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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 3 · Louisiana

Foreign LLC Registration in Louisiana (2026): 5 Tasks and the 3 Best Services

Mainstay Filing ($199), Louisiana Registered Agent.co ($199) and LA Registered Agent.org ($199): that is the order of the services we would hire in Louisiana in 2026 for registering an out-of-state LLC. Louisiana charges $185 for foreign registration, and the 5 tasks below explain how it works.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Need-to-know facts

Registration fee
$185
Look it up at static.sos.la.gov; our reading dates from October 2026
Certificate you must attach
90 days
How old it may be at filing
Report fee
$35
Annual report
State cost, years 1 to 3
$255
State charges only
How many tasks
5
Listed below

By the end you will know

  • Which LLCs must register
  • How the filing gets made
  • What comes after registration
  • The services at the top of the class

Who we would hire in Louisiana

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we grade), and three-year cost and assignments completed count most.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for several registrations

Highest grade$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

In Louisiana, Mainstay Filing leads the class: $199 beyond the state fee in any state, with year one of the agent included.

Against Louisiana Registered Agent.co the three-year premium is $100, outweighed by the 31% weight on assignments completed.

From year two the agent is $149 a year, whichever state you register in.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • Any state, one price

What works

  • $199 above the state fee
  • All fifty states covered
  • First year of the agent is included

What to weigh

  • $50 more a year for the agent
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Louisiana Registered Agent.co: best for one extra state

In-state service$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Louisiana Registered Agent.co takes second place: registration is $199 plus state fees, and year one of the agent is already paid for.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 to register
  • No agent fee in year one
  • A small $99 renewal

What to weigh

  • The home state needs a different agent
Visit Louisiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. LA Registered Agent.org: best for registering only in Louisiana

In-state service$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

LA Registered Agent.org takes third place: registration is $199 plus state fees, and year one of the agent is already paid for.

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

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 to register
  • No agent fee in year one
  • A small $99 renewal

What to weigh

  • The home state needs a different agent
Visit LA 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$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Louisiana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Louisiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3LA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit LA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. The $185 state fee is left out of the figures.

The tasks

  1. Task 1

    Is Louisiana registration needed?

    If your LLC came from elsewhere and operates in Louisiana, foreign registration is how it gets permission. The cost of not registering: Until it registers, the LLC cannot bring a lawsuit in Louisiana courts (La. R.S. 12:1354(A)). Its contracts can still be enforced (La. R.S. 12:1354(B)). Back fees are collected in addition.

    Source: Look it up at legis.la.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Order the home-state certificate

    Get certificate of existence or good standing from the jurisdiction of organization, not older than 90 days.

    Request it close to your filing date.

  3. Task 3

    Choose the Louisiana registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a registered office in Louisiana, which the law treats as the company's domicile. P.O. boxes and virtual offices are not accepted.

    Our recommendations cover this role.

    Source: Look it up at legis.la.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  4. Task 4

    Fill out and send in the Application for Authority to Transact Business in Louisiana, Foreign Limited Liability Company

    To register, send the Application for Authority to Transact Business in Louisiana, Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 972) to the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division with $185.

    Source: Look it up at static.sos.la.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Stay registered

    After registering, a foreign LLC files the annual report ($35), on or before the anniversary of your qualification.

The bill

EntryPaid toCost
Filing to registerState office$185
Annual reportState office$35
A filing service (optional)The service company$199 in year one
State fees over years one to threeState office$255
State amounts come from Louisiana's official fee schedules (see the sources below); service prices come from each company's site. The three-year state total adds the filing, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why Mainstay Filing is first

On assignments the price completes (31% of the grade) won out, with right behind.

The company belongs to one state and operates in a second, which favors a single provider for both.

Louisiana questions

What does an LLC from another state pay Louisiana to register?

$185 at the state office. Service fees: $199.

Which form do I file to register?

One form does the job, and the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division is where it goes.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence or good standing from the jurisdiction of organization, issued within 90 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

Until it registers, the LLC cannot bring a lawsuit in Louisiana courts (La. R.S. 12:1354(A)). Its contracts can still be enforced (La. R.S. 12:1354(B)). Back fees are collected in addition.

What is due after registering?

The annual report keeps the registration active, and it costs $35.

Which service should handle the registration?

The order is Mainstay Filing, Louisiana Registered Agent.co and LA Registered Agent.org, and Mainstay Filing is first since a $199 service fee plus Louisiana's fee, then $149 a year for the agent.

Reading list and sources

  1. Want proof for what the unit says about Louisiana Secretary of State? Go to geauxbiz.sos.la.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  2. Want proof for what the unit says about Louisiana Secretary of State? Go to sos.la.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  3. Want proof for what the unit says about Louisiana yearly filing: Annual report, official source? Go to legis.la.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  4. Want proof for what the unit says about Louisiana Secretary of State fee changes effective October? Go to static.sos.la.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  5. Want proof for what the unit says about Louisiana registered agent statute? Go to legis.la.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  6. Want proof for what the unit says about Louisiana Secretary of State, forms and fee schedule? Go to sos.la.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  7. Want proof for what the unit says about Form 972, foreign LLC application? Go to sos.la.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  8. Want proof for what the unit says about R.S. 12:1345, application for authority? Go to legis.la.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  9. Want proof for what the unit says about R.S. 12:1354, effect of failing to obtain authority? Go to legis.la.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  10. Want proof for what the unit says about R.S. 12:1350, registered agent? Go to legis.la.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  11. Mainstay Filing Louisiana service page, opened November 13, 2026
  12. Louisiana Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  13. LA Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026