Indiana is one of the cheaper states to keep an LLC in, and the reason is its reporting schedule: instead of a yearly report, you file a Business Entity Report only once every two years, in the month your LLC was formed. Forming the LLC online costs the state’s $75 statutory fee plus a $20 enhanced access fee, and there is no newspaper publication and no state LLC franchise tax to plan around. The one deadline you cannot let slide is that biennial report, because missing it can lead to administrative dissolution.
Indiana LLC at a glance
Fees and deadlines from official state sources| Formation document | Articles of Organization for a Domestic Limited Liability Company (State Form 49459), filed with the Indiana Secretary of State |
|---|---|
| Filing fee | Online: $75 plus a $20 enhanced access fee. Paper: $100 |
| Processing and expedite | No expedite fee is charged. A standard processing time is not published |
| Ongoing report | Business Entity Report every two years, due in your formation anniversary month. Online: $20 plus a $11 enhanced access fee. Paper: $50 |
| State LLC tax | No LLC-specific annual tax. LLCs are taxed according to the federal tax treatment they elect |
| Registered agent | Required, with an Indiana street address |
| Newspaper publication | Not required |
| Where to file | INBiz business formation (Indiana Secretary of State) |
Step 1Pick a name Indiana will accept
Your LLC’s name has to include the words “Limited Liability Company” or an abbreviation of them, such as LLC. It also has to be distinguishable from names already on the Secretary of State’s records. Words like “LLC” or “Inc.” are ignored when names are compared, so “Maple Street Bakery LLC” will not clear just because another business is “Maple Street Bakery Inc.”
Indiana also refuses names that falsely suggest a connection to a government agency, and the Secretary of State says terms tied to regulated industries, such as Bank or University, can’t be used unless they are accurate. Check availability first with the INBiz business search. Keep in mind that state approval of a name does not clear it of trademark conflicts.
If you are not ready to file, you can reserve a name online for $10. A reservation lasts 120 days and can be renewed.
Step 2Line up a registered agent
Every Indiana LLC must name and keep a registered agent: the person or business that accepts legal papers for the company. The agent can be an individual (including you), a general partnership, or a business entity that is formed or registered in Indiana, and any address listed for the agent must be an Indiana street address. Two limits apply: an LLC can’t serve as its own registered agent, and you can list only one agent at a time.
If you use a commercial registered agent that is already listed with the state, the form only asks for the agent’s name. A noncommercial agent needs a name and an Indiana address. Either way, you confirm on the form that the agent has agreed to serve.
Step 3File your Articles of Organization
The Articles of Organization are short. The state form asks for:
- the LLC’s name;
- a principal office address (or a box to check if all business is done remotely from a governing person’s home, with an extra state form);
- registered agent details;
- whether the LLC will be managed by one or more managers, plus an optional single-member designation;
- how long the LLC will last (perpetual, or a set end date);
- a signature, printed name, title and date, signed under penalties of perjury.
Online: file through INBiz. You pay the $75 statutory fee plus the $20 enhanced access fee. You can save your work and come back later.
By mail: send the completed form with a check or money order for $100, payable to the Secretary of State, to 302 West Washington Street, Room E-018, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
Indiana does not sell expedited service. The Secretary of State says it doesn’t charge expedite fees because it processes most items quickly, but it does not publish a standard turnaround time.
Step 4Keep up with the biennial Business Entity Report
Every two years your LLC files a Business Entity Report, due during the anniversary month of its formation. Your INBiz dashboard shows the due date, and the state may accept the report up to 90 days before the month it is due. Filing online costs $20 plus a $11 enhanced access fee. On paper it’s $50.
The report confirms your registered agent and principal office address. Indiana law also requires anyone filing a report for someone else to take reasonable steps to verify that person’s identity.
Missing the report has real consequences. If your LLC hasn’t delivered it within 60 days after it is due, the Secretary of State can start administrative dissolution. After notice, you have 60 days to fix the problem. A dissolved LLC can only wind up its affairs or apply for reinstatement, which must happen within five years and costs $20 online.
Step 5Finish the setup
- Operating agreement: Indiana doesn’t ask you to file one, but the Secretary of State calls it a vital internal record. The state also doesn’t require LLCs to list their owners, so the operating agreement is where you record who owns what.
- EIN: get a free Employer Identification Number from the IRS. You’ll need one for withholding registration and, usually, a business bank account.
- State tax accounts: register with the Indiana Department of Revenue through INBiz. If you sell taxable goods, you need a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate, which costs $25 per location, is valid for two years and renews automatically. Registering for withholding has no fee.
- Assumed name: if you’ll trade under a name other than the LLC’s legal name, file a Certificate of Assumed Business Name.
- Local licenses: check with your city and county for permits or licenses that apply to your type of business.
What an Indiana LLC costs
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (one-time) | $75 + $20 enhanced access fee online, or $100 on paper |
| Name reservation (optional, one-time) | $10 |
| Business Entity Report (every two years) | $20 + $11 enhanced access fee online, or $50 on paper |
| State LLC tax (yearly) | None LLC-specific |
| Registered Retail Merchant Certificate (only if you sell taxable goods) | $25 per location, valid two years |
| Registered agent | Free if you or someone you know serves; commercial agents charge their own fees |
How Indiana compares
State filing fee to form an LLC, next to neighboring states. The national median is $100.
National median · Fees from each state's official sources; some states charge a different amount online or by mail. If you live and run your business in Indiana, forming your LLC in another state usually means also registering it here as a foreign LLC, so you pay both states' fees.
How Indiana taxes an LLC
Indiana doesn’t add an LLC franchise tax or minimum tax on top of your filing fees. According to the Department of Revenue, an LLC can choose how it’s taxed. If it qualifies under IRS rules, its income can be taxed only once, on the owners’ returns. Depending on that choice, the business or its owners file Indiana forms such as the IT-65 (for partnership-taxed LLCs) or individual IT-40 and IT-40PNR returns. Sales tax and withholding apply only if your business makes taxable sales or has employees.
File it yourself or use a formation service?
Indiana’s online filing is short, and doing it yourself costs only the state fees listed above. A formation service may be worth it if you want someone else to act as registered agent, handle the paperwork, or remind you of the biennial report deadline. Compare what any service charges against the small state fee, and remember that you remain responsible for filing on time either way.
What changed recently
- 2025: the Secretary of State adopted business filing rules (75 IAC 8) that put the existing online enhanced access fees into rule: $20 for Articles of Organization and $11 for the biennial report. The state said it was not changing the filing fees themselves.
- 2025: new Indiana laws added an optional “contact address” (a governing person’s home or a qualifying commercial mail receiving agency address), required identity verification by anyone filing a biennial report for someone else, and created ownership reporting for health care entities.
Indiana LLC FAQ
Does an Indiana LLC file an annual report?
No. Indiana uses a Business Entity Report filed every two years, in the anniversary month of your LLC’s formation.
Can I pay extra to get my LLC approved faster?
No. Indiana doesn’t offer expedited filing or charge expedite fees.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Yes. An individual can serve if they have an Indiana street address. The LLC itself can’t be its own agent.
Do I have to list the LLC’s owners with the state?
No. The Secretary of State doesn’t require LLCs to disclose owners or ownership percentages. Keep that in your operating agreement instead.
Do I need to publish a notice in a newspaper?
No. Indiana has no publication requirement for forming an LLC.
Sources
- Indiana Code 23-0.5-9: Secretary of State business filing fees
- Indiana Code Title 23, Article 0.5: names, registered agents, biennial reports, administrative dissolution
- 75 IAC 8: Business entity filing rules and enhanced access fees
- State Form 49459: Articles of Organization, Domestic LLC
- State Form 48725: Indiana Business Entity Report
- INBiz: Secretary of State filings and biennial reports
- INBiz: Register your local (domestic) business
- INBiz: Research and choose your business name
- Indiana Secretary of State regulatory analysis, LSA Document 25-155 (fees and expedite policy)
- Indiana Department of Revenue: Tax guide for new and small business owners
- IRS: Get an Employer Identification Number