[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.