a) If you know which type of business you want to start (e.g., corporation, limited liability company, partnership, etc.), you can find the proper forms on the Secretary of State’s Web site. On the left side of the home page, click "Commercial." Next, click "Corporations" and then “Forms.” You will then see a listing of forms.
b)
If you are unsure what type of business you want to start, you may need to contact an attorney, as the Secretary of State’s Commercial Division is unable to assist in that determination. You may also want to contact a local
Counselors to America’s Small Business (SCORE) office for assistance.
a) If you received a Notice of Intent to Revoke, you must submit a completed Annual Report to the Secretary of State’s Office within 30 days of the date on the notice. Failure to do so will result in the revocation of your charter. If the charter is revoked, a reinstatement form will be required to keep the business open and filing fees will be significantly higher than that of an Annual Report.
a) You can request certified or plain copies of documents in writing to the Secretary of State’s Office either by fax (with credit card information) or by mail (with a check or money order). See the fee schedule for more information.
a) You can reserve a name by sending in a Name Reservation form by fax (with credit card information) or by mail (with a check or money order). This will reserve the name for 60 days. Prior to the expiration of this reservation, you may request (by phone, fax, or mail) to have the reservation extended for 30 days. The reservation can only be extended twice.
b) You would only need to reserve the name if you were not planning to file your documents for an extended period of time or if you were concerned that someone else may immediately file for the same name. In filing your Articles or Trade Name, the name becomes unavailable to others (except entities whose name does not conflict with Trade Names, Corporations, or Limited Liability Companies).
a) The address of our building is 8585 Archives Ave., directly behind the Louisiana State Archives. The State Archives building is on Essen Lane between I-10 and I-12. Commercial customer service is located on the side of the building. All other Secretary of State services are accessed via the front door.
a) You may add or delete a registered agent by filing the Change of Registered Office or Agent form. You may add or delete a manager/member or officer/director by filing either the Notice of Change of Member/Manager form or the Notice of Change of Officer/Director form. On the Secretary of State’s home page, click on "Commercial" on the left side of the page. From there, click "Corporations" and “Forms.” You will then see a listing of forms.
a) On the right side of the Secretary of State’s home page, in the center-shaded area under "Online Services" click “Commercial Database.” Type your business name (without the corporate ending, e.g. L.L.C. or Inc.) in the space provided and click “search.” A list of business names will appear. Click on the name of your business. All of the information regarding your business will appear on your screen. If the annual report is due to be filed (or up to four weeks prior to the due date), you will see a link in blue writing that says "Print Annual Report Form for Filing." Click that link and print the form. Complete the form and fax or mail it to the Secretary of State’s Office.
a) It can be dissolved by affidavit if your corporation/company is no longer doing business, has no debts or assets and has no immovable property. File the Affidavit to Dissolve form located on our Forms page. A long form dissolution must be drafted and filed if your corporation/company is no longer doing business but has debts or assets or immovable property. Please consult an attorney or see the Louisiana State Legislature's Web site for statutes pertaining to dissolution.
a) Yes. The yearly filing of Annual Reports is a requirement. If there are no changes to be made, check the box in the lower right-hand corner which states "no change." Make sure the appropriate individual signs the report. It can then be returned to the Secretary of State’s Office by fax or mail. This form keeps our office updated with current names and addresses and keeps the corporation/company in good standing.
a) The registered agent information can be found on our Web site. On the right side of the Secretary of State’s home page, in the center-shaded area under "Online Services" click “Commercial Database.” Type the business name (without the corporate ending, e.g. L.L.C. or Inc.) in the space provided and click “search.” A list of business names will appear. Click on the name of the business. All of the information regarding the business, including the registered agent, will appear on your screen.
a) Yes, you can. Call our office for this information. You can also check name availability on our Web site. On the Secretary of State’s home page, you can access the Commercial Database link. It is found on right side of the page, in the center-shaded area under "Online Services." Type your proposed business name (without the corporate ending, e.g. L.L.C. or Inc.) in the space provided and click “search.” A list of business names or similar business names will appear. If a corporation/company has been revoked, the name will not be available until three years following the revocation date. Keep in mind that these are preliminary searches. There are many rules that govern name availability and a more thorough search will take place once you submit your documents to be filed.
a) If you are registered to do business in another state and wish to qualify in Louisiana, you will need to submit either the Application of Foreign Corporation for Certificate of Authority or Application of Foreign Limited Liability Company for Certificate of Authority. Along with this form and the fee, you will need to submit a Certificate of Good Standing or Existence from the secretary of state of your home state. This certificate must be less than 90 days old. All of this documentation can be submitted via fax (with credit card information) or mailed to this office (with check or money order).
a) You can obtain a Certificate of Good Standing on our Web site for a $20 fee. On the Secretary of State’s home page, you can access the Commercial Database link. It is found on the right side of the page, in the center-shaded area under "Online Services." Type the business name (without the corporate ending, e.g. L.L.C. or Inc.) in the space provided and click “search.” A list of businesses will then appear. Click on the name of the business. All of the information regarding the business will appear on your screen. If the corporation/company is in good standing, you will see a link in blue writing that says, "Add Certificate of Good Standing to Shopping Cart." Click that link and follow the instructions for entering credit card information. Your certificate will print out immediately. There will be a code at the bottom of the certificate. This code can be entered and used to print numerous certificates (with the same date) for 120 days.
a) A trade name, by definition, is a word or group of words, name, symbol, device, or any combination thereof used by a person to identify his business, vocation, or occupation and distinguish it from the business, vocation, or occupation of others. Trade names do conflict with limited liability companies and corporations. The applicant for a trade name can be a corporation or limited liability company. DBAs are not filed with this office. They are done at the parish level and filed at the clerk of court. Any questions regarding DBAs can be addressed to the parish clerk of court.
a) No. The Secretary of State's Office does not keep tax ID numbers. Please contact the Department of Revenue for tax ID numbers and any other tax related information.
a) Please wait several hours after faxing your documents before calling to check the status of your fax. Faxes must be received, delivered to the appropriate individual, and entered into the computer. The employees in telecommunications are unable to physically check all of the fax machines to see if an individual's fax has been received and therefore must rely on information that is put into the computer.
a) All documents can be mailed to:
Louisiana Secretary of State
Commercial Division
P.O. Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
b) If faxing:
Annual Reports and Reinstatements: 225.922.3007
Original Filings and Amendments: 225.922.0435
Certified Copy Orders: 225.925.4727
GeauxBiz.com: 225.925.4591
Name Reservations: 225.922.3242