Best Registered Agent Services in Lousiana

Louisiana is a large state with a strong and booming economy. The state offers fairly low taxes and easy registration to small businesses for a good start.

In Louisiana, all LLCs must choose a registered agent to receive tax and legal documents and become the link between your company and the state government.

Best Registered Agent Service in Lousiana

Before you start your Lousiana registered agent search, you need to understand who can provide such services in the state and what to focus on when choosing the best solution.

A registered agent (RA) is the official representative of your company in the state, who will do the following:

• Receive business correspondence;
• Interact with the state government;
• Receive service of process (if someone files a lawsuit against your company).

If the Secretary of State deems it necessary to send you a notification or some kind of request, all that correspondence will be sent to your registered agent's address.

Under Lousiana state law, RA services can be provided by:

• An individual who is at least 18 years old and has a permanent registered address in the state of Louisiana;
• An entity that is registered as a commercial registered agent and has a permanent office in the state. You can check with the Louisiana Secretary of State's Legal Entity Search to see if you meet all these requirements.

It's important that your statutory agent be available in the office during normal business hours (without vacations or sick leaves). Otherwise, you may find yourself in an unpleasant situation and damage your business reputation.

If your agent doesn't receive your service of process documents in a timely manner, you will not be aware of a lawsuit filed against you. As a result, the court hearing will take place without your participation and likely the decision will be rendered not in your favor.

Registered Agent in New Orleans, Lousiana

New Orleans is the largest city in Louisiana. Serving as a major port, it's also the center of entertainment in the state. This is why there's a large concentration of company headquarters located here.

If you want to hire an RA in New Orleans, you need to:

• Go to the official Louisiana Secretary of State's website;
• Use commercial registered agent search;
• Enter "New Orleans" and "registered agent" in the search form;
• Examine the list of companies that appear in the SERP.

Registered Agent in Baton Rouge, Lousiana

The capital of Louisiana is Baton Rouge. Because of its special status, many commercial RAs choose to open offices in the capital city. The state government and tax authorities are located here, which can be convenient for interacting with them.

You can conduct a Louisiana business registered agent search using the same principle as described in the previous section, search in Google, or check reputable company review sites.

Individual or Professional Registered Agent

Corporations most often choose reputable professional registered agents. When choosing a registered agent for your LLC in Louisiana, it's often tempting to save money and list yourself as your own agent. This can also be your family member, friend, or co-worker.

According to Louisiana law, there is no problem. You are entitled to be both a member of an LLC and an individual who performs the duties of a registered agent for the company.

However, such a decision involves certain disadvantages as follows:

• Your RA can't have days off, sick leaves, vacations, or even lunch breaks. Otherwise, if your registered agent is unavailable at the right moment, and you can't get your documents in a timely manner, that's just your problem;
• The registered agent's name and address become publically available. As a result, anyone who agrees to become your agent will receive huge volumes of spam. Moreover, there are other issues related to the loss of privacy.

After examining these disadvantages, most business owners prefer to work with for-profit organizations. Especially, since the cost of such services is relatively low - $100 to $300 per year, on average.

Remember that you have to choose your RA before registering your business. This is due to the fact that your agent's information must be included in the Articles of Organization.

To help you make a wise choice, we've compiled a small ranking of the best registered agents in Louisiana today.

Northwest Registered Agent

Cost: $125 per year

Northwest is arguably the best registered agent service Louisiana. The company's activities are carried out in strict compliance with Louisiana state laws. The company offers an advanced online platform and exceptional customer support. 

Northwest Pros:

• Professional customer support from Corporate Guides;
• Qualified accountants, lawyers, and business experts;
• A high-quality website with a straightforward interface;
• Business consulting services include a variety of proposals covering key industries and areas;
• Over 20-year experience on the market.

Northwest charges a $125 annual fee for its registered agent services, which is a very attractive price.

There is also an option to get registered agent services free of charge for one year, provided the business is registered with the help of Northwest professionals. The cost to form a business starts at $39.

Northwest Cons

Along with all of the benefits listed above, registered agent Northwest still has room to grow, especially in terms of prompt advice to clients: 

• Sometimes, customers need direct answers to their questions ASAP, and that's something Northwest should pay more attention to; 
• Corporate Guides will often provide detailed answers to covering every nuance, which can't really be called a disadvantage. However, sometimes, it's simply annoying.

Northwest Overall

If you need a reliable business partner that will provide registered agent services Lousiana, then choosing Northwest would be quite logical. As a client of the company, you will obtain a separate mailing address of the company, which can be used for your business purposes.

Also, the provider will help any business form a company in Louisiana, including the filing of Articles of Organization and preparing an operating agreement, as well as filing a DBA or trademark (if needed). 

The company will send you annual report notices so you can timely interact with state and federal tax authorities. This way, you will never miss your deadlines. As for your business documents, they will be securely stored on the company's online portal in the cloud.

Harbor Compliance Registered Agent

Cost: $99 per year with possible discounts 

If the first priority in choosing an RA is the cost of the services, then Harbor Compliance looks more advantageous than the previous provider. Thus, when compared to Northwest, the cost per year is more affordable at $89/$99 per year.

Harbor Compliance Pros:

• Responsive and fast customer service; 
• Intuitive and straightforward website;
• Affordable registered agent services;
• Same-day online forwarding of your business documents;
• All registered agent services required under Louisiana state law are available to clients of the company;
• Immediate online access to registered agent address;
• Dedicated account managers.

Harbor Compliance Cons:

• HC is more suitable for those who already have some idea of how to run their business, while Northwest and many other RA companies offer a wider range of services, including accounting advice, help with annual reports, etc;
• Clients of Harbour Compliance would receive scanned versions of only the most important business documents, while Northwest scans and sends clients all the received documentation.

Harbor Compliance Overall

If you take Northwest's RA services out of the equation, Harbour Compliance could be the leader in the industry, considering the cost of its services. 

It would be easier for small businesses to get started with Northwest. However, for more experienced entrepreneurs Harbour Compliance can become a good solution. 

ZenBusiness Registered Agent

Cost: $99 per year

When looking for a company that provides services for registering an LLC, it's worth taking a closer look at ZenBusiness. The popularity of this service provider is due to some of the most favorable rates and a huge number of good client reviews.

The company can help you form an LLC for $49, which looks quite beneficial. Clients of ZenBusiness receive decent support and quality RA services, as well as additional help for starting a business, e.g. accounting recommendations and a free year of registered agent services.

After thoroughly analyzing quite a few Lousiana registered agent reviews, we found that ZenBusiness does enjoy a high level of trust from its client base. Positive customer reviews prove that working with the company is highly beneficial.

ZenBusiness Pros:

• Affordable registered agent services at $99 per year;
• Some of the most beneficial business formation services on the market;
• ZenBusiness's packages also include many additional services that can be really useful;
• Considerable, patient, and responsive customer support (almost 0 complaints from customers);
• 1 year of free registered agent services if you choose ZenBusiness as your business formation company.

ZenBusiness Cons

• Registered agent services are not the main focus of ZenBusiness. Clients can only count on the minimum level of assistance, i.e. regular RA services required by law in each US state; 
• Additional services, including reminders, can be ordered separately.

ZenBusiness Overall

ZenBusiness's leading position in the list of the most popular business formation companies that help launch businesses in the United States is quite logical. Moreover, they offer a free year of registered agent services.

LegalZoom Registered Agent

Cost: $299 per year

If you are looking for a Louisiana registered agent for service of process, LegalZoom can offer professional help. With this company, you will get timely notifications on important business events and never miss anything.

Also, LegalZoom customers have a $1 million identity theft insurance option. Although the registered agent service fee is quite expensive when compared to competitors ($299 per year), it's all about the reputation and responsibility of the company.

LegalZoom Pros

• When choosing LegalZoom as your RA service in Louisiana, you get absolutely all the necessary tools and solutions to help you do business and remain compliant within the state;
• LegalZoom's network is the largest in the United States;
• The company provides legal support for businesses across the country, so you can order a consultation with the team, as well as get additional help in legal matters;
• Wide experience has allowed the company to accumulate a significant client base;
• The company has managed to implement a multi-stage system of protection against unauthorized access to their clients’ personal data, including accidental leaks or theft.

LegalZoom Cons:

• According to numerous customer reviews, there is a certain balance of both positive and negative feedback about the company;
• The cost of LegalZoom's registered agent services is quite high at $299 per year, especially when compared to the most popular competitors;
• Unlike many similar services, LegalZoom does not include a free year of registered agent service in any of its business registration packages;
• The registered agent service itself is not a priority at the company. 

LegalZoom Overall

If it is the maximum level of protection of private data from thieves that you are looking for, then LegalZoom can offer some efficient document processing tools. Major insurance and ongoing support for data privacy ensure that your commercial information is only available to you.

As a brand, LegalZoom is well-known throughout the U.S., which increases the level of trust in the company's clients.

Speaking of the service as your own registered agent, years of experience on the market allowed LegalZoom to become a true leader in the sphere and establish strong cooperation with its clients.

Rapid Registered Agent

Cost: $100 per year

Rapid Registered Agent is another national registered agent that operates in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The company offers a wider range of price plans and packages, so customers can order the most suitable option. 

That said, with Rapid, you can choose the way the company will notify you about important events related to your business, a suitable online data access option, and a set of additional features.

Rapid Pros:

• The cost of RA services has not changed for many years and is $100 per year;
• The company does not impose any additional services or annoying upsells on its customers;
• Transparency. No hidden fees or charges - you pay only for real services;
• No commissions on sending documents by fax;
• Professional help for convenient filing of documents in the state of Louisiana;
• Availability of convenient business forms and templates to speed up the registration process;
• Nationwide availability.

Rapid Cons:

• The company has been on the market since 2007, but it cannot boast many reviews from customers, which is somewhat alarming. The gap with real reviews, positive or negative, makes it impossible to fully compete with the leaders of this ranking. 

Leaving this disadvantage aside though Rapid Registered Agent's core offerings are quite appealing.

Rapid Overall

Considering the number of additional services the company offers, working with Rapid Registered Agent is promising and beneficial, considering no commissions for notifications in text form. 

All customers can take advantage of the convenient option of auto-filling ready-made templates and business forms, which helps submit any reports as quickly and correctly as possible.

Rocket Lawyer Registered Agent

Cost: $149.99 per year

Rocket Lawyer's experience is wide and extensive, given that there are many cases of successful cooperation with more than 800 thousand companies.

The service provider offers help in establishing corporations and LLCs, preparing an operating agreement, and filing Articles of Organization.

The same goes for additional documents in all US states, considering their local legislation and statutes. Although Rocket Lawyer's main profile remains specifically legal assistance.

Rocket Lawyer Pros:

• Professional approach to working with clients, taking into account the specifics of a particular state where the business will operate;
• The dominance of positive feedback and customer reviews on the company's performance;
• Consistently high credibility rating;
• A wide variety of services required when starting a new business;
• One free year of registered agent services in one of the packages.

Rocket Lawyer Cons:

• The previously mentioned free RA services are only in the premium package, while in all other cases the client will have to pay extra;
• The registered agent service costs $149.99 per year, which is not the cheapest price on the market.

Rocket Lawyer Overall

If you need to use a basic set of registered agent services without additional options, Rocket Lawyer's offer will not be the most advantageous. You can always find a more affordable offer.

But the company offers its clients comprehensive support, as well as professional Lousiana, registered agents. This refers to the Premium package, which includes a 25% discount on the registered agent service. In this case, such an offer is quite favorable.

Rocket Lawyer has managed to accumulate quite an impressive library of positive reviews from clients. Since 2008, the company has been successfully building credibility with clients and has grown to be incredibly popular among businesses.

SunDoc Filings Registered Agent

Cost: $159 per year

SunDoc Filings is among the popular business formation companies that help entrepreneurs open new LLCs and support them in legal matters.

The company provides its services in all 50 U.S. states, has extensive experience in Louisiana, and offers interesting volume discounts for multiple orders in several states at once.

Clients of SunDoc Filings can count both on assistance with starting a business in Louisiana and on nationwide registered agent services on an ongoing basis.

SunDoc Filings Pros:

• Since 1999, the company provides its services in all states (over 100,000 filings), has national registered agent status, and offers volume discounts when ordering services in more than one state at a time;
• Same day processing (if received before 2 p.m.);
• Responsive, knowledgeable, and friendly customer service team;
• Robust, fast, and convenient website. An expertly designed system allows for instant LLC filing preparation;
• Access to account history, explanatory information, guidance, and a number of useful other resources.

SunDoc Filings Cons:

• The cost of the company's registered agent services is quite high compared to its competitors. In 2022, the fee is $159 per year;
• The company mainly provides its services to California businesses. As their main office is located minutes from the Capitol building.

SunDoc Filings Overall

If you are searching for a professional registered agent in Louisiana, SunDoc Filings will help you meet all requirements of the current legislation.

You can expect professional customer service, a convenient website with all the necessary tools for instant filing preparation, same-day mail scanning and forwarding, and subsequent storage of your documents in the cloud.

Also, the company will make sure that all key events related to your business are communicated on time.

Registered Agent Review | Conclusion

We conducted our registered agent Louisiana search among more than 60 companies, including large national registered agents and small local RA agencies. We analyzed different offers and chose Northwest Registered Agent as the leading RA service.

Next comes Harbour Compliance, i.e. an easy-to-use, fast, and efficient service provider for those who only need registered agent services and nothing else. The price here is lower at $99, but the range of services is not as wide as with Northwest.

ZenBusiness provides registered agent services at $99 a year. The company also offers an all-inclusive business formation service and many add-ons. Its main drawback (and the reason why it’s ranked third) is the need to pay $50 per year separately for reminders.

Benefits of Using Lousiana Registered Agent Services

When you choose a commercial registered agent instead of an individual, you get a whole list of benefits as follows:

• Reliability. Your commercial RA will not "get sick," go on vacation, or have any sudden force-majeure events going on. The entity will be consistently available to receive tax and legal documents on behalf of your company;
• Confidentiality. It's the address of the legal entity that represents your business interests that will be publicly available (not your personal information);
• Competence. Your registered agent will have extensive experience in the state of Louisiana, know the ins and outs of the legislation, and keep track of changes to provide professional assistance at all times;
• Additional services. Most commercial registered agents will offer not only mail and document delivery services, but also legal help, reminders on annual reports, convenient templates, tax and accounting advice, etc.;
• Online cloud storage. Your business documents will be uploaded and stored in the cloud for immediate, secure, and constant access.

Choose the best Louisiana registered agent service, depending on your business needs, and make sure you hire a reliable partner in advance. You can also take advantage of the free service from the company that helped you form your business.

In the future, you can also change your RA in Louisiana. You’ll need to fill out a Notice of Change of Registered Agent form (FORM 983) with the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division. You can file online or submit a hard copy by mail. The filing fee is $25.

Best Registered Agent Review: How We Select Service Providers

Our experts are constantly researching the US business services market, so we know most of the existing companies and their pros and cons. Nevertheless, every year, including 2022, we monitor the market, study the changes, and analyze new offers from new RA agencies.

If your Lousiana corporation searches for a registered agent, you can also take advantage of this review, as we consider the interests of different types of businesses.

When choosing the best RA services, we mainly focus on the following aspects:

• Price policy;
• Quality of services;
• Availability of additional services;
• Objective value of packages (beneficial and imposed services);
• Customer support service (speed and efficiency);
• Website design and convenience;
• Customer feedback.

Why You Can Trust Our Choice

Our experts have extensive experience in business formation, accounting, and legal services. We know what aspects require special attention and which services you really need. Plus, we are able to properly evaluate the quality of customer support service.

Over the years, we have collected valuable knowledge in analyzing business registration services, registered agent services, and legal support services. Now we are ready to share our insights with you to help you form and run a successful company.

How We Choose the Best Registered Agent

We conduct a business entity search on official websites and state departments, including the Louisiana Secretary of State's website.

This way, we selected and analyzed over 60 different RA services. We regularly check for changes in reputable national companies and explore new offerings.

At each stage of the selection process, depending on the quality of their services, different business formation companies receive certain score points. As a result, only the best options are included in our reviews.

Conclusion

The specifics of choosing and changing a registered agent in the state of Louisiana are almost no different from other states. Most of the states require that an RA is an 18-year-old resident of the state or a local or qualified foreign entity.

We recommend hiring a national RA company, which is cheaper and more convenient than appointing several RAs individually. Such companies operate simultaneously in different states, have a great experience, are highly reliable, and offer users additional services.

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