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Louisiana

Louisiana Secretary of State Business Search

Written byRegistryWise Editorial TeamFact-checked against the Louisiana Secretary of State · How we research

The short answer

Louisiana business filings are searched for free in the Secretary of State's Commercial Database by entity name, by charter number, trade registration number, or name reservation number, or by officer or agent name. Click "details" on a result to see the full record, and buy certificates or certified copies from the same page.

On this page
  1. LLC lookup, step by step
  2. What the status means
  3. Agent, filings, owners
  4. Your Charter Number
  5. Is the name available?
  6. DBA and UCC search
  7. Fees and deadlines
  8. Questions
  9. Sources

Louisiana at a glance

Who runs it
Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division
Commercial Database
Cost to search
Free
Searching is free. Certified copies are $20 ($30 with amendments), and card payments carry a $5 convenience fee.
Account needed
No
Search without signing up
Search by
Search by Entity Name, Charter Number, Trade Registration Number, or Name Reservation Number
and 1 more

State fees

  • Form an LLC$125Card payments add a $5 statutory convenience fee.Articles of Organization (Form 365)Official source
  • Annual Report$35On or before the anniversary of the LLC's organization, every year (La. R.S. 12:1308.1).Official source
  • Certificate of Good StandingNot publishedThe fee schedule does not list the certificate of good standing by name. Its closest line is "Additional Certificates" at $25. A certificate bought online carries a code that lets you reprint it with the same date for 120 days.Proof the business is currentOfficial source
  • Change registered agent$30Form 983, Change of Registered Office or Agent.Every LLC must have oneOfficial source

An LLC lookup in Louisiana is the same search as a business search. The Commercial Database, kept by the Louisiana Secretary of State, lists LLCs alongside corporations and other registered businesses. You can search by search by Entity Name, charter Number, Trade Registration Number, or Name Reservation Number or officer Name or Agent Name. It's free, and you don't need an account.

The Commercial Database search page, with the name box marked 1 and the search button marked 2.
The Commercial Database as we found it on November 8, 2026. We marked where to type (1) and what to click (2). The state may change its layout.
  1. Open the Commercial Database search. Under "Search Type", choose "Search by Entity Name", the number search, or "Officer Name or Agent Name".
  2. For a name search, type the name without "L.L.C." or "Inc." and use as many words from the name as you can.
  3. Click "Search", then click "details" next to the business to open its full record.
  4. Use "Buy Certificates and Certified Copies" on the record to order a Certificate of Good Standing or copies online.
  5. If the annual report is due, a "Print Annual Report Form for Filing" bar appears at the top of the record. You can also file it on geauxBIZ.

Good to know in Louisiana: Louisiana keeps two kinds of business names in different places. Trade names are registered with the Secretary of State, have their own trade registration number in the Commercial Database, and conflict with LLC and corporation names. DBAs aren't filed with the Secretary of State at all; they go to the parish Clerk of Court. UCC liens skip the Secretary of State too and are filed with any of the 64 parish Clerks of Court.

What the search shows you

  • Entity name and charter number
  • Status
  • Registered agent name and address
  • Officers, or managers and members, on file
  • Buttons to "Buy Certificates and Certified Copies", "Subscribe to Electronic Notification", and "Print Detailed Record"
  • A "Print Annual Report Form for Filing" bar when the report is due or up to 4 weeks before

What the status words mean

Louisiana uses its own words for a company's status, and they don't always mean the same thing as in other states. Here's what you'll see on the Commercial Database, in the state's own wording.

StatusWhat it means
ActiveThe Secretary of State's pages don't define it. An active LLC can still be "not in good standing" if its annual report is late.
Not in Good StandingDefined in La. R.S. 12:1308.2 as an LLC that is delinquent in filing its annual report. It can't do business with the state or its agencies, and state contracts with it can be declared void.
RevokedThe Secretary of State revoked the LLC's articles after three consecutive years without an annual report, following at least 30 days' written notice. The name stays unavailable to others for three years, and the LLC can reinstate within three years.

For how these compare across states, see what business entity status means.

Finding the registered agent, filing history and owners

Registered Agent

The registered agent's name and address are public and shown on the record. Every Louisiana business must have an agent with a physical Louisiana address. Changing the agent costs $30 (Form 983).

Filing history

Order certified or plain copies of filed documents online through the Commercial Database, or by fax or mail. Certified copies are $20, or $30 with amendments.

Owners, managers and officers

A Louisiana LLC's annual report must list the name and address of each manager, or of each member if the members manage the company (La. R.S. 12:1308.1), so that information is on file with the Secretary of State. If the state record doesn't name anyone, our guide on how to find the owner of an LLC covers where else to look.

Finding a Louisiana Charter Number

Louisiana gives every business on its register a Charter Number. It's the quickest way to pin down the right company when names are alike.

What it looks like
Eight digits followed by a letter, for example 40282112K for an L.L.C.
Where to find yours
On the business's detailed record in the Commercial Database. The Department of Revenue's forms ask for "the charter number assigned to this entity by the Louisiana Secretary of State."
Search by it
Yes. The Commercial Database accepts it.

It's easy to mix it up with these, which come from other offices:

  • LDR Account Number (Louisiana Department of Revenue). The Department of Revenue's own account number for the business, asked for separately from the FEIN and the charter number on its forms. The Secretary of State doesn't keep tax ID numbers.

Your federal EIN is a different number again. See which business number a form is asking for.

Checking whether a business name is available in Louisiana

  1. Search the Commercial Database for your name without the ending. The Secretary of State also checks spelling variations and sound-alikes, such as Cajun and Kajun.
  2. Reserve a name for 120 days for $25.
  3. A revoked LLC's or corporation's name stays unavailable for three years after the revocation.
  4. Trade names conflict with LLC and corporation names, so check those too. An LLC name can't contain "doing business as" or "d/b/a".

A clear result on the state search isn't a trademark clearance. If the name matters to you, also search the USPTO trademark database and check the domain. More in our business name search guide.

DBA and UCC search in Louisiana

DBAs and assumed names

What it's called
Trade Name (state) or DBA (parish)
Where they're filed
Trade names are registered with the Secretary of State and can be found in the Commercial Database by trade registration number. DBAs aren't filed with the Secretary of State; they're filed with the local parish Clerk of Court.
State fee
$95. Trade name registration. A trade name can be reserved for 120 days for $25 before you start using it.

UCC liens

Lenders file UCC financing statements with the Louisiana parish Clerks of Court (the Secretary of State keeps the statewide UCC database). The online search is paid and needs an account. Our Louisiana UCC search guide has the steps and fees.

Louisiana fees and deadlines

These are the state's own fees, before any service charges. Each row links to the official page we took it from.

Form an LLC

$125
  • Articles of Organization (Form 365).
  • The Commercial Division doesn't publish a standard processing time. File online on geauxBIZ, or by mail, fax, or in person.
  • Faster options: 24-hour expedite for $35, or "while you wait" priority service for $60. Both are on top of the filing fee.
File online Fee source

Annual Report

$35
  • Due: On or before the anniversary of the LLC's organization, every year (La. R.S. 12:1308.1).
  • If you're late: A late LLC is "not in good standing" and can't do business with the state. If it gets a Notice of Intent to Revoke, it has 30 days to file the report. After three consecutive years without a report its articles are revoked, and reinstating within three years takes an application, the current annual report, and the reinstatement fee.
  • The report lists the registered office, each registered agent, and each manager or member. You can change agents, members, or managers on the report when it's due.
File the report Fee source

Change your registered agent

$30
  • Every Louisiana LLC must have one.
  • Form 983, Change of Registered Office or Agent.
Fee source

Certificate of Good Standing

Not published
  • Proof the company exists and is current, from the Louisiana Secretary of State.
  • The fee schedule does not list the certificate of good standing by name. Its closest line is "Additional Certificates" at $25. A certificate bought online carries a code that lets you reprint it with the same date for 120 days.
Order one Fee source

63,227 new business applications were filed in Louisiana from January to September 2026, up 15.2% on last year, according to the Census Bureau. See every state.

Starting a business in Louisiana?

A lot of people search the Commercial Database to see if a name is taken before they file. If that's you, here's the order to do things in.

  1. 1Check the name is free in LouisianaTakes two minutes, steps on this page
  2. 2File your LLC with the stateArticles of Organization, $125 state fee
  3. 3Or let a service file it for youCompared on what you pay in year two

Step 3 goes to our comparison page, which has sponsored links. We earn a commission if you buy, and it doesn't change our rankings. How that works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I look up an LLC in Louisiana?

Search the Commercial Database, the official database kept by the Louisiana Secretary of State. You can search by search by Entity Name, charter Number, Trade Registration Number, or Name Reservation Number or officer Name or Agent Name. It's free, and you don't need an account. Open the matching record to see the LLC's status, registered agent and filing history.

Is the Louisiana business search free?

Yes. Searching the Commercial Database is free. Certificates and certified copies cost extra, and card payments add a $5 convenience fee.

What's the difference between a trade name and a DBA in Louisiana?

A trade name is registered with the Secretary of State for $95 and conflicts with LLC and corporation names. A DBA isn't filed with the Secretary of State; it's filed with the parish Clerk of Court.

What does "not in good standing" mean in Louisiana?

The LLC is behind on its annual report. It can't do business with state agencies, and after three consecutive years without a report its articles are revoked.

Can I find the members of a Louisiana LLC?

Often, yes. The annual report must list each manager, or each member if the members manage the company, with their addresses.

Sources

We take every fee, deadline and rule on this page from these pages and nowhere else. Rules change, so open the source before you pay anything.

  1. 1.Commercial Database searchChecked November 8, 2026
  2. 2.Search Business FilingsChecked November 8, 2026
  3. 3.Business Filing FAQs (trade names, DBAs, revocation notices, certificates)Checked November 8, 2026
  4. 4.Forms & Fee ScheduleChecked November 8, 2026
  5. 5.File Business Documents (expedite, name availability)Checked November 8, 2026
  6. 6.geauxBIZChecked November 8, 2026
  7. 7.Form 309, Trade Name, Trademark and Service Mark Registration (PDF)Checked November 8, 2026
  8. 8.La. R.S. 12:1308.1, annual reportChecked November 8, 2026
  9. 9.La. R.S. 12:1308.2, revocation and "not in good standing"Checked November 8, 2026
  10. 10.File Financing StatementsChecked November 8, 2026
  11. 11.Search for Financing StatementsChecked November 8, 2026
  12. 12.UCC FAQs (filing fee)Checked November 8, 2026
  13. 13.Louisiana Department of Revenue: Form R-6980 (LDR account number and charter number)Checked November 8, 2026
  14. 14.Louisiana DOTD contract showing an LLC charter number (PDF)Checked November 8, 2026

See something out of date? Report it and we'll look into it.

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