No.1
Best here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $149 yearly after year one
Score9.3out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 covers the Louisiana registration and the registered agent role is free the first year, then $149 annually.
The first agent year costs nothing; later years are $149 each, in this state or any other.
Its three-year total exceeds Louisiana Registered Agent.co's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
- Year one as your registered agent, at no charge
- Free same-business-day scans of anything served on the company
Why pick it
- One price in each of the fifty states
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than Louisiana Registered Agent.co
No.2
Low renewal
2. Louisiana Registered Agent.co: best for companies that only add Louisiana
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score9.0out of 10
Second place: Louisiana Registered Agent.co. The Louisiana registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- Filing with the state
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- $199 to register, state fee on top
- Agent charge of $99 a year after the first
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
Weak spots
- Serves Louisiana only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Best for a Louisiana-only company
3. LA Registered Agent.org: best for Louisiana registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.8out of 10
Third place: LA Registered Agent.org. The Louisiana registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The published prices and features of Louisiana Registered Agent.co and LA Registered Agent.org are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- Filing with the state
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- $99 a year for the agent from the second year
- A $199 service charge plus the registration fee
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
Weak spots
- Serves Louisiana only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.3 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | Louisiana Registered Agent.co | 9.0 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Louisiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | LA Registered Agent.org | 8.8 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit LA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Louisiana foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
|---|
| Louisiana Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| LA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Louisiana's $185 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The reasoning for the order
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In Louisiana, work taken off the founder was the criterion that tipped it.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of Louisiana Registered Agent.co.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Louisiana: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division using the Application for Authority to Transact Business in Louisiana, Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 972). The state fee is $185. Louisiana also requires certificate of existence or good standing from the jurisdiction of organization, issued no more than 90 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual report, priced at $35, with a due date of on or before the anniversary of your qualification.
Items to gather before filing
- Certificate of existence or good standing from the jurisdiction of organization, no older than 90 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $185 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the annual report, which carries a $35 fee.
Consequences of operating in Louisiana unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Louisiana courts (La. R.S. 12:1354(A)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (La. R.S. 12:1354(B)). Fees for the unregistered period are owed too.
Questions on Louisiana foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Louisiana?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Louisiana run in total?
The state fee is $185; service charges run $199.
What does Louisiana call its foreign registration form?
The Application for Authority to Transact Business in Louisiana, Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 972), lodged with the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Louisiana accepts it?
It must. Certificate of existence or good standing from the jurisdiction of organization, issued no more than 90 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Louisiana?
Mainstay Filing, since $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as registered agent is included.
The record
- Louisiana Secretary of State, on the record as of August 2026
- Louisiana Secretary of State, on the record as of August 2026
- Louisiana yearly filing: Annual report, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Louisiana Secretary of State fee changes effective October 1, 2026, on the record as of October 2026
- Louisiana registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Louisiana Secretary of State, forms and fee schedule, on the record as of October 2026
- Form 972, foreign LLC application, on the record as of October 2026
- R.S. 12:1345, application for authority, on the record as of October 2026
- R.S. 12:1354, effect of failing to obtain authority, on the record as of October 2026
- R.S. 12:1350, registered agent, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Louisiana service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Louisiana Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: LA Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026