Forming a Corporation in Louisiana

Each state has its own set of rules for businesses seeking to form a corporation there. If you've decided to incorporate in Louisiana, incorporate.com will take care of all the details. We'll research the availability of your company name and help you prepare and file your Articles of Incorporation with the Louisiana Secretary of State. We can also assist with many of your follow-up needs such as amendment filings, written consents, and annual report preparation and filing.

Here are some helpful facts about Louisiana's incorporation requirements:

Corporate Name Requirements

Louisiana requires corporations to have names that can't be confused with the names of any other corporations or limited liability companies, trade names or reserved names registered with the Secretary of State. When you incorporate with incorporate.com's help, we'll research your company name to make sure it meets Louisiana's standards.

Permitted designations: Louisiana corporate names may be followed by several approved designations, including:

• Co.
• Company
• Corp.
• Corporation
• Inc.
• Incorporated
• Limited
• Ltd.

Restricted designations: The use of certain words and phrases in corporate names is considered "restricted" in Louisiana, meaning they require special approval by the state. These include:

• Architect
• Architectural
• Architecture
• Bank
• Banker
• Banking
• Building and Loan
• Casualty
• Credit Union
• Electric Cooperative
• Engineer
• Home Stead
• Insurance
• Redevelopment Corporation
• Safe Deposit
• Savings
• Surveying
• Surveyor
• Trust
• Trustee

Filing Requirements

Remember, when you work with incorporate.com, we'll take care of your incorporation filing for you. This information is presented only for your reference.

Required documents: The state of Louisiana requires businesses to file Articles of Incorporation as well as an Initial Report.

Location to file: Businesses must file their corporate documents in the same parish where their registered agent is located.

Turnaround time: In general, turnaround time for incorporating a business in Louisiana is between 7 and 20 business days. Expedited filings, which require an additional fee, typically take 3-5 business days.

Follow-up filings: Not required.

Officers/Directors Information

Minimum number: Corporations are required to have one or more directors. Corporations must also have a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.

Director qualifications: Directors are not required to be shareholders or residents of Louisiana or the U.S.

Appearance in articles: Not required.

Written consent: Permitted. Directors may act in writing in lieu of holding a meeting.

Principal office location

Louisiana requires that a corporation's principal office be located inside the state.

Annual Reports

Time to file: Corporations must file annual reports with the Louisiana Secretary of State on or before the day that marks the anniversary of incorporation.

Turnaround time: Turnaround time at the state is typically between 5 and 20 business days.

Signatures: Only company officers or directors are authorized to sign annual reports.

Filing extensions: Not permitted.