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LLC 101 Guide

Section 1 · Indiana

Starting an LLC in Indiana (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

For setting up an LLC in Indiana in 2026, this unit puts Mainstay Filing ($199), Indiana Registered Agent.co ($199) and IN Registered Agent.org ($199) at the top of the class, in that order. 7 tasks make up the unit; the state's own price tag is $95, and the business entity report adds $32.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

The quick version

Fee to form
$95
forms.in.gov (page read August 2026)
Business entity report
$32 every 2 years
Deadline: last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years
Three-year state cost
$127
Service fees not included
Tasks in this unit
7
One by one

What this unit teaches

  • Where and how to file a Indiana LLC
  • What the agent rule says
  • How to stay in good standing
  • How the picks stack up

Indiana: our recommended services

Cost over three years leads, then assignments completed, renewal price, Indiana fit and plain pricing (grading page).

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for skipping the business entity report paperwork

Best overall$199 a year, state fee on top ($294 due at checkout)

In Indiana, Mainstay Filing leads the class: the yearly $199 replaces three separate bills (formation, registered agent, business entity report) with a single one.

Against Indiana Registered Agent.co the three-year premium is $200, outweighed by the 31% weight on assignments completed.

You never file the business entity report yourself, and only the $32 state fee is added.

What the price covers

  • The formation filing
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Business entity report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee billed at cost

What works

  • $199 when you renew
  • It files your EIN application for you
  • $199 per year for the whole package

What to weigh

  • Renewal costs $100 above Indiana Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Indiana Registered Agent.co: best for a small first bill

One-state plan$199 the first year, $99 after

Indiana Registered Agent.co takes second place: forming the Indiana LLC runs $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renews at $99.

The business entity report falls outside the price.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $99 a year after that
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 to form

What to weigh

  • You prepare the business entity report yourself
  • It bills $99 for the EIN task
Visit Indiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. IN Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that stay in Indiana

One-state plan$199 the first year, $99 after

IN Registered Agent.org takes third place: forming the Indiana LLC runs $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renews at $99.

The business entity report falls outside the price.

On price, it is level with Indiana Registered Agent.co.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • Agent covered in year one
  • $99 a year after that
  • $199 to form

What to weigh

  • You prepare the business entity report yourself
  • It bills $99 for the EIN task
Visit IN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, side by side

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Indiana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Indiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3IN Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit IN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. Each row still needs Indiana's $95 fee.

Formation in order

  1. Task 1

    Make sure nobody else has the name

    Do the name search at the Indiana Secretary of State first and the rest of the unit goes smoothly in Indiana.

    Bring two backup names to the search.

  2. Task 2

    Line up a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An individual, a general partnership, an Indiana filing entity, or a foreign entity registered in Indiana. A business cannot serve as its own agent.

    The address has to be a physical street address in Indiana. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    Any of the recommended services can take the registered agent job.

    Source: faqs.in.gov (page read October 2026)

  3. Task 3

    Do it yourself or hire a service

    Skip the services and you pay the state $95. Use one of our picks and you pay $199 extra to skip the forms.

  4. Task 4

    Fill out and send in the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company

    What you need: the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form State Form 49459), $95, and an address at the Indiana Secretary of State to send it to.

    Source: forms.in.gov (page read August 2026)

  5. Task 5

    Obtain an Employer Identification Number

    With approval in hand, the IRS can issue the LLC a federal tax ID, and a business bank account depends on it. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of the package.

  6. Task 6

    Prepare the operating agreement

    Think of the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. Keep it with the company records; the state never asks for it.

  7. Task 7

    Handle Indiana's recurring filing

    Put the business entity report on your calendar: $32, every two years, deadline last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years.

    Source: forms.in.gov (page read August 2026)

Indiana costs by task

ItemPaid toTotal
Setting up the LLCState agency$95
Business entity reportState agency$32 every two years
A filing service (optional)The service$199 in year one
State fees over years one to threeState agency$127
State fees were read from the official pages named in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where there is one.

How the grades came out

Assignments the price completes makes up 31% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in Indiana.

A price that handles the business entity report counted for more than Indiana Registered Agent.co's smaller three-year total.

Common questions

How much does Indiana charge to set up an LLC?

Expect $95 to file. Our recommended services bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Indiana Secretary of State takes the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form State Form 49459), the paper that creates the company.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Indiana require each year?

Calendar note on the business entity report: $32, filed every two years, timing as the state words it: last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

You may. File alone for $95 and line up a registered agent as well.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

The order is Mainstay Filing, Indiana Registered Agent.co and IN Registered Agent.org, and Mainstay Filing is first since for $199 each year you get the formation filed, a registered agent in place and the business entity report sent in.

Reading list and sources

  1. Further reading on Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division: our unit draws on inbiz.in.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  2. Further reading on Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division: our unit draws on forms.in.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  3. Further reading on Indiana report due date: our unit draws on law.justia.com, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  4. Further reading on Ind: our unit draws on forms.in.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  5. Further reading on Indiana registered agent statute: our unit draws on faqs.in.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  6. Indiana service page of Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
  7. pricing page of Indiana Registered Agent.co, taken on November 13, 2026
  8. pricing page of IN Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026