Louisiana Corporation

What is a Louisiana Corporation?

Louisiana Corporation or Louisiana INC, is a business formation registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State. The Louisiana Corporation will be able to issue shares of stocks to employees and investors, unlike an LLC in Louisiana.

Louisiana Corporation Requirements

  1. State Filing Fee of $80.
  2. A Registered Agent located in Louisiana. See our service here.
  3. Articles of Incorporation.
  4. Beneficial Ownership Information Report filing. Your report must be submitted after company formation starting January 1, 2024.

Louisiana Corporation Structure

LA Corporations are structured legally with the Louisiana Articles of Incorporation. Like many states, the document for a Corporation formation is short and simple.

The required information to be listed:

  • Name
  • Purpose
  • Duration
  • Shares
  • Incorporator(s)
  • Addresses
  • Directors
  • Liability

Louisiana Corporation Name

The name of your new Louisiana Corporation will be declared in your first article for the Louisiana Corporation Articles of Corporation.

Purpose

The LA Corp may be filed for the purpose of engaging in any lawful business or activity. You can list specific limited corporate activity.

Duration

The duration of the Louisiana INC can be perpetual or you can predetermine when the Corporation will end it’s life.

Shares

You will determine a few things about your Corporation’s shares of stock. The amount of shares along with the value and class of each share will be listed.

Incorporator(s)

The name and the address of each and every Incorporator will be listed on the Louisiana Articles of Incorporation for a Louisiana Corporation.

Addresses

The addresses for the initial registered office, initial principal office and the name and address of the Louisiana Registered Agent.

Directors

The Directors names and addresses will be voluntarily given for public record.

Liability

The protection against liability of directors and officers can be accepted or rejected with a statement.

Louisiana Incorporation Facts
Form to File Articles of Incorporation
The Filing Fee $80 ($110 online)
Our Fee $225 (includes registered agent service)
Online Filing Yes
Expedite Filing Yes (24 Hour for $30)
Filing Agency Louisiana Commercial Division
Annual Report Due Date Exact Incorporation Date
Annual Report Fee $30

How to File a Louisiana Corporation

Steps to Incorporating a Louisiana Corporation:

  1. Name Your Louisiana Corporation: When naming your corporation, keep in mind that you cannot use a name that has already been registered by another entity. You can do a business entity search on the Secretary of State website to check availability.
  2. File Articles of Incorporation: To form a corporation, you must file Articles of Incorporation with the Louisiana Commercial Division. There is a $75 filing fee.
  3. Appoint a Registered Agent: A corporation in Louisiana is required by law to appoint a registered agent to accept service of process and official state notices on behalf of your company. A registered agent must have a physical street address within the state.
  4. File with the Clerk of the Court: Once your Articles are accepted, you will be sent a Certificate of Incorporation. Within 30 days of filing the Articles of Incorporation, you are required to submit a certified copy of the Articles and a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation with the Clerk of the Court in the parish where your corporation’s registered office is located.
  5. Write Corporate Bylaws: A corporation is governed by its Bylaws. Bylaws are not filed with any government agency, but they are critical to your company. Bylaws outline the ownership of your company, and it designates the management of your corporation.
  6. Open Business Accounts: After you form a corporation, you can open bank accounts for your company. The bank will need to see copies of your Articles of Incorporation, corporate Bylaws, and an initial resolution authorizing the opening of the accounts.
  7. File Annual Report: Each year, your corporation is required to file an Annual Report with the Commercial Division. This must be filed by the anniversary date of your incorporation. There is a $30 filing fee.
  8. Submit Beneficial Ownership Information Report: You must a file a BOI report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network after formation, starting January 1, 2024. The BOI report is free to file and must be submitted online.

Can I Incorporate Online in Louisiana?

Yes. You can file the Articles of Incorporation through the Secretary of State’s online system, GeauxBiz. All online filings are automatically expedited, which adds $30 to the filing fee. There is an additional $5 online processing fee. The total cost to file online is $110.

Do I Need Written Consent From My Registered Agent?

Yes. Louisiana requires that a registered agent give written consent of appointment.

Do My Articles of Incorporation Need to Be Notarized?

Yes. If you are submitting a paper copy, you must have the document signed by a notary. The notary must include their Notary or Bar Number.

Louisiana Registered Agent Duties

A Louisiana registered agent must fulfill the following duties:

  1. Have and maintain a registered office (physical street address, not a PO box)
  2. Remain open during regular business hours all year long
  3. Accept all service of process and official business mail on behalf of clients
  4. Contact clients when documents are accepted at the registered office
  5. Forward all documents to clients in a timely manner

Louisiana Parish Clerk Filing Requirement

After you incorporate in Louisiana, you are required to file with the Clerk of the Court in the parish where your registered office is located. You also have the option of filing with the Recorder of Mortgages in the Parish of Orleans.

You must submit the following:

  • Copy of Articles of Incorporation (certified by the Secretary of State)
  • Copy of Certificate of Incorporation

You must submit your documents within 30 days of incorporation.

Louisiana Corporation Annual Report

After you form a Louisiana corporation, you must submit an Annual Report each year by the anniversary date of your incorporation. There is a $30 filing fee. The report is filed with the Commercial Division.

Federal Beneficial Ownership Information Report Filing

Starting January 1, 2024, most newly-formed corporations are required to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) following company formation. On your report, you’ll need to disclose some basic details about your company and those with the most control over your corporation’s profits and operations. Save yourself from the additional paperwork with our $25 BOI report filing service.

Why Hire Corporate Filing Solutions to Form Your Louisiana Corporation?

Starting your Corporation in Louisiana shouldn’t be a hassle or a time consumer. That’s why we offer Filings Made Easy™ to make starting a Corporation in Louisiana super easy.

Hire us and relax while our filing experts form your new Louisiana Corporation. Our staff will process orders the same business day as they are received. To make things even easier, we bundle the first year of registered agent service and ensure your Louisiana Corporation comes fully equipped and ready to do its job.

Start your Corporation in Louisiana and get Registered Agent service for as low as $55 a year.