Best Louisiana LLC Services Reviewed by ZenBusiness

Northwest

Northwest Registered Agent charges $225 (plus state fee) for LLC filing services. That said, Northwest’s personalized customer support is a feature that could make their prices worth paying for some entrepreneurs.

• Higher Prices: Northwest charges $225 + state fee to form an LLC in Louisiana. However, that $225 package does at least include a year of registered agent service.
• Customer Reviews: Northwest receives mostly positive customer feedback, but with several hundred reviews instead of the thousands you’ll find with the other companies in this guide, they can’t match competitors like us for review volume.
• Known for Service: While some competitors outsource customer service to third-party call centers, Northwest keeps its support team in-house.

Overall, Northwest does have some points in its favor. However, keep in mind that it charges $225 (plus your state’s required fee) for its LLC filing services.

Want to learn more? See this Northwest LLC review.

LegalZoom

LegalZoom is one of the biggest names in the industry, with millions of customers served and frequent advertising efforts. LegalZoom provides an LLC filing package for free (plus the state’s fee).

• Higher Average Prices: While LegalZoom charges $0 (+ your state fee) for LLC service, it has higher price points for some other services. For instance, it typically charges a rate of $249 per year for registered agent service and at least $149 to form a corporation.
• Features: LegalZoom sometimes excludes valuable features from its LLC filing service packages. For instance, its Basic LLC service package includes only a digital welcome packet and a trial for a third-party web design service.
• Service Guarantee: Much like ZenBusiness, LegalZoom offers a 60-day, 100% satisfaction guarantee that is among the best in the industry.

LegalZoom is a huge company, so while it offers extended support hours, the quality of its customer support may vary a bit from representative to representative.

Want to learn more? See this LegalZoom LLC review.

Incfile/Bizee

Incfile/Bizee offers LLC formations for free, as long as you pay your state’s fee. Incfile and ZenBusiness have some similar characteristics, but there are also some significant differences that set the two apart.

• Lots of Reviews: Incfile/Bizee has tens of thousands of customer reviews with strong average rating scores.
• Customer Support: If you prioritize responsive customer support, Incfile/Bizee may not be your best option. At times, their responses can be slow and some customers complain that they don’t get a response at all to emailed support inquiries.
• Upsells: Incfile/Bizee can also pile on the upsells, with lots of suggested add-on services sprinkled throughout the order form.

If you’re looking for a cheap LLC formation service in Louisiana and ZenBusiness doesn’t feel right for some reason, Incfile/Bizee could be worth a closer look.

Want to learn more? See this Incfile/Bizee LLC review.

How to Set Up a Louisiana LLC on Your Own

Technically speaking, you don’t have to use an LLC formation service like ZenBusiness or LegalZoom. These services are incredibly helpful, but you can save money by completing the process yourself.

Creating a Louisiana LLC is exciting, but it’s also a legal process. Thankfully, though, there’s not a whole lot of “legalese” involved. Follow these steps, and creating your Louisiana LLC will be a cinch:

1. Name your LLC

Your Louisiana business name is a big deal — it goes on all of your official documents and advertising, and it’s how your customers will get to know your business.

Name recognition goes a long way, right? And when it comes to what name you pick, the sky’s the limit…mostly. There are a couple of general best practices to follow, and of course, there are a couple of Louisiana-specific restrictions, too.

For example, a business name should be…

• Unique
• Easy to say and spell
• Memorable
• Communicating to customers what good or service you offer
• Something you like!

Every name must also include the words “Limited Liability Company,” the abbreviation “LLC,” or some variation of the business type designation.

One last note: if your name includes specific words like “education,” “academy,” “bank,” or something similar, you may need to get additional approval from the relevant state agency.

Beyond that, there are a few Louisiana-specific rules you’ll want to follow. Most importantly, you cannot use a name that’s already been claimed by another business in Louisiana. Thankfully, you can check if your desired name is still available by running an Entity Name Search.

If your desired name is available, you shouldn’t hesitate to claim it! Ultimately, you’ll officially claim the name when you file your Articles of Organization (see Step 3). But if you’re not quite ready to file the Articles, you can reserve your name with the state. Simply fill out the Reservation of Corporate/Limited Liability Company/L3C/Partnership Name form and pay the applicable $25 fee. This will protect your chosen name for 120 days, giving you time to prepare anything else you need.

2. Choose a registered agent

In your Articles of Organization, you’ll be required to list the name and address of your registered agent. “Registered agent” sounds fancy, but don’t let the name overwhelm you: an agent acts as your primary contact for all official communications.

A Louisiana registered agent accepts what the state calls “service of process” on your behalf. Basically, if your business ever falls out of good standing (or something similar), the state will send an official alert to your registered agent. Because of that, the registered agent needs to be available during all regular business hours.

In Louisiana, you can serve as your own registered agent, but we don’t recommend it. You’d be tied down to your listed address, or worse, you might run the risk of missing an important letter. Plus, appointing someone else keeps your personal address private and cuts down on junk mail.

3. File the formation documents

Once you’ve chosen your name and appointed a registered agent, you’re ready to file your Articles of Organization. This all-important filing is what will legally create your business in the state of Louisiana, so it’s important to fill it out carefully.

Louisiana needs a lot of important information from you, including:

• County of the business
• Your chosen business name
• Purpose of your business
• Duration (usually perpetual)
• Signature of organizer
• Signature of notary witness

You can file your Articles online or by mail. Either way, you’ll need to pay the $100 filing fee. You can pay by check, money order, or by credit card. All checks should be made payable to the Louisiana Secretary of State.

What Is a Louisiana LLC?

LLCs are formal legal entities that are typically taxed similarly to sole proprietorships and general partnerships, in that the owners include any company profits or losses into their personal returns — the LLC itself does not owe income taxes. For more a more in-depth description see: What is an LLC?

The Total Cost of Forming and Maintaining an LLC in Louisiana

In addition to the costs of a business formation service or hiring an attorney (which are optional, as we’ve discussed), there are quite a few other required and optional expenses when forming and maintaining a Louisiana business. You cannot form an LLC in Louisiana without filing the Articles of Organization, as this document is what officially registers your business within the state. It costs $100 to submit this filing.

Your LLC will be responsible for submitting annual reports each year. This filing is pretty simple, but it keeps the state up-to-date about some basic but vital business information like your address and registered agent. LLCs will pay $30 to submit the report. Read more about Louisiana costs – Louisiana LLC costs.