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How to start a business in Louisiana

The fees, filing links and deadlines for forming and registering a business in Louisiana, with the official page for each step.

Last verified October 24, 2026 General information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Each fee shows the date we checked it on the official page. Fees change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.

LLC filing fee: $125
LLC, first year (state fees): Varies; see the notes below
$35 annual report due at your one-year mark
Corporation filing fee: $95
Annual report: $35
DBA filed with: State
General state license: No
Newspaper notice: No

How much does it cost to form an LLC or corporation in Louisiana?

To form an LLC, file Articles of Organization with the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division for $125 (checked Oct 24, 2026). You can file online. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation for $95 (checked Oct 24, 2026). That filing fee is not the whole bill: see what it costs in the first year.

What does an LLC really cost in its first year in Louisiana?

Filing fees are only part of the cost. Here is every state fee and minimum tax we found that a new LLC must pay to form and stay in good standing for its first year. Example: Single-member LLC filed online at standard speed, operating from day one with no employees; licenses every business must hold are counted, sales tax permits are listed separately.

State fee	Cost	When	Checked
Articles of Organization (initial report filed with them, no separate fee)	$125	at filing	Oct 24, 2026

First-year total: some fees are set locally or shown only at checkout
$35 annual report due at your one-year mark At least $125: formation $125 (the required initial report is filed with it at no extra charge). It is $130 if online filings must be paid by card, which adds a $5 card fee. The first $35 annual report, due on the first anniversary, is shown below the total, not counted in it. Excludes trade name and parish assumed name filings, sales tax registration, parish and city occupational licenses, registered agent services, and optional name reservation or expedite fees.

After the first year: Each year: the $35 annual report by the anniversary of formation (plus the $5 card fee if paid online by card). A state trade name registration renews every 10 years for $95.

Fees that apply only in some cases

State fee	Cost	When	Checked
Credit card convenience fee on the online formation filing If you pay by credit card; geauxBIZ may take only cards for online filings		at filing	Oct 24, 2026
Credit card convenience fee on the online annual report If you pay by credit card; geauxBIZ may take only cards for online filings	$5	with the annual report	Oct 24, 2026
Supplemental initial report If managers or members were not named in the initial report	$30	as soon as they are selected	Oct 24, 2026
State trade name registration (10 years) Optional, if you want to register a name other than the LLC's legal name with the Secretary of State	$95	any time	Oct 24, 2026
Parish assumed name certificate If you do business under an assumed name; filed with the clerk of court in each parish where you operate	Note Fee set by each parish clerk of court; whether LLCs must file is not stated in the law.	before doing business under the name	Check when you file
Sales tax registration (LaTAP) If you sell taxable goods or services	Note The Department of Revenue's registration page lists no fee; local parish sales tax registration not researched.	before making sales	Check when you file

Not included: city or county licenses, a registered agent service if you hire one, and optional extras such as expedited filing. Fees can change after the date shown; confirm on the official page before you pay.

Do I need to register a DBA in Louisiana?

If you do business under a name that isn’t your legal name, register it as an assumed name (DBA) with the state for $95 (checked Oct 24, 2026) State trade name registration ($95, 10 years) is confirmed. A separate assumed name certificate filed with the parish clerk of court is required by La. R.S.

How to file a DBA

Does Louisiana require an annual report?

Yes. The fee is $35 (checked Oct 24, 2026). Each year on or before the anniversary of the date the LLC was formed (La. R.S. 12:1308.1), so the first one is due on the first anniversary. It can be filed online only within 30 days of the renewal date on the state's renewal notice.

Initial report: Yes. The fee is $0 (checked Oct 24, 2026) No separate fee for the initial report appears in the October 1, 2026 fee notice or in R.S. Filed together with the Articles of Organization (La. R.S. 12:1304); lists the registered office, registered agent (with notarized acceptance) and first managers or members.

Does Louisiana have a franchise or privilege tax?

None for new businesses: the Department of Revenue says the corporation franchise tax is repealed for franchise tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

How do I register for state taxes in Louisiana?

Register with the state revenue agency for sales tax and withholding, and open an unemployment insurance account once you hire your first employee.

Does Louisiana require a general business license?

No. Louisiana doesn’t issue one general business license; what you need depends on your activity and where you operate.

Register for sales tax and withholding with the Department of Revenue in LaTAP through its Register My Business link; register for sales tax only if you must collect it, and for withholding only once you have employees. The Department of Revenue lists permits only for certain activities, such as alcohol, tobacco, vapor products and motor fuel, and no general state business license was found. Employers register for an unemployment tax account through the Louisiana Workforce Commission's online application. geauxBIZ, a joint portal of the Secretary of State, Department of Revenue and Workforce Commission, handles business filings and can list possible federal, state and local licenses. Anyone doing business under an assumed name must also file a notarized certificate with the clerk of court in each parish where they operate (in Orleans Parish, the register of conveyances), and tax collectors may not issue a license without proof of that filing (La. R.S. 51:281). Parish and city licenses and any local sales tax registration were not researched.

What local licenses will I need in Louisiana?

Cities and counties set their own licenses, zoning and permits. Call your city or county clerk with your business type and address before you open.

New Orleans (city)
An occupational license is required for any business in Orleans Parish, applied for online through the One Stop app after confirming zoning and a certificate of occupancy; a temporary license is issued, then an amended return is due within 40 days. Fees depend on license type (linked schedule), and licenses renew every December 31.

When do I need workers’ comp in Louisiana?

1 or more employees.

Louisiana's workers' compensation law (La. R.S. 23:1035) covers every person performing services in employment, with no minimum number of employees. Corporate officers, partners, LLC members and sole proprietors who own at least 10% may opt out by written agreement with their insurer. Private domestic and unincorporated farm workers with very low annual earnings, and musicians and performers working under a performance contract, are excluded. A 2014 legislative digest describes a civil penalty of $250 per employee for a first failure to secure coverage (capped at $10,000) and $500 per employee for later offenses.

What else should I know about starting a business in Louisiana?

Under La. R.S. 12:1304 an LLC is formed by filing the Articles of Organization and the initial report together; there is no separate initial report fee and no newspaper publication step. If managers or members are not named in the initial report, a supplemental initial report ($30) is filed once they are chosen. Corporations also file a yearly annual report for the same $35 fee. Secretary of State fees rose on October 1, 2026 under Act 921 of 2026 (HB 908), so older forms and fee sheets on the state site, including fee schedule SS332, still show lower amounts. Walk-in expedite now costs $35 (24-hour) or $60 (while you wait) on top of the filing fee, and credit card payments add a $5 statutory convenience fee. A trade name registered with the Secretary of State costs $95 and lasts 10 years, renewable in the last six months of the term. The state warns about scam mailers that look like annual report notices; file only through the state's own site (geauxBIZ).

What to double-check for Louisiana?

A few details below aren't spelled out on the state's own pages. Confirm them on the official page before you file.

Note Whether online filings through geauxBIZ must be paid by credit card. https://www.sos.la.gov/BusinessServices/FileBusinessDocuments
Note The Secretary of State's File Business Documents page still lists walk-in expedite at $30 (24-hour) and $50 (while you wait). Its October 1, 2026 fee notice and Act 921 (HB 908) set $35 and $60, which we show. https://static.sos.la.gov/shared/fee_changes_2026.pdf
Note State law (La. R.S. 51:281) requires anyone doing business under an assumed name to file a notarized certificate with the clerk of court in each parish where they operate (in Orleans Parish, the register of conveyances), and corporations are exempt. The law does not say whether LLCs must file, and parish fees were not checked. https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=104449
Note No official page states outright that Louisiana has no general state business license; the Department of Revenue lists permits only for certain activities, such as alcohol, tobacco, vapor products and motor fuel.
Note The workers' compensation penalty amounts come from a 2014 legislative digest describing the law at that time.

What to do next

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Sources

Official pages checked on October 24, 2026.