Skip to content
Founder ClassroomLearn the LLC paperwork for your state.

Lesson 1 · Indiana

How to Start an LLC in Indiana (2026): 7 Steps and the 3 Best LLC Services

Lesson answer for Indiana in 2026: if you want help with starting an LLC, use IN Registered Agent.org ($199), Indiana Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. Below the picks you will find 7 steps in order, starting with the name and ending with the yearly upkeep (filing fee $95).

The Founder Classroom teaching team ·

The short version

Formation fee
$95forms.in.gov (August 2026)
Business entity report
$32 every 2 yearsNext one due last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years
Three years of state fees
$127Excludes service fees
Steps
7Each one explained

Lesson goals

  • What Indiana charges to form an LLC and where to file
  • Who can be your registered agent
  • The recurring state filing
  • Our picks and the reasoning

Teacher's pick

If you want help with the filing

Graded with our rubric: three-year cost 30%, lesson steps handled 35%, then renewal, state fit and clear pricing.
Top pick

1. IN Registered Agent.org: best for a small first bill

$199 to start, $99 a year from year two

IN Registered Agent.org gets the top grade here. Why: $199 up front with a free first agent year, $99 yearly from year two.

It costs less than Mainstay Filing over three years, and three-year cost is worth 30% of our grade.

The business entity report stays on your to-do list every two years.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • First year of agent service

What we like

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent included for year one
  • $99 yearly from year two

Watch out for

  • Business entity report left to you
  • EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit IN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local choice

2. Indiana Registered Agent.co: best for LLCs that stay in Indiana

$199 to start, $99 a year from year two

Indiana Registered Agent.co ranks second: $199 up front with a free first agent year, $99 yearly from year two.

The business entity report stays on your to-do list every two years.

Its prices match IN Registered Agent.org, so either is a fine choice.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • First year of agent service

What we like

  • Agent included for year one
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 plus the state fee

Watch out for

  • Business entity report left to you
  • EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit Indiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Bundled upkeep

3. Mainstay Filing: best for a hands-off first year

$199 a year plus the state fee ($294 at checkout)

Mainstay Filing is a solid third choice: the yearly $199 covers three lesson steps at once: filing, agent and business entity report.

The $200 three-year gap against IN Registered Agent.org decides its place.

You will not file the business entity report yourself; only the $32 state fee is added.

What you get

  • Your filing, done
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Business entity report filed each cycle
  • EIN application
  • State fee passed through at cost

What we like

  • One $199 yearly price with the business entity report included
  • Does the EIN application
  • $199 at renewal

Watch out for

  • Costs $100 more per year from year two
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Compare the picks

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1IN Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit IN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Indiana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Indiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's listed price on November 12, 2026. State fee ($95) not included.

The steps

  1. Step 1: Choose a name and check it is free

    A quick search of the state's business records tells you whether the name is free.

    TipKeep a backup name handy.

  2. Step 2: Choose who will be the registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An individual, a general partnership, an Indiana filing entity, or a foreign entity registered in Indiana. A business cannot serve as its own agent.

    The address has to be a physical street address in Indiana. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    TipAny of the services in our picks fills this role.

    Official source: faqs.in.gov (October 2026)

  3. Step 3: Choose between doing it yourself and a service

    Doing it yourself costs $95. Using one of our picks adds $199, and the agent comes with it.

  4. Step 4: File Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company

    This filing creates the company: the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form State Form 49459), $95, sent to the Indiana Secretary of State.

    Official source: forms.in.gov (August 2026)

  5. Step 5: Apply for an EIN

    Next, the federal side: an EIN from the IRS, applied for after the Indiana approval. Mainstay Filing handles this application in its package.

  6. Step 6: Put an operating agreement in writing

    Write down who owns the Indiana LLC and how decisions are made. This operating agreement stays with your records, not with the state.

  7. Step 7: Keep up with Indiana's yearly filing

    The LLC stays active by filing the business entity report every two years and paying $32; the deadline is last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years.

    Official source: forms.in.gov (August 2026)

What each step costs in Indiana

WhatWho you payAmount
Filing the LLCThe state$95
Business entity reportThe state$32 every two years
Help from a serviceService company$199 to start
State total over three yearsThe state$127
For the three-year state total we add the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum yearly tax.

Behind the ranking

On three-year cost, which carries 30%, IN Registered Agent.org scored above Indiana Registered Agent.co.

A founder paying IN Registered Agent.org spends $397 by the end of year three, keeping $200 that Mainstay Filing would cost.

Indiana questions

What does it cost to form an LLC in Indiana?

Filing costs $95. Service fees among our picks: $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Indiana Secretary of State takes the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form State Form 49459); that filing creates the LLC.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Indiana require each year?

The business entity report: $32, every two years, due last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes, file it yourself ($95) and appoint a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

IN Registered Agent.org: formation at $199 over the state fee, then a $99 agent renewal. After it, Indiana Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing.

More lessons

References

  1. inbiz.in.gov. Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division. Confirmed August 2026.
  2. forms.in.gov. Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division. Confirmed August 2026.
  3. law.justia.com. Indiana report due date. Confirmed August 2026.
  4. forms.in.gov. Ind. Confirmed August 2026.
  5. faqs.in.gov. Indiana registered agent statute. Confirmed October 2026.
  6. Prices from IN Registered Agent.org's pricing page, November 12, 2026
  7. Prices from Indiana Registered Agent.co's pricing page, November 12, 2026
  8. Prices from Mainstay Filing's Indiana service page, November 12, 2026