The 6 steps to change your registered agent in Louisiana. Source: Louisiana Secretary of State.
How to File
1
Complete Form 394 - Change of Registered Agent/Office
Download and fill out Form 394 from the Louisiana Secretary of State website. Include your LLC's charter number, current registered agent information, and new registered agent details.
2
Obtain consent from your new registered agent
Ensure your new registered agent agrees to serve and has a Louisiana street address. The new agent must sign the form accepting their appointment.
3
Submit the form with filing fee
File Form 394 with the Louisiana Secretary of State along with the $30 filing fee. You can file online at https://www.sos.la.gov or mail the form to the Commercial Division.
4
Wait for processing and confirmation
The Secretary of State will process your change within 5-10 business days. You'll receive confirmation once the new registered agent is officially recorded.
5
Notify your former registered agent
Inform your previous registered agent in writing that their services are no longer needed and provide them with the effective date of the change.
6
Update your LLC records
Update your internal LLC records, operating agreement, and notify banks, vendors, and other business contacts of your new registered agent address.
Ready to file your annual report?
Go directly to the Louisiana Secretary of State portal.
Your current registered agent is moving out of Louisiana or closing their business
You want to switch from being your own registered agent to a professional service
Your registered agent is no longer responsive or reliable in handling legal documents
You're moving your business and need a registered agent in a different Louisiana location
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state publishes about filing deadlines, fees, and the consequences of missing them, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own company owes: the date turns on when and where you formed, states change these rules between our reviews, and in several states an entity-level tax falls due in a year when no report does. Confirm your own dates with the filing office named on this page before you rely on one here, because the penalty for missing a deadline can be administrative dissolution of the company.
Frequently Asked Questions
A registered agent change in Louisiana typically takes 5-10 business days to process once the Louisiana Secretary of State receives your completed Form 394 (Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent) and the $25 filing fee. Mail submissions to the Baton Rouge office may take the full 10 business days. During this processing period, your old registered agent remains legally responsible for receiving service of process, so there's no gap in coverage. To avoid delays, ensure your Form 394 includes your LLC's full legal name, EIN, and the new agent's complete address and signature. Submit your filing immediately after your new registered agent accepts the appointment to minimize transition time and potential service complications. The Louisiana Secretary of State publishes no standard processing time for this filing.
The filing fee to change your registered agent in Louisiana is $30, payable to the Louisiana Secretary of State when you submit Form 394 (Application for Change of Registered Agent and/or Registered Office).
This $30 fee covers the Secretary of State's processing of your amendment and updates to the official LLC record. Unlike some states that charge separately for registered agent services, Louisiana's fee applies only to the state filing itself, any fees charged by your new registered agent are separate costs handled directly with that service provider.
The practical implication is straightforward: budget $30 plus any agent service fees when planning this change. File Form 394 with the Secretary of State's office in Baton Rouge, and include the $30 check or money order. Processing typically takes 5-7 business days.
Your next step is to obtain Form 394 from the Louisiana Secretary of State website, complete it with your LLC name, old agent information, and new agent details, then mail it with payment to ensure your business maintains compliant registered agent status.
Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in Louisiana if you maintain a Louisiana street address where you're available during regular business hours. However, this approach carries significant practical risks for LLC owners. As your own registered agent, you become personally responsible for receiving and responding to legal documents, lawsuit notices, and state correspondence, missing deadlines could result in default judgments against your company. The Louisiana Secretary of State requires your registered agent information on Form 365 (the Articles of Organization) and any amendments filed through their office. If you're frequently unavailable or travel often, a missed service of process could jeopardize your LLC's legal standing. Many Louisiana business owners hire professional registered agent services (typically $50 to 150 annually) to ensure reliable document receipt and compliance. Consider whether your schedule truly permits consistent availability before choosing self-representation. To proceed, contact the Louisiana Secretary of State's Business Formation Division or file your LLC documents designating yourself as registered agent on their official forms.
Changing your registered agent won't affect your Louisiana LLC's good standing status, provided you file the amendment correctly and maintain uninterrupted agent coverage. You must submit Form 394 (Application for Amendment to Articles of Organization) to the Louisiana Secretary of State's office with the $25 filing fee before your current agent's resignation takes effect. The critical requirement is ensuring no lapse in representation. Your new agent must be officially appointed before the previous one steps down. This continuous coverage prevents the state from marking your LLC as non-compliant or administratively dissolved. File your amendment at least 10 business days before the transition to allow processing time. Once the Secretary of State approves your amendment, your good standing status remains intact. Next, contact your current registered agent's office to confirm their resignation date, then immediately submit Form 394 with your new agent's information and the completed acceptance statement from your replacement agent.
Yes, Louisiana allows you to file Form 394 (Statement of Change of Registered Agent) both online and by mail through the Louisiana Secretary of State.
For online filing, visit https://www.sos.la.gov and use the Business Services Online system. This method typically processes within 1 to 2 business days and provides immediate email confirmation of receipt, allowing you to verify the change took effect.
If you prefer mailing, send the completed Form 394 to the Secretary of State's Office, Business Services Division, P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804. Mail processing takes 7 to 10 business days, and you'll receive no automatic confirmation.
Online filing is faster and eliminates the risk of lost documents in transit, making it the practical choice for most LLC owners who need timely agent changes. The fee is $25 regardless of filing method.
Next step: Access the Secretary of State's Business Services Online portal today to file Form 394 and confirm your registered agent change within 48 hours.
Sources
Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Louisiana sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.
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Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.
