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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Louisiana

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Louisiana (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Louisiana the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199), Louisiana Registered Agent.co ($199) and LA Registered Agent.org ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: it files the Louisiana registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Number one here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.1 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $149 yearly from year two

Mainstay Filing leads the card: $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one registered agent service included.

The agent is free in year one and $149 a year after that, wherever the company registers.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $100 above Louisiana Registered Agent.co's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and submitted
  • The first registered agent year at no charge
  • Service of process scanned and uploaded the same business day, no fee

Strengths

  • Same price across all fifty states
  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • Registered agent free for year one

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than Louisiana Registered Agent.co charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Lower renewal than Mainstay

2. Louisiana Registered Agent.co: best for companies that add just Louisiana

8.8 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

Louisiana Registered Agent.co takes second spot: the Louisiana registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

What you get

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • Year-one registered agent service included

Strengths

  • Registered agent service for year one is in the price
  • A $199 service fee before the state's
  • Agent at $99 a year from year two

Watch for

  • Limited to Louisiana; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Louisiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Louisiana Registered Agent.co: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best local option

3. LA Registered Agent.org: best for registrations in Louisiana only

8.5 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

LA Registered Agent.org takes third spot: the Louisiana registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Price for price and feature for feature, Louisiana Registered Agent.co and LA Registered Agent.org match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • Year-one registered agent service included

Strengths

  • Registered agent service for year one is in the price
  • Files the registration for $199 plus the state fee
  • $99 yearly for the agent after year one

Watch for

  • Limited to Louisiana; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit LA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. LA Registered Agent.org: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.1 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Louisiana Registered Agent.co 8.8 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Louisiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 LA Registered Agent.org 8.5 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit LA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every number out of 10 is an editorial mark from Formation Scorecard, produced with the criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.

Louisiana foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
Louisiana Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
LA Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Louisiana's $185 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

Why the order falls this way

Formation Scorecard scores cost across three years and coverage of the price at 25% each. Renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity account for the other 50%. In Louisiana the tie was broken by coverage of the price.

A foreign registration touches two states, so a single provider at one price in both earned the most coverage points, ahead of Louisiana Registered Agent.co.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Louisiana: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Application for Authority to Transact Business in Louisiana, Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 972) to the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division, with a $185 state fee. Louisiana additionally requires certificate of existence or good standing from the jurisdiction of organization, dated no more than 90 days before filing.

Once registered, the company files the annual report ($35), due on or before the anniversary of your qualification.

Gather these before filing

  • Certificate of existence or good standing from the jurisdiction of organization, issued no earlier than 90 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $185, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual report and its $35 fee.

The price of ignoring Louisiana registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Louisiana courts until it registers (La. R.S. 12:1354(A)). Its contracts remain valid (La. R.S. 12:1354(B)). Fees for the unregistered period come due as well.

Louisiana foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Louisiana make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Louisiana?

Expect $185 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Louisiana?

The form goes to the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division; its exact name is in the facts above.

Is a home-state certificate part of the Louisiana filing?

Yes, the state wants certificate of existence or good standing from the jurisdiction of organization, no older than 90 days.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Louisiana?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your registered agent and the same price in every state.

Keep reading

Where the figures come from

  1. Louisiana Secretary of State, as of August 2026
  2. Louisiana Secretary of State, as of August 2026
  3. Louisiana yearly filing: Annual report, official source, as of October 2026
  4. Louisiana Secretary of State fee changes effective October 1, 2026, as of October 2026
  5. Louisiana registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  6. Louisiana Secretary of State, forms and fee schedule, as of October 2026
  7. Form 972, foreign LLC application, as of October 2026
  8. R.S. 12:1345, application for authority, as of October 2026
  9. R.S. 12:1354, effect of failing to obtain authority, as of October 2026
  10. R.S. 12:1350, registered agent, as of October 2026
  11. Read on November 12, 2026: Louisiana service page for Mainstay Filing
  12. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Louisiana Registered Agent.co
  13. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for LA Registered Agent.org