Every formal business in the state of Louisiana is required by law to have a Louisiana registered agent. A registered agent receives any official documents from the State of Louisiana, as well as any service of process filed on a firm in a litigation.
In this Louisiana Registered Agent tutorial, we’ll go over what a registered agent is, what they perform, and how to choose one.
What Is a Registered Agent in Louisiana?
A Louisiana registered agent is a person or corporate organization that serves as your company’s point of contact for:
All correspondence with the State of Louisiana, such as the Louisiana Annual Report and certificate of good standing, is received.
In Louisiana, any formal business, such as an LLC or corporation, is required by law to have a registered agent.
In Louisiana, may I act as my own registered agent?
Yes, any owner or employee of a company may serve as its registered agent in Louisiana if they are above the age of 18 and have a Louisiana street address.
You might also designate a member of your LLC or a friend you trust, as long as they match these standards as well.
Why Do Companies Use a Registered Agent Service in Louisiana?
Many firms opt to employ a registered agent service when forming an LLC for the following reasons:
Compliance
A registered agent service keeps a compliance calendar and will notify you when yearly reports or other files are due, as well as assist you in submitting them.
This helps you avoid penalties and maintains your firm in good standing, both of which are necessary to preserve your limited liability protection.
If you do not reply immediately to serving of process, legal complexities, costs, or other concerns may develop. A registered agent will scan your papers, upload them to the internet, and tell you when they are ready.
Privacy
If you operate from home or a private office as your own registered agent, your address will be made public on the Louisiana Commercial Search.
If your privacy is important to you, a registered agent service will use their own address instead of yours.
Discretion
Receiving service of process for a lawsuit at your place of business may be a delicate circumstance to have in front of your staff and customers.
To circumvent this problem, a registered agent will accept service of process and other papers at their office and deliver them to you discreetly online.
Flexibility
If you are your own registered agent, you must be accessible every working day of the year during regular business hours.
Registered agent services have real offices and people to cover certain hours, allowing them to be accessible during those times.
Hiring a registered agent service enables you to be more flexible with your working hours and locations. So go ahead and take a vacation, work from home or the office, or travel the globe knowing they’ll be there to collect your documents.
Online Data Storage
A competent registered agent service will scan your papers as soon as they arrive, maintaining a digital record of all your company documents and any service of process on a user-friendly dashboard.
If you employed an LLC creation service, you would most likely also use them as a registered agent. This implies a copy of your formation paperwork will be accessible online as well.
Having all of this information, which is accessible as PDFs, is really useful when you need to do things for your company, such as create a business bank account, apply for a business credit card, apply for small business loans, and many other things that need a copy of your paperwork.
National Reach
If you want to grow your company into other states, such as by employing an out-of-state employee or establishing a new sales office, you must have a registered agent for your foreign LLC or other corporation.
The majority of registered agent services are available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Simply pay a little fee for the new state in which you operate, and they will transmit all of your paperwork to the same web dashboard.
What Is the Cost of a Registered Agent?
A registered agent service normally costs between $50 and $300 each year. When you consider how much time it will save you, this is a little amount to pay.
Best Registered Agent Service in Louisiana
Northwest is the greatest registered agent service in terms of overall quality and cost transparency. Northwest provides a unified user experience as well as industry-leading customer service and privacy protection.
When you choose Northwest as your registered agent, you will get an online account with access to important papers, mail forwarding, and business address services.
Northwest’s virtual mailbox service will scan your mail and electronically transmit it to you. This means you can keep track of your mail from anywhere in the globe.
In Louisiana, How Do I Choose A Registered Agent?
When you finish your LLC’s Articles of Organization in Louisiana, you must choose a registered agent. In Louisiana, the primary LLC creation document is the Articles of Organization.
Online Registration of a Registered Agent
Louisiana geauxBIZ allows you to create your LLC online ($100 filing fee needed). You must first make an account and then proceed as directed.
Choosing a Registered Agent by Mail
To create your LLC by mail or in person, go to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website and download the Articles of Organization ($100 filing fee necessary). Section three of the first report form will require your registered agent’s name and contact information.
How Do I Change My Louisiana Registered Agent?
Simply complete out a change form and send it to the Louisiana Secretary of State along with the $25 filing fee paid by cheque, money order, credit card, or cash to change your registered agent (in person). A $5 convenience charge is added to credit card payments.
Louisiana offers many forms for various sorts of businesses:
Domestic Limited Liability Company
Nonprofit Domestic Corporation Foreign LLC or Foreign Corporation
This may be accomplished online via Louisiana’s geauxBIZ website, by mail, fax, or in person.
Commercial Division, P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804-9125 (225) 925-4704
Louisiana Secretary of State, 8585 Archives Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Fax:\s(225) 932-5314
See our comprehensive guide to changing registered agents in Louisiana.
Appointment Consent
Your new registered agent must also agree to their appointment. This may be accomplished by signing the change form.