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Louisiana · Registered Agents

Louisiana registered agents: the rules

Every Louisiana LLC and corporation must keep a registered agent on file. The rules here are read from the statute and the state's own forms, with the $30 change filing.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Registered Agent rules

The rule

Every Louisiana LLC must keep a registered agent who qualifies under La. R.S. 12:1308[2], at a physical address in Louisiana. Changing the agent costs $30[3].

Mainstay Filing charges $149 a year to act as the registered agent in Louisiana, and files the $30 change when you switch[1].

Legal term
Registered agent
Registered Agent required
Yes
Change fee
$30
Change form
Form 983
Mainstay Filing
$149 a year

Updated October 29, 2026. Rules from the statute and state forms; fees from official sources; prices from providers' own pages.

01Who qualifies

The rule comes from La. R.S. 12:1308[2].

A Louisiana citizen who lives in the state, a law partnership or professional law corporation, or a corporation or LLC formed in Louisiana or authorized there. A new agent signs a notarized acceptance.

In practice that leaves three common choices: an owner or employee who lives in Louisiana, a friend or professional with a Louisiana address, or a commercial agent company. An owner who lives in Louisiana can serve personally, as an individual, if the address and hours rules are met.

02Context: new businesses in Louisiana

80.4%open after 1 year[4]
52.9%open after 5 years
16.37new applications per 1,000 residents, 2025[5]

Agent service is a recurring cost for the life of the company. In Louisiana, 80.4% of new business locations were still open after one year and 52.9% after five, per BLS data through March 2025.

03The address rule

Louisiana is specific here. The address has to be a registered office in Louisiana, which the law treats as the company's domicile. P.O. boxes and virtual offices are not accepted.[2]

Louisiana lists this address in its public business search, so a home address used here becomes public.

04Changing a Louisiana registered agent

The filing is the Change of Registered Office or Agent-Louisiana Limited Liability Company (Form 983), filed with the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division. The fee is $30[3].

  1. Choose the new registered agent and get its consent; it has to qualify under La. R.S. 12:1308.
  2. File the Change of Registered Office or Agent-Louisiana Limited Liability Company (Form 983) with the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division.
  3. Include the $30 filing fee.
  4. Check the Louisiana Secretary of State business search to confirm the change shows on the record.

Across the 50 states the median change fee is $15; compared with Louisiana's $30, 39 states charge less and 7 charge more.

Switching to Mainstay Filing includes the Louisiana change filing; it submits the form to the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division and charges the $30 state fee at cost[1].

05What a registered agent costs

Mainstay Filing's Louisiana registered agent service is $149 a year with no increase at renewal[1]. Papers served on the company are scanned and uploaded the same business day at no fee.

On October 20, 2026 we also read 7 other services' published prices for Louisiana. First years ran $99 to $249, renewals $125 to $249. Renewal pricing matters here: 2 of the 7 charge more after the first year.

06Questions

Can I be my own registered agent in Louisiana?

An owner who lives in Louisiana can serve personally, as an individual, if the address and hours rules are met.

Can a Louisiana registered agent use a P.O. box?

The address has to be a registered office in Louisiana, which the law treats as the company's domicile. P.O. boxes and virtual offices are not accepted.[2]

Can a service act as my Louisiana registered agent?

Mainstay Filing offers it for $149 a year, with no increase at renewal[1]. Other services' published Louisiana prices ran $99 to $249 for the first year on October 20, 2026.

How much does it cost to change the registered agent in Louisiana?

$30, paid to the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division[3].

Sources

  1. Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
  2. La. R.S. 12:1308. www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=76255. Updated October 29, 2026.
  3. Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division: Change of Registered Office or Agent-Louisiana Limited Liability Company fee. www.sos.la.gov/media/xxypcdql/983-change-of-registered-office-or-agent-louisiana-limited-l. Updated October 29, 2026.
  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 (data through March 2025). www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
  5. U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.