEDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE ACTION BY SECRETARY OF STATENot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE MERGEDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE REVOKED/WDPNDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE:REVOKED/WDPNDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE:VOLUNTARY ACTIONNot in good standinghigh
NON SOSUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
NOT FILEDUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
NOT IN GOOD STANDINGNot in good standinghigh
NOT IN GOOD STANDING FOR FAILURE TO FILE ANNUAL REPORTNot in good standinghigh
NOT SOS FILEDUnresolved - do not automate on thislow
NOT YET FILEDUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
REVOKEDNot in good standinghigh
REVOKED/WDPNDNot in good standinghigh
UNKNOWNUnresolved - do not automate on thishigh
WITHDRAWAL PENDINGNot in good standinghigh
WITHDRAWNNot in good standinghigh
WITHDRAWN PENDINGNot in good standinghigh

Restricted entity-name words

8 restricted entity-name word entries are recorded for Louisiana - 6 prohibited outright, the rest requiring an agency's consent or licensure before the word may appear in a name.

Governing law: La. R.S. 12:1-401 (Business Corporation Act, corporate name); La. R.S. 12:1306 (LLC name).

Louisiana restricted entity-name words
TreatmentWord or phrase AuthorityCitationStatus
Prohibitedbank / banker / banking / savings / safe deposit / trust / trustee / building and loan / homestead / credit unionLouisiana Office of Financial Institutions (filing gate: 14-day prior written notice for corporations per 12:1-401(F); written approval of the OFI commissioner for LLCs per 12:1306(F)(2))La. R.S. 12:1-401(A)(3)(d)(ii): corporate name shall not contain, 'Except for a bank holding company, "bank", "banker", "banking", "savings", "safe deposit", "trust", "trustee", "building and loan", "homestead", or "credit union"'; filing gate at 12:1-401(F) and 12:1306(F)(2)Verified
Prohibitedcasualty / redevelopment corporation / electrical cooperativeLa. R.S. 12:1-401(A)(3)(d)(i): corporate name shall not contain, in any form, '"Casualty", "redevelopment corporation", or "electrical cooperative"'Verified
Prohibiteddoing business as / d/b/aLa. R.S. 12:1-401(A)(3)(b): name shall not contain 'The phrase "doing business as" or any abbreviation of that phrase, such as "d/b/a"'; parallel LLC rule at La. R.S. 12:1306(A)(2)Verified
Prohibitedimmoral, deceptive, or scandalous matterLa. R.S. 12:1-401(A)(3)(e); La. R.S. 12:1306(A)(5)Verified
ProhibitedInsuranceLa. R.S. 12:1-401(A)(3)(d)(iii): prohibited 'Except for an independent insurance agency or brokerage corporation'; La. R.S. 12:1306(F)(1): LLC name 'shall not contain the word "insurance" unless the limited liability company is an independent insurance agency or brokerage firm'Verified
Prohibitedwords deceptively/falsely suggesting a charitable or nonprofit nature, or implying the entity is a government agencyLa. R.S. 12:1-401(A)(3)(c); La. R.S. 12:1306(A)(4) and (D)Verified
Restrictedarchitect / architectural / architectureLouisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners (10-day prior written notice, or signed waiver)La. R.S. 12:1-401(H) and La. R.S. 12:1306(G): SOS shall not file until evidence of 10-day prior written notice to the Louisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners, or a written waiver signed by its executive director or any memberVerified
Restrictedengineer / engineering / surveyor / surveying (or any derivative)Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (10-day prior written notice, or signed waiver from the board)La. R.S. 12:1-401(G) and La. R.S. 12:1306(E): SOS shall not file until satisfactory evidence of 10-day prior written notice to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board, or a written waiver signed by the boardVerified

Filing channels

Accepted filing channels, 8 filing types
Filing typeOnlineEmailFaxMailWalk inSource
formation - LLC●○●●●source (opens the official source)
formation - Corporation●○●●●source (opens the official source)
annual report - All entity types●○●●●source (opens the official source)
amendment - All entity types●○●●●source (opens the official source)
dissolution - All entity types●○●●●source (opens the official source)
ra change - All entity types●○●●●source (opens the official source)
cogs order - All entity types●?●●?source (opens the official source)
name reservation - All entity types●○●●●source (opens the official source)

● 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 through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. Source links render on verified rows only.

Reaching the filing office

Verified
Phone
(225) 925-4704
Mailing address
Commercial Division, P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
Courier / walk-in
8585 Archives Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70809

The Commercial Division direct line (not the 922-2880 switchboard), the PO box from every form's 'Return to' block for mail, the Archives Ave. street address for courier/walk-in, and fax 225-932-5314 for corporate filings; attach transmittal SS984 with the expedite level checked

Purposed contact channels, Louisiana
KindValueWhat it is forPurposeSource
phone(225) 925-4704Commercial DivisionBusiness filingssource (opens the official source)
phone225.922.2880Secretary of State main officegeneral_switchboardsource (opens the official source)
fax(225) 932-5314CorporationsBusiness filingssource (opens the official source)
fax(225) 932-5318UCCUCCsource (opens the official source)
fax(225) 932-5317Legal ServicesOthersource (opens the official source)
fax225.932.5313Document and certificate requests (certified copies, certificates)records_copiessource (opens the official source)
mailing_addressP.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125Mailing Address (all business filings)Business filingssource (opens the official source)
physical_address8585 Archives Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70809Office Location (walk-in, courier/overnight)Business filingssource (opens the official source)
phoneExpedite via transmittal SS984: Routine Expedite $30 (24-hour processing), Priority Expedite $50 (2-4 hour processing)Expedited service levelsExpedited servicesource (opens the official source)
phone225.925.4701UCC (Louisiana Secretary of State contact page, 'UCC' section)UCCsource (opens the official source)
phone225.922.1193UCCUCCsource (opens the official source)
phone225.922.2880Louisiana Secretary of State main line (printed on the UCC pages)UCCsource (opens the official source)
mailing_addressP.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125Louisiana Secretary of State (mailing; Direct Access applications are mailed here)UCCsource (opens the official source)
phone225.925.4704Commercial Division (parent division of UCC; also listed for Legal Services and geauxBIZ)UCCsource (opens the official source)
fax225.932.5314Commercial DivisionUCCsource (opens the official source)

UCC records

Where to search Louisiana'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 - LouisianaVerified
Filing office
Clerk of Court of any parish (64 parish filing offices) - the Louisiana Secretary of State (Commercial Division, UCC) maintains the statewide UCC database and the online UCC filing system but does not accept paper UCC forms (not the Secretary of State)
Filing-office statute
La. R.S. 10:9-501 (read at https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=74459): 'The clerk of court of any parish, in all other cases, including when the collateral is as-extracted collateral or goods that are to become fixtures and the financing statement is filed as a fixture filing'; titled motor vehicles not held as inventory -> Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of motor vehicles; titled vessels/outboard motors -> Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. R.S. 10:9-102 defines 'Filing office' as 'an office designated in R.S. 10:9-501 as the place to file a financing statement.'
Official search
https://uccweb.sos.la.gov/DirectAccess/DirectAccessLogin.aspx (opens the official source)
Access
subscription required
Search fees, as the office states them
No free public online search. Search page: 'A request for a certified search of the UCC records must be submitted in writing to one of the Clerk of Court offices.' 'The fee for the search is $30 per debtor name.' UCC FAQ: 'You must contact any of the 64 Parish filing offices. They have access into the statewide UCC database and will reflect statewide lien information for the debtor. The Secretary
Filing images online
Not for the public. Direct Access subscribers ($400/yr) can 'view initial and subsequent filings online' (per the SOS search page); the login page itself is labeled 'Direct Access Login (Legacy System only)'
UCC program page
the office's UCC page (opens the official source)
Online filing
filing portal (opens the official source)
Filing a UCC-1, as the office states the fee
$30 for a financing statement naming one debtor, which includes a $5 prepaid termination fee; $10 for each additional debtor name; $2 for each attachment; $15 extra for a non-standard form; $35 with an assignment, $40 for a fixture or as-extracted-collateral filing, $105 public-finance, $205 transmitting utility. Fees are paid to the parish Clerk of Court where you file.
Filing channels
filed at the county / parish office; UCC-1s are filed with any of the 64 parish Clerks of Court, on paper or online through the Secretary of State's UCC filing system (https://uccfilings.sos.la.gov/ucc_home.aspx, SOS single sign-on accou
UCC-3 amendments, as the office states the fees
Amendment $25, continuation $25, assignment $25 (one debtor); termination no fee ($5 per debtor name prepaid at the original filing); $5 for each additional debtor named on the original; master assignment / amendment $5 per financing statement; UCC-5 information statement $25
Effective for
5 years from filing - La. R.S. 10:9-515(a)
Bulk data
no bulk-data product - no bulk extract product at any price; Direct Access subscription $400/yr, unlimited usage (interactive access to the SOS UCC database, not a data dump)

Source: the office's UCC page (opens the official source)

State business license

Whether Louisiana 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 - LouisianaVerified
General state license
None - the state issues no general business license; licensing is occupation-specific and local
Where a new business registers
Louisiana Department of Revenue (revenue account registration via LaTAP / geauxBIZ, Form R-16019) - no general license issuer agency page (opens the official source)
Revenue-department registration
required - Louisiana Department of Revenue register (opens the official source)
Occupational licensing hub
https://www.la.gov/licenses/ (opens the official source)
Local layer
county and city licenses - Any municipality or parish shall have the right to impose a license tax on any person conducting any business herein enumerated within the territorial jurisdiction of the municipality or parish at a rate which shall not exceed the maximum tax rates set forth in this Chapter

7 of 7 fields verified against the agency's own pages (2026-09-11). Sources: dam.ldr.la.gov (opens the official source) · legis.la.gov (opens the official source) · revenue.louisiana.gov (opens the official source) · www.la.gov (opens the official source)

Industry code on filings

Which of Louisiana'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 Louisiana filings, 6 of 6 rows verified
FilingEntity scopeAsks forRequiredWhere on the formSource
Formationdomestic business corporationno industry informationnot askedSS399 item 2 purpose (check-one, general or limited)source (opens the official source)
Formationdomestic LLCno industry informationnot askedSS365 item 2 purpose (check-one); SS973 Initial Report items 1-4 (name, registered office, agent, managers/members)source (opens the official source)
Foreign registrationforeign corporationno industry informationnot askedSS326 item 9 'Nature of business to be transacted in Louisiana' (free text; per instruction 9, completed only if the corporation proposes to limit itssource (opens the official source)
Foreign registrationforeign LLCno industry informationnot askedSS972 item 9 'Nature of business to be transacted in Louisiana' (free text)source (opens the official source)
Tax registrationallNAICS codemandatoryR-16019 Section 1 item 13 'Business Description/Principal Activity' and item 14 'NAICS Code:'source (opens the official source)
Entity-tax returncorporationsNAICS codemandatoryCIT-620 page 1 header item 'H. NAICS code'; Schedule J 'Additional Information Required' item 1source (opens the official source)

Counties

Louisiana has 64 county-equivalents: 64 parishs. 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 64 county-equivalents
Louisiana county-equivalents
NameTypeFIPSNote
Acadia Parishparish22001
Allen Parishparish22003
Ascension Parishparish22005
Assumption Parishparish22007
Avoyelles Parishparish22009
Beauregard Parishparish22011
Bienville Parishparish22013
Bossier Parishparish22015
Caddo Parishparish22017
Calcasieu Parishparish22019
Caldwell Parishparish22021
Cameron Parishparish22023
Catahoula Parishparish22025
Claiborne Parishparish22027
Concordia Parishparish22029
De Soto Parishparish22031
East Baton Rouge Parishparish22033consolidated city-county
East Carroll Parishparish22035
East Feliciana Parishparish22037
Evangeline Parishparish22039
Franklin Parishparish22041
Grant Parishparish22043
Iberia Parishparish22045
Iberville Parishparish22047
Jackson Parishparish22049
Jefferson Parishparish22051
Jefferson Davis Parishparish22053
Lafayette Parishparish22055consolidated city-county
Lafourche Parishparish22057
LaSalle Parishparish22059
Lincoln Parishparish22061
Livingston Parishparish22063
Madison Parishparish22065
Morehouse Parishparish22067
Natchitoches Parishparish22069
Orleans Parishparish22071consolidated city-county
Ouachita Parishparish22073
Plaquemines Parishparish22075
Pointe Coupee Parishparish22077
Rapides Parishparish22079
Red River Parishparish22081
Richland Parishparish22083
Sabine Parishparish22085
St. Bernard Parishparish22087
St. Charles Parishparish22089
St. Helena Parishparish22091
St. James Parishparish22093
St. John the Baptist Parishparish22095
St. Landry Parishparish22097
St. Martin Parishparish22099
St. Mary Parishparish22101
St. Tammany Parishparish22103
Tangipahoa Parishparish22105
Tensas Parishparish22107
Terrebonne Parishparish22109consolidated city-county
Union Parishparish22111
Vermilion Parishparish22113
Vernon Parishparish22115
Washington Parishparish22117
Webster Parishparish22119
West Baton Rouge Parishparish22121
West Carroll Parishparish22123
West Feliciana Parishparish22125
Winn Parishparish22127

Other records held

Other records held for Louisiana
RecordValueStatus
Change of registered agent$25Pending review
Who must be named in public filingsLLC: the Initial Report filed WITH the articles (R.S. 12:1305(E), Form SS973) must state the registered office, each registered agent (with notarized acceptance affidavit), and the names and addresses of the FIRST MANAGERS OR MEMBERS (if not yet named, a Supplemental Initial Report Form #366 ($25) is required later) - 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.

The record itself

What backs this page
ArtefactHeld
Official statute files in the verification corpus 15 files, retrieved 2026-07-07
Monitored sources 6 sources under scheduled recheck
Official URLs on file 11 agency URL slots populated of 20 possible
Datasets held see the coverage matrix

Cite this page

Cite the page for the compilation and its verification record; for the underlying fact, cite the official source shown on its row. Formats:

incFACTS, "Louisiana business-filing facts - fees, statutes, DBA, closures, status," FACTS repository v0.10.08 (data as of 2026-09-21), https://www.incfacts.com/louisiana/ (accessed 2026-09-21).
incFACTS, Louisiana business-filing facts - fees, statutes, DBA, closures, status, https://www.incfacts.com/louisiana/ (last visited 2026-09-21).
@misc{incfacts_louisiana_2026,
  author = {incFACTS (FACTS repository)},
  title = {Louisiana business-filing facts - fees, statutes, DBA, closures, status},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://www.incfacts.com/louisiana/},
  note = {v0.10.08, data as of 2026-09-21, accessed 2026-09-21}
}

How to cite incFACTS · The accessed date is today's; the version and data-as-of date identify what you relied on.