The 5 Best Registered Agents in Louisiana (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan The 5 best registered agents in Louisiana in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest Registered Agent, LA Registered Agent.org, Bizee, and Louisiana Registered Agent.co.

Maya Welcome to The Business Formation Podcast. Louisiana. Is it any different from other states?

Dan A little. Every agent signs a notarized acceptance, and a change of agent went up to $30 on October 1 this year. Those two details shape how you choose.

0:35 What Louisiana requires

Maya What does the law say?

Dan Revised Statutes 12:1308 says every LLC must continuously maintain a registered office in the state and at least one registered agent. The registered office is treated as the company's domicile for all purposes.

Maya Who can be the agent?

Dan A citizen of the state who lives here, or a partnership, professional law corporation, or an authorized domestic or foreign corporation or LLC. Entities must have a certificate on file naming at least two individuals at their Louisiana address who can receive process.

Maya And the state's own words?

Dan The Secretary of State's FAQ says an agent can be almost anyone of legal age and a legal resident, including a member, an employee, an attorney or an accountant.

Maya What about the address?

Dan A municipal address, not a post office box only.

Maya I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan.

Dan Thanks, Maya. Now the five.

1:30 Mainstay Filing

Maya Number one?

Dan Mainstay Filing, $149 a year, the same $149 at renewal.

Maya What do I get?

Dan Its Louisiana address on the public record rather than yours. Served papers are scanned and uploaded the same business day with no fee, and your first three government mailings a year are scanned free.

Maya Switching from another agent?

Dan Mainstay files the change and signs the notarized acceptance as your new agent. The $30 state fee passes through at cost.

Maya The honest catch?

Dan Two agents below it are $99, so it's not the lowest flat price.

2:10 Northwest Registered Agent

Maya Second?

Dan Northwest Registered Agent, $125 a year. Its page says the price hasn't moved in 20 years, and up to 10 pieces of regular mail a year are scanned free.

Maya Catch?

Dan It auto-enrolls you in its annual report filing service, $100 plus state fees per filing, until you cancel.

Maya Louisiana's report is $35.

Dan So that service plus the state fee is $135, nearly four times what the state charges. Cancel it unless you want it.

2:45 LA Registered Agent.org

Maya Third?

Dan LA Registered Agent.org, $99 a year, same at renewal. A registered address on file, same-day scanning of legal documents and reminders before state deadlines.

Maya Switching?

Dan It costs just the $30 state fee. Annual report filing is a separate service.

Maya Versus Mainstay?

Dan $50 a year less, $150 over three years.

3:14 Bizee

Maya Four?

Dan Bizee, formerly Incfile. Free the first year with a formation package, then $149 a year.

Maya Any fine print?

Dan The free year needs a formation order, and the renewal is automatic.

Maya If I formed my company on my own?

Dan Then you start at $149. Two years comes to $298.

3:38 Louisiana Registered Agent.co

Maya And five?

Dan Louisiana Registered Agent.co, a flat $99. The office address on your filings, same-day scanning of legal mail and reminders for state deadlines.

Maya Different from number three?

Dan Not on the listings. Same price, same catch.

3:56 The notarized acceptance

Maya Why does the notary matter?

Dan Because Louisiana is stricter than most. The Initial Report carries an agent's affidavit and acknowledgment of acceptance, and each agent must sign it before a notary public.

Maya Even for a change?

Dan Yes. A change must be accompanied by a notarized affidavit of acknowledgment and acceptance signed by the new agent.

Maya So I can't just name my cousin without telling them?

Dan Not and have it stand. The new agent has to show up in front of a notary. That's one reason people let a service handle the paperwork.

4:28 Naming the agent at formation

Maya Where does the agent go when I form the LLC?

Dan In the Initial Report, Form 973, filed with the Articles of Organization, Form 365. The Articles can't be accepted unless the Initial Report is filed too.

Maya What does that cost?

Dan The Articles are $125 since October 1, 2026, plus a $5 convenience fee on card payments.

Maya Anything else on the Initial Report?

Dan The names and municipal addresses of the first managers or members.

5:04 Changing the agent

Maya How do I change it later?

Dan Form 983, the Notice of Change of Registered Office and/or Change of Registered Agent. The filing fee is $30, up from $25 before October 1, 2026.

Maya Who signs?

Dan A manager or member for the company, and the new agent signs the acknowledgment before a notary.

Maya Can I pay by card?

Dan Yes, with a $5 statutory convenience fee. You can also file online.

Maya Can I speed it up?

Dan Expedite is $35 for 24 hours or $60 for two to four hours. The change takes effect when the Secretary of State accepts it for record.

Maya Is there a shortcut?

Dan If your annual report is due or past due, you can make the change there instead.

5:51 If the agent resigns

Maya What if my agent resigns?

Dan Louisiana is different here. The agent resigns by giving written notice to the company and to the Secretary of State. We found no resignation form and no fee on the forms page or the fee schedule.

Maya Do I have to replace them?

Dan Yes. A successor agent must be appointed within 30 days of the resignation.

Maya Sounds tighter than other states.

Dan It is. Thirty days is not much when the new agent needs a notary.

6:20 When there's no agent

Maya What if papers need to reach a company with no agent?

Dan The Code of Civil Procedure lets the server go to any manager, any member, or an employee of suitable age and discretion where the business is regularly conducted.

Maya And if that fails?

Dan Then personally on the Secretary of State, who forwards the citation.

Maya What about a vacated office?

Dan If no statement of change is filed within 30 days after the registered office is vacated, anyone other than the company can treat the Secretary of State's office as its registered office.

Maya Any other state action?

Dan A company that skips its annual report three years in a row can be revoked, but the state first mails notice to its last registered agent, at least 30 days ahead.

7:07 The annual report

Maya What does Louisiana want each year?

Dan An annual report, $35, on or before the anniversary date of organization.

Maya What's on it?

Dan The registered office, each agent, and each manager or member with a municipal address.

Maya So the yearly spend?

Dan With Mainstay, $149 plus $35 is $184. With a $99 agent, $134.

Maya Does the state remind me?

Dan We didn't verify a reminder program, so put the anniversary in your calendar.

7:43 Doing it yourself

Maya Can I be my own agent in Louisiana?

Dan As a Louisiana citizen who lives here, with a municipal address, yes. An organizer, a member or an employee can serve too.

Maya What's the tradeoff?

Dan The agent's name and address are publicly displayed on the Secretary of State's website.

Maya And presence?

Dan The agent is the person who receives legal documents and must forward them to the business. A same-day scanning service makes sure that happens fast.

8:12 Picking one

Maya How would a New Orleans or Baton Rouge owner decide?

Dan Three things. Does the price hold, is there a real Louisiana address, and who handles the notarized $30 change.

Maya And your answer?

Dan Mainstay Filing. Our pick for Louisiana, at $149 a year.

8:31 The five in a row

Maya All five, once more?

Dan One, Mainstay Filing: $149, same at renewal. Two, Northwest: $125, with the report service to cancel. Three, LA Registered Agent.org: $99 flat. Four, Bizee: free the first year with a formation order, then $149. Five, Louisiana Registered Agent.co: $99 flat.

Maya The links are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.