Louisiana Secretary of State office — contact & fees
Updated August 2026
Quick Answer
The Louisiana Secretary of State's Commercial Division registers business entities, processes annual reports, and maintains public records for all entity types in Louisiana. In-person service is at the Archives Avenue office in Baton Rouge. Online filings go through either the CORA system or the geauxBIZ integrated startup portal.
Open Official Louisiana Commercial Division Portal ↗Office contact
- Street address
- 8585 Archives Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
- Mailing address
- P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
- Commercial Division phone
- (225) 925-4704
- Commercial Division fax
- (225) 932-5314
- Office hours
- Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (arrive by 4:00 p.m. for same-day service)
- Contact form
- sos.la.gov — Business Services Contact Us
- Entity search (CORA)
- coraweb.sos.la.gov
- Integrated startup portal
- geauxbiz.sos.la.gov — geauxBIZ
Entity formation and filing fees
Fees below are from the Louisiana Secretary of State's official Forms & Fee Schedule page. LLCs cost more to form than corporations in Louisiana — an unusual distinction among states — and foreign (out-of-state) entities pay a higher registration fee than domestic ones. Verify current amounts at the SOS website before filing.
LLC — Articles of Organization
- Fee
- $100
LLC — Annual Report
- Fee
- $30
LLC — Amendment, Merger, Dissolution, or Certificate of Correction
- Fee
- $100
Foreign LLC — Application for Certificate of Authority
- Fee
- $150
Profit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation
- Fee
- $75
Profit Corporation — Annual Report
- Fee
- $30
Profit Corporation — Amendment, Merger, Dissolution, or Certificate of Correction
- Fee
- $75
Foreign Corporation — Application for Certificate of Authority
- Fee
- $125
Nonprofit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation
- Fee
- $75
Nonprofit Corporation — Annual Report
- Fee
- $10
Name Reservation
- Fee
- $25
Certificate of Good Standing / Additional Certificate
- Fee
- $20
Certified Copy (standard)
- Fee
- $15
Certified Copy with Amendments Attached
- Fee
- $25
Louisiana's LLC formation fee ($100) exceeds the corporation rate ($75), and foreign LLCs pay $150 to register versus $125 for a foreign corporation. Nonprofits pay the same $75 formation fee as profit corporations. Annual reports are due each year on the entity's anniversary month. Same-day walk-in "priority expedite" processing costs an additional $50; 24-hour expedite is $30. Credit card payments carry a statutory $5 convenience fee, and returned checks are charged a $25 fee.
UCC filing, notary, and apostille services
The Secretary of State runs UCC search and apostilles directly, but two related services sit elsewhere:
- UCC search — the Secretary of State searches its own database for $30 per debtor name (or $400 per year for unlimited access), but the financing statement itself is filed with the parish Clerk of Court, not the Secretary of State.
- Notary commissions — appointed by the Governor with State Senate consent; the Secretary of State only administers the application, exam, and recordkeeping.
- Apostilles and authentications — $20 per document, reduced to $10 per document for adoption-related paperwork.
Source: Louisiana Secretary of State UCC, notary, and certification pages (sos.la.gov).
Key Louisiana state licensing agencies
Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR)
- What it covers
- State tax registration, sales and use tax, income tax withholding — integrated with geauxBIZ
- Website
- revenue.louisiana.gov
Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC)
- What it covers
- Unemployment insurance registration, wage reporting, workers' compensation — integrated with geauxBIZ
- Website
- laworks.net
Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC)
- What it covers
- Commercial and residential contractor licensing; home improvement contractor registration
- Website
- lslbc.louisiana.gov
Louisiana Department of Health — Bureau of Health Services Financing
- What it covers
- Healthcare provider licensing, Medicaid provider enrollment, ambulatory surgical centers
- Website
- ldh.la.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does forming an LLC cost more than a corporation in Louisiana?
Louisiana's LLC formation fee is $100, while a profit corporation's Articles of Incorporation cost $75 — an unusual reversal compared to most states. Foreign LLCs pay $150 to register versus $125 for a foreign corporation.
How much extra does same-day expedited filing cost in Louisiana?
Same-day walk-in 'priority expedite' processing costs an additional $50; 24-hour expedite costs $30 extra, on top of the standard filing fee.
Does Louisiana charge a fee for paying by credit card?
Yes — credit card payments carry a statutory $5 convenience fee. Returned checks are charged a separate $25 fee.