Louisiana LLC Online Filing: Welcome to the Bayou’s Bureaucratic Gumbo

By Jake Lawson | Last Updated: August 2025

Let me tell you about Louisiana’s online LLC filing system, and why it might be the most backwards thing since someone decided to deep-fry butter. They built a system called geauxBIZ (yes, that’s “Go Biz” with a Cajun twist) that asks for your federal tax ID before your LLC even exists. It’s like asking for your child’s social security number before they’re born.

I’ve guided over 180 entrepreneurs through Louisiana’s unique maze of LLC formation, from tech startups in New Orleans to crawfish farms in Lafayette. And here’s what nobody tells you upfront: Louisiana’s online system is so convoluted that I actually recommend paper filing for most parishes. But if you’re in one of the big 14 parishes or just love digital punishment, I’ll show you exactly how to navigate geauxBIZ without losing your mind.

Fair warning: This is going to be a journey. Pour yourself some coffee (or something stronger), and let’s dive into the swamp.

The Louisiana Paradox: Why Online Filing is Actually Harder

Most states make online filing easier than paper. Louisiana? They turned it into a three-act play:

Act 1: Reserve your name ($25)

Act 2: Get your EIN from the IRS (free but weird timing)

Act 3: Convert your reservation to an LLC ($75)

Total cost: $100 for online versus $100 for paper. Same price, triple the steps. Make it make sense.

The Big 14: Where Online Filing Makes (Some) Sense

Online filing is only mandatory in these parishes:

• Ascension
• Bossier
• Caddo
• Calcasieu
• East Baton Rouge
• Jefferson
• Lafayette
• Livingston
• Orleans
• Ouachita
• Rapides
• St. Tammany
• Tangipahoa
• Terrebonne

Outside these parishes? Paper filing is often faster and definitely simpler. But since you’re here, I’m assuming you’re either in the Big 14 or enjoy complicated processes.

Real Costs: The Full Monte

Everyone sees that $100 filing fee and thinks Louisiana’s reasonable. Let’s talk reality:

Formation costs:

• Name Reservation: $25 (credited toward filing)
• Articles of Organization: $75
• Processing fee: $5
• Total: $100 (online or paper)

Annual costs:

• Annual Report: $35 (due every year by anniversary date)
• Registered Agent: $50-200/year
• Business licenses: Varies wildly by parish

Still cheaper than Texas ($300) or New York ($200 plus publication), but not the bargain it appears.

Before You Touch geauxBIZ: Essential Prep Work

Stop. Do not pass go. Do not create that account yet. Get these pieces in place first:

1. Name Your Gator

Louisiana’s naming rules are standard with one twist—they’re surprisingly strict about similar names. “Bayou Tech LLC” and “Bayou Technology LLC” might both get rejected for being too similar.

Requirements:

• Must be distinguishable from existing entities
• Needs “LLC” or “L.L.C.” at the end
• Can’t imply you’re a bank, insurance company, or casino (unless you are)
• French names welcome (obviously)

Jake’s tip: Search your name on the Secretary of State’s database AND geauxBIZ separately. They don’t always sync properly. I’ve seen names available in one system but taken in another.

2. Registered Agent Reality Check

You need a Louisiana address staffed during business hours. Your options:

DIY Agent (if you’re Louisiana-based):

• Free but public
• Must be available 8-5 weekdays
• Address changes require state filing

Commercial Service (recommended):

• $50-200/year
• Maintains privacy
• Professional handling
• They know the geauxBIZ circus

Warning: Your registered agent must accept their appointment electronically within 7 days or your entire filing gets rejected. Make sure they know this email is coming.

3. Know Your Structure

Louisiana wants to know if you’re member-managed or manager-managed upfront. No changing your mind mid-application. Decide now:

Member-Managed: All owners run the show (90% of LLCs)

Manager-Managed: Designated managers run things (for complex structures)

Not sure? Go member-managed. You can amend later if needed.

The geauxBIZ Gauntlet: Step-by-Step Survival Guide

Phase 1: Account Creation and Name Reservation

Step 1: Create Your geauxBIZ Account

Head to geauxbiz.sos.la.gov (use Chrome—the state admits other browsers break things). Create your account with:

• Email address
• Password (write it down—password recovery is painful)
• Address and phone
• Email verification

Step 2: Build Your Profile

Select “Individual” as account type (unless you’re a business forming another business). Enter your name. Accept terms. Wait 10-15 seconds for the system to think about it.

Step 3: Reserve That Name

This is where it gets Louisiana-weird:

1. Click “Getting Started”
2. Select “Reserve a new business name”
3. Choose “LLC (Limited Liability Company)”
4. Select “Domestic (Louisiana)”
5. Enter your desired name with LLC suffix
6. Enter your name as the requester
7. Pay $30 ($25 reservation + $5 fee)

Step 4: Wait

Your name reservation takes 1-2 business days, sometimes just hours. You’ll get an email when approved. DO NOT proceed until you get this email. I mean it.

Phase 2: The EIN Shuffle

Here’s where Louisiana loses its mind. They want your federal tax ID before your LLC exists. It’s backwards, potentially problematic, and completely Louisiana.

Once your name is reserved:

1. Go to IRS.gov
2. Apply for an EIN online (free, 10 minutes)
3. Use your reserved LLC name
4. Save that EIN confirmation PDF

Phase 3: The Conversion Dance

Now we “convert” your name reservation to an actual LLC:

Step 1: Return to geauxBIZ

Login, go to “Businesses” tab, find your reservation, click “Convert to New Business Registration.”

Step 2: Basic Information

• Skip DBA unless you’re using a different name
• Enter your EIN (the one you just got)
• Choose business purpose (usually “any lawful activity”)
• Duration: Enter “perpetual” unless you want an expiration date

Step 3: Business Address

They ask for “registered office” but mean your business address. Can be:

• Your home
• Office location
• Registered agent’s address (if they allow)
• Any Louisiana street address (no PO boxes)

Step 4: Registered Agent Details

Choose type:

• Person: Individual’s name and address
• Service Company: Select from dropdown (address auto-fills)
• Law Firm: Attorney’s information

Remember: They have 7 days to accept electronically or everything fails.

Step 5: Members/Managers

List everyone with their:

• Full legal name
• Social Security Number (yes, really)
• Role (member or manager)
• Address (no PO boxes)
• Phone number

Single-member LLC? Just list yourself. Multi-member? Add everyone.

Step 6: NAICS Code Nightmare

Louisiana wants your North American Industry Classification System code. It’s a 6-digit number describing what you do. The lookup tool is terrible. Pick something close enough and move on.

Step 7: Tax Registration Gauntlet

geauxBIZ asks if you want to register for:

• Sales tax
• Withholding tax
• Corporate income/franchise tax
• Other random taxes

My advice: Answer “no” to everything. Handle taxes separately with a professional who knows Louisiana’s Byzantine tax system. Checking “yes” here opens cans of worms you’re not ready for.

Step 8: Employer Questions

Only relevant if you have employees. If not, breeze through with “no” answers.

Step 9: Pay and Pray

Enter payment information. Submit. Screenshot everything. The confirmation emails are unreliable.

Post-Filing: The Waiting Game

Online filings take 3-5 business days for approval. You’ll receive:

• Email notification (maybe)
• Approved Articles of Organization
• Official Certificate
• Welcome Letter

Download everything immediately. geauxBIZ has a habit of losing documents after 30 days.

Common Disasters and How to Avoid Them

After 180+ Louisiana filings, here are the classic failures:

1. Registered agent doesn’t accept in time: 7-day window is strict. No exceptions.
2. Name too similar to existing entity: Even minor similarities get rejected
3. Wrong parish for online filing: Some parishes require paper regardless
4. EIN doesn’t match reservation name: Even tiny differences cause problems
5. NAICS code errors: System breaks if you don’t validate properly
6. Payment failures: Their payment system is fragile. Have backup card ready.

The Paper Alternative: Why I Often Recommend It

Unless you’re in the Big 14 parishes, consider paper filing:

• Same $100 cost
• No name reservation dance
• No premature EIN
• No geauxBIZ account needed
• Often faster overall

The only downside? You have to print, sign, and mail something. In 2025. The horror.

Post-Approval: Your Louisiana LLC To-Do List

Immediate Actions:

1. Get your federal EIN (if you didn’t already)
2. Open business bank account (bring Certificate and EIN)
3. Draft Operating Agreement (not filed but legally important)
4. Register for Louisiana taxes (with professional help)
5. Get local licenses (parish and city requirements vary wildly)

Annual Obligations:

• Annual Report: $35, due by anniversary date
• Registered Agent: Keep current and responsive
• Tax filings: Louisiana loves its taxes

Louisiana Business Realities: What They Don’t Tell You

After years dealing with Louisiana businesses, here’s the real talk:

The Good:

• Strong legal protections for LLCs
• No publication requirements
• Relatively low costs
• French civil law tradition offers unique advantages

The Challenging:

• Complex tax structure (state and parish)
• Hurricane insurance considerations
• Workforce regulations vary by parish
• geauxBIZ system is genuinely problematic

The Verdict: If you’re doing business in Louisiana, form there. If you’re just attracted to the culture, form in your home state and register as a foreign LLC when needed.

When to Hire a Professional

Sometimes that $100 DIY filing isn’t worth the geauxBIZ grief. Consider help if:

• You’re not in the Big 14 (paper filing is easier)
• Multiple members with complex ownership
• You need tax registration assistance
• Time is worth more than money saved
• You value your sanity

Northwest Registered Agent charges $39 plus state fees. For $139 total, they navigate geauxBIZ for you and include a year of registered agent service. That’s less than you’ll spend on aspirin for geauxBIZ-induced headaches.

Louisiana Secretary of State: Your Lifeline

When geauxBIZ inevitably breaks:

Phone: 225-925-4704

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM Central

Physical Office: 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge

Pro tips:

• Call early morning (fewer people brave enough to tackle geauxBIZ)
• Have your confirmation number ready
• Be patient—they know the system is problematic
• Ask for supervisor if stuck in geauxBIZ purgatory

Real Talk: Should You File Online?

Here’s my honest assessment after 180+ Louisiana LLCs:

File online if:

• You’re in the Big 14 parishes (required)
• You enjoy complicated processes (seriously?)
• You need integrated tax registration
• You’re a masochist

File on paper if:

• You’re outside the Big 14
• You value simplicity
• You don’t need immediate tax registration
• You have a working printer

The Bottom Line: Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler (Eventually)

Louisiana’s online LLC filing system is like their cuisine—complex, sometimes confusing, but ultimately gets the job done. Whether you brave geauxBIZ or go old-school paper, just get it filed. Every day without an LLC is another day your personal assets are exposed to Louisiana’s unique legal environment.

Three paths forward:

1. Brave geauxBIZ yourself: Follow this guide, budget 2-3 hours, keep antacids handy
2. Paper file instead: Often simpler unless you’re in the Big 14
3. Hire a service: Let someone else deal with the digital swamp

Whatever you choose, just choose. Your future protected self will thank you, even if your current self is cursing at geauxBIZ.

And remember: If a system named with a bad pun can’t stop you, nothing can. That’s the Louisiana spirit right there.

Ready to Form Your Louisiana LLC?

If this guide convinced you that geauxBIZ isn’t worth the trouble, I don’t blame you. Check if you’re in the Big 14 parishes—if not, grab the paper forms and save yourself the headache.

If you must file online or just want someone else to handle it, Northwest Registered Agent will navigate the swamp for $139 total. That’s a bargain for keeping your blood pressure normal.

Either way, stop procrastinating. Even geauxBIZ is better than no LLC at all.

Jake Lawson has helped over 1,200 entrepreneurs form LLCs across all 50 states, including 180+ brave souls in Louisiana. He’s witnessed geauxBIZ crashes, name reservation nightmares, and registered agents who forgot to check their email. He shares these war stories so you don’t have to live them. Find more battle-tested business formation advice at llciyo.com.