Foreign registration charge
$185
static.sos.la.gov, checked October 2026
Foreign LLC guide · Louisiana
Registering an Out-of-State LLC in Louisiana (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services
Short answer for Louisiana: Mainstay Filing ($199), Louisiana Registered Agent.co ($199) and LA Registered Agent.org ($199), which is the sequence we would follow for registering a foreign LLC in 2026. A foreign LLC pays $185 to register in Louisiana and $35 for each yearly report after that. Three-year state fees rank 23rd of 50.
Louisiana in numbers
23rd
of 50 by what a foreign LLC pays the state
First place is the smallest bill. See the full 50-state table
Report, per cycle
$35
Annual report
Home-state certificate
90 days
The oldest a certificate may be
State charges, years one to three
$255
A three-year picture for a foreign LLC
Our Louisiana recommendations
The order follows five published criteria. They are set out on the methodology page.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in more than one state
$199 to register, $149 each year after
Mainstay Filing takes the top place, as the Louisiana registration is filed for $199 beyond the state's charge, with the first agent year included.
Louisiana Registered Agent.co is $100 cheaper across three years, but the coverage criterion pulls the other way.
When the free year ends, the agent is $149 a year in any state.
What the price buys
- Your registration is prepared and filed
- No charge for the registered agent in the first year
- Fifty-state service
In its favor
- The same price in any state
- $199 to register
- First-year agent duty is covered
Against it
- $50 more each year for the agent
2. Louisiana Registered Agent.co: best for a modest Louisiana registration
$199 to register, $99 each year after
Number 2 is Louisiana Registered Agent.co: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.
What the price buys
- Registration paperwork taken care of
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- $199 plus the state fee
- $99 yearly for the agent after that
- Agent service for year one comes with it
Against it
- Serves Louisiana alone
3. LA Registered Agent.org: best for a smaller agent renewal
$199 to register, $99 each year after
Number 3 is LA Registered Agent.org: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.
Louisiana Registered Agent.co charges the same.
What the price buys
- Registration paperwork taken care of
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- $199 plus the state fee
- $99 yearly for the agent after that
- Agent service for year one comes with it
Against it
- Serves Louisiana alone
3 services in one table
| No. | Service | First-year fee | From year two | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149/yr | $497 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Louisiana Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit Louisiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | LA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit LA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Prices come from each company's own pages and were copied on November 12, 2026. The $185 state fee is not part of any row.
Add it up
The registration fee is $185, with the $35 report from year two; the service's prices are added to it.
Louisiana next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Three-year foreign LLC fees |
|---|---|---|
| 21st | North Dakota | $235 |
| 22nd | New Jersey | $250 |
| 23rd | Louisiana | $255 |
| 24th | New York | $259 |
| 25th | Pennsylvania | $264 |
For the other states, go to Foreign LLC fees by state.
Louisiana foreign LLC registration fee and form (official)
Foreign LLCs register on the Application for Authority to Transact Business in Louisiana, Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 972), which is submitted to the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division with $185. Include certificate of existence or good standing from the jurisdiction of organization, no more than 90 days.
It keeps filing the annual report ($35), on or before the anniversary of your qualification.
Have these ready
- Certificate of existence or good standing from the jurisdiction of organization, issued within 90 days.
- Your LLC's legal name and the day it was formed.
- A person located in Louisiana who acts as registered agent.
- A way to pay the $185 official fee.
Penalties for skipping registration in Louisiana
An unregistered LLC has no right to sue in the state's courts (La. R.S. 12:1354(A)). Its contracts remain valid (La. R.S. 12:1354(B)). Unpaid fees from the gap in registration come due as well.
The reasoning behind the order
Paperwork the price takes on decided first place in Louisiana. It counts for 26% of the score; the remaining criteria are three-year service charge, year-two price, match to the state's calendar, fee labeling.
A foreign LLC lives in two states at once, so coverage settled the order.
Louisiana: common questions
What fee does a foreign LLC pay to register with Louisiana?
$185 to the state. A service adds $199 to the bill.
Which form does Louisiana use to register a foreign LLC?
Application for Authority to Transact Business in Louisiana, Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 972), submitted to the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division.
Does the home state have to issue a certificate?
Yes. certificate of existence or good standing from the jurisdiction of organization; it has to be dated within 90 days of the filing.
Does a foreign LLC owe anything every year?
Yes, the annual report, at $35.
What are the consequences of operating there without registering?
An unregistered LLC has no right to sue in the state's courts (La. R.S. 12:1354(A)). Its contracts remain valid (La. R.S. 12:1354(B)). Unpaid fees from the gap in registration come due as well.
Does Louisiana require a registered agent of a foreign LLC?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who should register my foreign LLC?
Mainstay Filing, because a $199 service fee in whichever state you choose, plus a free first year of agent service. Behind it come Louisiana Registered Agent.co and LA Registered Agent.org.
Sources for this chapter
- For Louisiana Secretary of State, see geauxbiz.sos.la.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Louisiana Secretary of State, see sos.la.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Louisiana yearly filing: Annual report, official source, see legis.la.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Louisiana Secretary of State fee changes effective October, see static.sos.la.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Louisiana registered agent statute, see legis.la.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Louisiana Secretary of State, forms and fee schedule, see sos.la.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Form 972, foreign LLC application, see sos.la.gov (opened October 2026)
- For R.S. 12:1345, application for authority, see legis.la.gov (opened October 2026)
- For R.S. 12:1354, effect of failing to obtain authority, see legis.la.gov (opened October 2026)
- For R.S. 12:1350, registered agent, see legis.la.gov (opened October 2026)
- For North Dakota Secretary of State, limited liability companies, see sos.nd.gov (opened October 2026)
- For NDCC Chapter 10-32.1, see ndlegis.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Secretary of State, registered agents, see sos.nd.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Secretary of State, business services, see sos.nd.gov (opened October 2026)
- For NJ Division of Revenue, Business Formation service, see njportal.com (opened October 2026)
- For NJ Division of Revenue, fee schedule, see nj.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Public Records Filing for New Business Entity, see nj.gov (opened October 2026)
- For New Jersey Revised Uniform LLC Act, see pub.njleg.gov (opened October 2026)
- For NJ Annual Reports and Change Services, see njportal.com (opened October 2026)
- For Department of State, Application for Authority, see dos.ny.gov (opened October 2026)
- For LLC Law § 802, application for authority, see nysenate.gov (opened October 2026)
- For LLC Law § 808, consequences of doing business, see nysenate.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Department of State, Certificate of Publication, see dos.ny.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Department of State, biennial statements, see dos.ny.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Pennsylvania DOS, foreign associations, see pa.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Foreign Registration Statement, DSCB:15-412, see pa.gov (opened October 2026)
- For DOS fees and payments, see pa.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Commercial registered office providers, see pa.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Annual reports, see pa.gov (opened October 2026)
- The Louisiana service page for Mainstay Filing, as published November 12, 2026
- The pricing page for Louisiana Registered Agent.co, as published November 12, 2026
- The pricing page for LA Registered Agent.org, as published November 12, 2026