How to Start an LLC in Indiana (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan To start an LLC in Indiana, you file Articles of Organization, State Form 49459, with the Indiana Secretary of State through INBiz, and pay $95 online.

Maya Is that the final amount?

Dan Almost. INBiz adds a small card processing fee on top.

Maya This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Indiana for 2026, in six steps, with what it all costs and the three best ways to have it filed for you. Where do we start?

0:29 Step 1: Choose a name

Dan Your name has to include limited liability company, or an abbreviation like LLC. And it has to be distinguishable from other businesses on record.

Maya Does adding LLC to a name that's taken make it different?

Dan No. Adding LLC, or the word "the," doesn't make a name different.

Maya Where do I search?

Dan The Secretary of State's free business search.

Maya And holding a name for later?

Dan You can reserve one on INBiz for $10.

1:00 Step 2: Name a registered agent

Maya Who can be my registered agent in Indiana?

Dan A person or a business, with an Indiana street address.

Maya What about a P.O. box?

Dan Not accepted.

Maya Can my LLC be its own agent?

Dan No, it can't.

Maya And privacy?

Dan A commercial agent is listed by name only. A noncommercial agent's address goes on the public record. That's why many owners use a commercial agent. Changing agents later has no filing fee.

1:28 Step 3: File the Articles of Organization

Maya Where do I file?

Dan On INBiz, the state's online filing system. You sign in with an Access Indiana account. It's $95.

Maya And on paper?

Dan $100, on State Form 49459.

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

Dan Good to meet you, Maya. Now, what the form asks for: the name, a principal office, your registered agent, and how the LLC is managed.

Maya What if I work from home?

Dan Since January 2026, you can check a box to keep your home address off the record.

Maya And that card fee?

Dan At least $1, and up to 2.15%.

2:06 Step 4: Write an operating agreement

Maya Does the state collect it?

Dan No. It isn't filed with the Secretary of State, and there's no state fee. Keep it with your records.

Maya What if I skip it?

Dan Without one, Indiana's default LLC rules decide things like how profits are split.

Maya So writing one gives me control.

Dan It does. Put in who owns what, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves.

2:31 Step 5: Get a free EIN

Maya What about the federal side?

Dan Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, after the state approves your Articles.

Maya How long does it take?

Dan If the online application is approved, the number is issued right away. Have the Social Security number or ITIN of the person in charge ready.

Maya And a beneficial ownership report?

Dan You can skip it. FinCEN no longer requires it from U.S. companies.

2:59 Step 6: File the Business Entity Report

Maya What do I file after I'm formed?

Dan A Business Entity Report, every two years.

Maya When does the first one come?

Dan Two years after you form. It's due by the end of your anniversary month.

Maya What does it cost?

Dan $32 online, or $50 on paper.

Maya How do I remember a two-year deadline?

Dan The state sends email reminders, 90 days and 30 days ahead.

Maya What if I'm late?

Dan There's no late fee. But an LLC that doesn't file can be administratively dissolved, and then it can't do business in Indiana until it's reinstated.

3:33 What it costs

Maya Give me the do-it-yourself number.

Dan $95 to form online. Then $32 every two years for the Business Entity Report.

Maya And the EIN?

Dan Free.

Maya Anything optional?

Dan A name reservation at $10. Changing your agent has no filing fee.

Maya So what's day one?

Dan $95, plus the INBiz processing fee. The first $32 report comes two years later.

3:59 Paper or online

Maya Compare paper and online for me.

Dan For the Articles, it's $95 online and $100 on paper.

Maya And the report?

Dan $32 online, $50 on paper.

Maya So online wins twice.

Dan It does, by $5 on the Articles and $18 on the report. The card processing fee on INBiz is small by comparison.

4:24 Home address privacy

Maya Let me go back to the home-address checkbox. Who's it for?

Dan Someone who works from home. Since January 2026, you can check a box and keep your home address off the record.

Maya Where is that box?

Dan On the Articles of Organization form.

Maya Does it replace the registered agent address?

Dan No, those are separate. The agent still needs an Indiana street address, and a commercial agent is listed by name only.

Maya So two different privacy tools.

Dan Right. One for your office, one for your agent.

4:57 Picking your registered agent

Maya Walk me through the agent rules once more.

Dan A person or business, at an Indiana street address.

Maya Could the LLC serve itself?

Dan No.

Maya And the public record?

Dan A noncommercial agent's address goes on it. A commercial agent is listed by name only.

Maya Does switching agents cost money?

Dan No filing fee.

5:19 What dissolution means

Maya Let me press on the report. You said there's no late fee.

Dan Right, and that can feel relaxed.

Maya What's the catch?

Dan An LLC that doesn't file can be administratively dissolved.

Maya What does that do?

Dan It can't do business in Indiana until it's reinstated.

Maya So no fee, but a serious consequence.

Dan Yes. The $32 report on time is the simple path, and the reminders help.

5:46 First-year checklist

Maya Give me the order of operations.

Dan Search the name. Choose your registered agent. File State Form 49459 on INBiz for $95. Then get your EIN and write your operating agreement.

Maya And the calendar?

Dan The $32 Business Entity Report, by the end of your anniversary month, starting two years after you form.

6:10 The 3 best ways to file in Indiana

Maya What if I'd rather have someone else file?

Dan Here are the three best ways to file in Indiana. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $95 state fee, checkout comes to $294.

Maya What does that include?

Dan Your Articles filed, your EIN application, and your registered agent every year. It renews at the same $199.

Maya And the report?

Dan In Indiana, Mainstay prepares and files your Business Entity Report every time it comes due. You pay only the $32 state fee.

Maya Number two?

Dan IN Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee, also $294 at checkout. The first year of agent service is free, then it's $99 a year.

Maya And number three?

Dan Indiana Registered Agent.co. Same offer. $199 plus the state fee, first year of agent service free, then $99 a year.

Maya How do I choose?

Dan Since Indiana's report only comes every two years, numbers two and three cost less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone, if you'll file the report yourself. The $32 state fee is the same either way.

7:36 Three years of service fees

Maya Give me the three-year view.

Dan Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two or three is $199 in year one, then $99 in each of the next two years, for $397.

Maya A $200 gap.

Dan Yes, and in Indiana, that gap pays for having your report filed every time it comes due.

8:02 Recap

Maya Can I hear it one more time?

Dan Choose a name with LLC in it, name a registered agent at an Indiana street address, file Form 49459 on INBiz for $95, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and file your $32 Business Entity Report every two years.

Maya The links to all three services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Indiana LLC.