Louisiana's geauxBIZ portal will reject your articles of incorporation outright if you haven't already lined up a registered agent with a physical Louisiana address—there's no filing first and figuring out the rest later.
Key takeaways
- Louisiana charges a $75 filing fee for articles of incorporation, and every corporation must choose an available name, appoint a registered agent, and define its initial share structure.
- State approval is only the first step. The corporation should adopt bylaws, appoint directors and officers, authorize share issuance, and maintain complete corporate records.
- Corporations generally need a federal tax ID and may need Louisiana tax accounts.
- Louisiana corporations must file a $30 annual report on or before the anniversary of incorporation to maintain current state records and good standing.
- A corporation may be better suited to outside investment and formal governance, while an LLC generally offers more flexible management and simpler internal administration.
How to form a Louisiana corporation: Step-by-step checklist
Generic formation guides tend to miss the Louisiana-specific details in each of these steps. Here's what you actually need to know.
Step 1: Choose a name for your Louisiana corporation
Your corporate name isn't just a label, it's a legal identifier the Secretary of State runs against every other registered business in the state before it'll accept your articles. Nail it down beforehand, and you'll avoid a rejection that sets your whole timeline back.
Louisiana requires corporate names to:
- Include a required corporate designator. Your name needs "Inc.," "Corporation," "Incorporated," or "Company," or an accepted abbreviation built into the legal name itself.
- Be distinguishable from existing names on record. The state checks your name against corporations, LLCs, trade names, and reserved names already on file. It looks at spelling variations and how names sound out loud, not just exact matches.
- Avoid restricted words. Words like "bank," "insurance," or "trust" trigger extra approval or documentation requirements.
Search registered business names through the Secretary of State’s website first or use LegalZoom’s free name check tool below. For a deeper dive, check out our comprehensive guide to Louisiana business names.
Free Louisiana Business Name Check
Starting a business? Use our free name check tool to check your business name against the Louisiana Secretary of State records.
By clicking "Check Availability," I agree to LegalZoom's Terms of Use. This search is a preliminary check of state databases and does not include variations or trademarks. Results do not guarantee name availability or compliance with legal requirements.
Not ready to file yet but have a name picked out? You can reserve it for 120 days, but Louisiana won't let you renew a reservation, so plan around that. The fee is $25, though double-check the current amount on geauxBIZ.
Step 2: Appoint a Louisiana registered agent and registered office
Every Louisiana corporation needs a registered agent (someone designated to receive lawsuits, tax notices, and official government correspondence) and a registered office, the physical Louisiana address where that agent can actually be reached.
You name an agent and their office directly in your articles of incorporation when you file, not afterward. You can't file your articles first and add an agent later.
Here’s who can serve as a registered agent for a Louisiana corporation:
- Yourself or another individual. You qualify if you're at least 18, have a physical Louisiana address, and can be reached during normal business hours.
- Another person you trust. An employee or associate works too, as long as they meet the same residency and availability rules.
- A commercial registered agent. The service must be authorized to do business in Louisiana. LegalZoom’s Baton Rouge registered office fulfills this requirement.
Your agent needs to be physically reachable during business hours. If you miss a notice because nobody was there to accept it, your business could face real legal fallout. Serve as your own registered agent and your home address becomes public record, plus you're tied to being at a fixed address every business day. If you work remotely, travel often, or just care about privacy, a professional registered agent service is worth the cost.
For online filings, the state emails your registered agent asking for consent to serve, and your agent needs to respond within seven days. For mail filings, the registered agent's signature has to be notarized.
Step 3: Prepare your Louisiana articles of incorporation
Louisiana won't recognize your corporation until you've filed articles of incorporation. The state’s official form covers the minimum information required by law, though you can include additional provisions that fit your corporation.
- Corporate name. Your entity’s full legal name, confirmed available, and designator included.
- Parish. Wherever the corporation is located.
- Duration. Can be perpetual or for a set period.
- Stock information. List the total authorized shares. Par value doesn't need to be disclosed in Louisiana.
- Incorporator information. Names and addresses of whoever's setting up the corporation.
- Registered agent and registered office. Name and physical Louisiana address, covered in Step 2.
- Incorporator signature. Signed and notarized if you're filing by mail.
Note: Louisiana used to require corporations to submit an initial report as part of formation. Third-party guides may state that an initial report is necessary, but it is only required for LLCs. Check with the Secretary of State if you have concerns about requirements.
You can apply directly on the geauxBiz portal, file in-person at the Secretary of State’s Baton Rouge office, or download the form and send it by mail or fax using the contact information listed on the form.
Step 4: File with the Louisiana Secretary of State through geauxBIZ or by mail
You've got two paths here: File online through geauxBIZ or mail it in. Both land at the Secretary of State's Commercial Division, but they differ in speed and a few practical details.
Standard processing runs 3–5 business days, but if you need it faster, you can pay to expedite it: $30 for 24-hour processing or $50 for same-day, while-you-wait service, both on top of the base filing fee. Confirm current fees on geauxBIZ before you submit.
If you prefer to file by mail or in person, fill out the articles of incorporation form from the Secretary of State's website and deliver it.
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
In-person delivery:
8585 Archives Avenue (behind the Louisiana State Archives)
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
A few things to know when filing by mail:
- Notarization is required. Notaries need to print or type their name and notary or bar roll number.
- Pay by check or money order. Do not include credit card info on paper forms. Checks go to "Secretary of State."
Mail filings run slower than online ones, generally. If your timeline has flexibility, mail's fine. If you need a bank account or signed contracts fast, pay for expedited online filing.
What to do after filing your Louisian corporation
Once your articles are approved, the work shifts to actually activating your corporation: internal formalities and outside registrations.
Complete your corporate formalities
Louisiana law expects you to complete the steps listed below. Skip them, and your corporation is not legally complete, which puts the liability protection you formed a corporation for at real risk.
- Adopt bylaws. Think of bylaws as your corporation's internal rulebook: how directors get elected, how meetings run, how votes get counted, how officers get appointed and removed. Louisiana doesn't require you to file bylaws with the Secretary of State, but Louisiana law requires you to have them on file internally.
- Appoint initial directors. You'll typically name initial directors in the articles or have the incorporator appoint them right after formation. Directors set policy, sign off on major transactions, and appoint officers, they're not there to run daily operations.
- Hold your first directors' meeting. This organizational meeting is where the board ratifies the articles, adopts bylaws, appoints officers (president, secretary, treasurer, whatever else your bylaws call for), authorizes share issuance, and approves opening a bank account.
- Issue share certificates. Once the board authorizes issuance, give each shareholder a certificate with their name, share count, and issuance date. Even if you're the only owner, this creates a clean ownership record, one that matters the moment you bring on investors, apply for financing, or need to prove ownership in court.
- Set up a corporate minute book. This is where your articles, bylaws, meeting minutes, resolutions, share certificates, and stock ledger all live. Courts check the minute book when they're deciding whether your corporation actually operates as a separate legal entity, which is the whole foundation of your liability protection.
Note: Louisiana law requires corporations to keep internal records of meeting minutes, director/board actions, accounting, articles of incorporation, bylaws, resolutions, shareholder communications, and most recent annual report.
Get an EIN for your Louisiana corporation
An employer identification number (EIN) is your business' federal tax ID issued by the IRS. You'll need it to pay federal taxes, hire people, open a bank account, and apply for licenses and permits.
Form your entity with the state first, then apply for your EIN. You can apply online directly through the IRS for free, and the EIN is typically issued right away.
Register with the Louisiana Department of Revenue
Your EIN alone doesn't cover Louisiana's state registration requirements. Use geauxBIZ, which lets you register with the Secretary of State, the Department of Revenue, and other state agencies all in one application. And, if you filed your articles online, you may have hit these prompts without realizing it.
But if you didn’t handle it through geauxBiz, or if you need to add accounts later, Louisiana's Taxpayer Access Point (LaTAP) handles Department of Revenue business accounts and tax account additions.
Once you're registered with the Secretary of State, you are automatically assigned a Corporation Income and Franchise Tax account number. Depending on what your business does, you might need more: sales tax if you're selling taxable goods or services or withholding tax if you're hiring employees. Get all required accounts set up before you start operating.
Local business licenses and permits in Louisiana
There's no single statewide business license in Louisiana. Most licensing happens at the parish or city level, and requirements shift based on your industry, activities, and location.
Cities and parishes often require their own occupational or general business license. Certain professions, contractors, electricians, healthcare providers, food-related businesses, need industry-specific licenses on top of that.
geauxBIZ can generate a checklist of possible federal, state, and local licenses for your business, which is a decent starting point, but call your city or parish clerk too, since local rules vary a lot. Otherwise, LegalZoom’s business license report & management service identifies what you need, and our compliance filings service handles the filings, amendments, and alerts.
Ongoing requirements for Louisiana corporation compliance
Once you're up and running, your main ongoing requirement is filing an annual report with the Secretary of State every year. This is an administrative check-in confirming that your contact info, registered agent, and officer details are current. LegalZoom’s compliance management services can help you stay on track with a calendar of due dates plus alerts when laws or requirements change.
Louisiana annual report deadline and filing fee
Your report is due on or before your entity's anniversary, which is the date the Secretary of State first approved your articles. You can file up to four weeks early, and the state doesn't send reminders, so put it on your calendar with plenty of reminders. If your due date lands on a weekend, file ahead of time.
Filing costs $30 by mail or $35 online. If you mail it, include a check payable to the Louisiana Secretary of State Commercial Division. For a full walkthrough, see LegalZoom's guide to filing a Louisiana annual report.
Louisiana corporation vs. LLC: Which structure is right for your business?
| Factor | Louisiana corporation | Louisiana LLC |
|---|---|---|
| Liability protection | Owners (shareholders) are generally not personally liable for corporate debts or lawsuits | Members are generally not personally liable for LLC debts or lawsuits |
| Default federal taxation | C corporation: taxed at the entity level; shareholders also taxed on dividends (double taxation) | Pass-through taxation: profits and losses flow to members' personal returns; no entity-level federal tax |
| Elective taxation | Can elect S corporation status with the IRS if eligibility requirements are met | Can elect to be taxed as a corporation (C corp or S corp), if desired |
| Louisiana state tax | Subject to Louisiana corporation income tax and franchise tax | Pass-through by default; members report income on personal returns |
| Management structure | Managed by a board of directors; officers handle day-to-day operations; formal structure required | Flexible, can be member-managed or manager-managed; fewer required formalities |
| Ownership | Ownership represented by shares; easier to add investors, issue stock options, or prepare for outside investment | Ownership represented by membership interests; less standardized for outside investment |
| Corporate formalities | Required: bylaws, directors' meetings, minutes, share certificates, minute book | Fewer required formalities; operating agreement recommended but less rigidly structured |
| Best suited for | Businesses seeking outside investment, planning an IPO, or wanting a formal governance structure | Businesses prioritizing flexibility, pass-through taxation, and simpler ongoing compliance |
The choice comes down to your tax situation, whether you're courting outside investment, and how much governance structure you actually want baked in from day one.
When an S corporation election makes sense
An S corporation isn't a separate business structure, it's a federal tax election a qualifying Louisiana corporation makes with the IRS. It allows corporate income, losses, deductions, and credits flow through to shareholders' personal returns instead of getting hit with the double taxation that C corporations face by default.
To qualify, a corporation needs 100 or fewer shareholders—all who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents—only one class of stock, and you can't be an ineligible corporation type (certain financial institutions and insurance companies, for example). File IRS Form 2553, signed by every shareholder, generally within two months and 15 days of the start of the tax year the election should take effect.
S corporations pass through for federal purposes, but Louisiana still charges its own corporate franchise tax on corporations doing business in the state, S election or not. The election cuts your federal income tax exposure, but it doesn't touch that Louisiana franchise tax bill.
Common mistakes to avoid when forming a Louisiana corporation
Louisiana’s incorporation process is relatively straightforward, but small errors can delay the filing or create administrative problems after approval. Review these common mistakes before you submit the articles to help you avoid the need for amendments, additional fees, and preventable compliance issues:
- Using a name before confirming availability. Thoroughly search the Louisiana database and consider federal trademark conflicts before investing in branding.
- Choosing a share structure without considering future ownership. Authorizing too few shares or creating unclear rights can make financing and ownership changes more difficult.
- Submitting incomplete or inconsistent articles. Mismatched addresses, missing agent information, or an incorrect share count can delay approval or require a correction.
- Failing to document initial actions and stock issuance. Adopt bylaws, appoint officers, approve share issuance, and maintain an accurate stock ledger from the beginning.
- Missing the annual report due date. Add the deadline to your compliance calendar as soon as the corporation is approved, and keep the registered agent information current.
How to form your Louisiana corporation with LegalZoom
Forming a Louisiana corporation requires careful attention to detail due to the many federal and state requirements that put corporations under enhances scrutiny. Registered agent appointment, articles, EIN, tax registration, ongoing annual reports—they all need coordinating. LegalZoom's formation services handle that mechanical work so you can spend your energy building the actual business.
These services make the filing mechanics easier, but they don't replace personalized legal or tax advice. If you have complex ownership arrangements, outside investors, or tricky tax planning questions, you can reach out to a Louisiana lawyer or CPA.
Louisiana corporation FAQs
What qualifies a business as a corporation in Louisiana?
Your business becomes a Louisiana corporation the moment the Secretary of State accepts and files your articles of incorporation. Once approved, your business exists as its own legal entity, separate from its owners, with its own liability protection and tax treatment.
How do I set up my own corporation in Louisiana without a lawyer?
Pick a compliant name, appoint a registered agent, and file your articles through geauxBIZ or by mail. Plenty of founders handle this without an attorney, but it’s still wise to have an attorney or CPA review your materials especially if you’re a first-time founder. If your ownership structure, share classes, or tax elections get complicated, though, you may want to hire an attorney or use a formation service to handle the whole process.
Can a Louisiana corporation have a single owner and director?
Possibly. Louisiana generally lets one person serve as sole shareholder, director, and officer. Even as a sole owner, you still need to follow the same formalities: bylaws, an organizational meeting, share certificates, record-keeping, etc.
How do I dissolve a Louisiana corporation if I no longer need it?
Closing up shop isn't the same as dissolving a corporation. You need to file dissolution paperwork with the Secretary of State and clear up outstanding obligations with the Department of Revenue. Skip formal dissolution, and you could stay liable for annual report fees and franchise taxes on a corporation you assumed was already gone. For a full walkthrough, see LegalZoom's guide to dissolving a Louisiana corporation.
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