I’ve tested the 13 best Louisiana registered agent services. Here’s my review.

I’ve investigated the registered agent industry in Louisiana in order to overcome my phobia of corrupt corporations. It took me a year to complete, but in the end, I came up with a list of 13 Louisiana registered agent service providers for you to consider when starting your business in Louisiana.

I’ve had an amazing experience with Northwest Registered Agent. Their services are very reliable, pricing is transparent, and unlike the competition, there are no continuous upsells. Their customer support is also the best in the Louisiana registered agent industry.

As part of their registered agent service, they provide the following essential services:

• They filed and forwarded my Articles of Organization to the Louisiana Secretary of State.
• They gave me a secure online portal where I can store my sensitive business documents.
• They provided a registered office in Louisiana with a physical street address that I can attach to my documents instead of using my actual contact details.
• They can accept Service of Process and other legal correspondence on behalf of my Limited Liability Company (LLC) in Louisiana.
• They offer a simple and highly intuitive online user interface.
• They send constant compliance alerts that remind me of important filing dates, such as annual report filing and license renewal.
• They scan, upload, and forward ALL my mail.
• They are available in all 50 states.

Northwest Registered Agent are very serious about the privacy of their customers’ data. In fact, they’ve built their business around the policy of “Privacy by Default.” 

Their customer support, however, is the highlight of their business services. 

While researching the Louisiana registered agent industry, I contacted numerous customer service departments, but Northwest’s customer support team replied the quickest, and I got the impression they were eager to address my questions before onboarding me, when several other businesses claimed to do so only after sign-up. 

I found out later that their customer support crew are all highly experienced business experts with backgrounds in legal affairs, accountancy, marketing, and public relations, just to name a few. Some of them even ran businesses at one point. They use this experience to provide top-notch small business advice to their customers.

They’re slightly more costly than the next registered agent on this list, but considering their wide variety of registered agent services and exceptional customer support, they are worth every dime.

If you need a reliable registered agent that will guide you during your entire business journey, check out Northwest Registered Agent today.

Harbor Compliance is a big contender in the Louisiana registered agent industry. In fact, they were my top choice before I reviewed Northwest Registered Agent. I like their quick turnaround times, and the addition of a dedicated account manager makes them a true force to reckon with.

Their LLC formation services covered the absolute basics of registration. They forwarded my Articles of Organization to the Louisiana Secretary of State, they accepted Service of Process and other legal documents on behalf of my LLC, and they also gave me access to software to help me file my annual reports, making it easy to remain compliant with the Secretary of State’s office.

The dedicated account manager is a welcomed inclusion. He helped me with all my service-related issues, including gathering all the necessary information and filing my paperwork. 

On the downside, these account managers only provide assistance with service-related questions and don’t offer the small business support I get from Northwest’s Corporate Guides.

Visit the Harbor Compliance website to learn more about their registered agent service.

*Prices listed are per state, per year and do not include state fees.

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My Process

I had to be thorough in my search for the best Louisiana registered agents. I’ve outlined the procedure I followed in the section below.

My Start

I am a very skeptical person. Especially when I’m dealing with big corporate businesses that I’m sure would like nothing more than to drain me of every last dime. Over the years this cynicism has developed into a phobia of big business. 

I’d rather get my supplies from the small mom-and-pop shop at the corner of my street than a large supermarket, and even when I have to, I will obsessively research the item I’m purchasing for days so that I’m completely sure I’m getting exactly what I pay for.

Things got worse when I decided to establish my first business in the state of Louisiana. I realized there are over 60 Louisiana registered agent service providers and they all claim to be “the best in the state.” I’ve heard a lot of horror stories of people losing their business licenses and paying outrageous fines just because they trusted the wrong Louisiana registered agent. There was no way this was going to happen to me.

While I pondered my next move, I had a brilliant idea: “If I can’t trust any of them, why not test them all and choose the best?” This sounds like a lot of work for one person, but it’s the only way I would be sure which statutory agent to trust.

So, without further ado, I came up with a couple of dummy businesses, signed up to all 60 Louisiana registered agents, and started my 12-month review process.

My Criteria

Before I started this long and arduous investigation, I had to come up with a list of criteria that would guide me during the entire process.

My checklist included the exact services provided by each Louisiana registered agent. Some companies charge a flat fee for all services and don’t spam my inbox with infomercials. Then there are those that indulge in aggressive upsells and other deceptive marketing tactics.

My preferred Louisiana registered agent must provide the following services at a fixed price:

• They need to file my Articles of Organization with the Louisiana Secretary of State within one business day of receiving my order.
• They must scan, upload, and forward ALL my mail.
• They must provide compliance alerts so that I don’t miss any key filing deadlines.
• They must have a streamlined and intuitive application process that’s easy to follow.
• They must provide a registered office address in Louisiana that can accept Service of Process and other important documents during normal business hours.
• They must operate in all 50 states.

Any company that didn’t offer any or all of these services was booted off my list.

The next criterion involved checking the operational history of the registered agent service providers on my list. I needed a registered agent that had been in business long enough to have cultivated a working relationship with the Louisiana Secretary of State. At a minimum, I could only take 10 years of continuous agent service. 

The online sign-up procedure was also a very important criterion. On my list of requirements for the best registered agent, the sign-up procedure came in third. Nothing takes more time than typing your information repeatedly during an online application procedure. I needed a registered agent with a user-friendly website and pre-filled paperwork.

Lastly, the quality of customer support services was very important to me. My preferred registered agent must have kind and helpful customer support staff that are available every day of the week during normal business hours to answer my questions.

Armed with these criteria, I was ready to start my investigation.

My Journey

Reviewing more than 60 registered agent service providers was no simple feat. But with a few mouse clicks, I was able to remove a good number of substandard commercial registered agent services from my list.

The first stage of the review process involved scouring the internet for negative reviews and comments posted by disgruntled customers. Some were concerned with the lack of important features, others were dissatisfied with pricing structures, and still others with poor customer support. After removing the underperforming agent services, I was left with a list of 25 Louisiana registered agent service providers.

I then looked up the operational history of the remaining registered agents and immediately had enough reason to remove a couple of services from my list. Some gloated about how they were a new face in the industry, in business for less than five years even, but that didn’t inspire much trust in me. 

After that, I went to the websites of the remaining Louisiana registered agent services to investigate their sign-up procedures. Some websites took too long to load while others didn’t provide pre-loaded data, requiring me to key in the same information numerous times. 

Lastly, I contacted their customer support and bombarded them with irrelevant questions just to test their demeanor while under pressure. Any registered agent with rude and impolite service personnel was removed from my list.

Ultimately, I was left with only 13 commercial registered agent services in Louisiana that showed some promise.

My Results

After the long and arduous investigative process, I had finally come up with a list of registered agents I could trust. Here they are in order of preference.

My Favorite Registered Agent Service: Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest Registered Agent is the best Louisiana registered agent because they provide low-cost, trustworthy services that ensure my business meets the Secretary of State’s legal criteria. Furthermore, their customer support is unequaled in the industry.

My Experience

They submitted my Articles of Organization to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office on behalf of my LLC. They provided a registered office with a physical address in the state of Louisiana that is available during normal business hours to accept my documents while hiding my actual contact details from public record.

They scan, upload, and forward all legal notices to my online document portal, as well as ensuring that I receive compliance alerts for important state filing deadlines for my LLC, such as filing my annual report. These comprehensive and dependable business services guarantee that my firm follows the Secretary of State’s requirements, and even though I haven’t been sued, Northwest Registered Agent is more than capable of managing Service of Process on behalf of my Louisiana LLC.

Few registered agents are as concerned about their clients’ security as Northwest Registered Agent. My company’s information will never be disclosed or sold to a third party for advertising, solicitation, or other purposes. Alternative registered agent service providers, on the other hand, do not have this feature.

Northwest Registered Agent is also renowned for providing some of the industry’s top customer service and assistance. Instead of sending emails to a generic help desk inbox, Northwest employs Corporate Guides, a group of highly experienced customer support representatives.

Each Corporate Guide has a background relevant to Louisiana business, such as marketing or law. When I approached them for help, they walked me through every step of the LLC formation process and assisted me with filing my business’s Articles of Organization. They were always available to offer excellent business advice, like how to run an effective advertising campaign or how to attract the best employees for my fledgling LLC.

They are the only registered agent in Louisiana that offers this type of business advice.

My Recommendation

Northwest is Louisiana’s top registered agent. They’re quick, efficient, and highly knowledgeable. You may rely on them to handle legal paperwork and provide fast assistance for your LLC.

They go above and above to make registering and maintaining a business as simple as possible, and they do so at a low cost with no hidden costs.

My Budget Pick: Harbor Compliance

Before I chose Northwest Registered Agent, Harbor Compliance was the contender for the best commercial registered agent service in Louisiana because they ensured that my legal requirements were satisfied, and, even better, they provided a dedicated account manager. All while charging a reasonable rate.

My Experience

The key to Harbor Compliance is speed. Their registered agent service takes pride in providing fast access to my company’s documents. They promptly filed my Articles of Organization, provided a physical street address in Louisiana set up to receive Service of Process and other important mail on behalf of my business, and their easy-to-use compliance software always reminds me of upcoming filing deadlines.

The inclusion of a dedicated account manager made things a lot easier for me. He answered all my questions and walked me through the entire business formation process. The only difference between Harbor Compliance’s account managers and Northwest’s Corporate Guides is that because the former does not go above and beyond to provide small business advice, their assistance is limited to the services they offer.

Another feature I didn’t like was their refund policy. They only provide a refund if customers cancel the service soon after buying it and before the company is identified as a registered agent by the Secretary of State’s office.

My Recommendation

Harbor Compliance is a prominent Louisiana registered agent that offers reliable and efficient services at a reasonable cost.

They will make certain that your Louisiana LLC remains on the right side of the law and that your legal obligations to the Secretary of State are satisfied. In case you get stuck, their dedicated account manager will take you through the sign-up process.

If you like the idea of having a dedicated account manager who will offer all the service assistance you need during and after the sign-up process, then Harbor Compliance is a decent second option.

The Other Registered Agent Services

Apart from my two favorite registered agents, I reviewed 11 more registered agents in Louisiana. I thought I should mention them, even though they don’t offer much to write about.

Rapid Registered Agent—A few fun features

Rapid Registered Agent is a registered agent in Louisiana that provides essential services for $120. They will take care of your Articles of Organization, forward your Service of Process, and perform other important duties on behalf of your business.

They don’t offer the same level of customer support as Northwest Registered Agent or Harbor Compliance, but they’re still a reputable firm that doesn’t charge outrageous hidden costs.

Rocket Lawyer—Great for online legal services

Rocket Lawyer’s service doesn’t stand out, but they deliver dependable service.

They provide online legal services as well as a few basic agent services for $149. These include an online document repository for legal papers, the filing of Certificate of Organization, and the processing of Service of Process and other legal proceedings on your behalf.

Team ‘Nothing Special’

These are registered agent service providers who supply exactly what I’m searching for in a registered agent service without adding anything unique or interesting.

These are Jumpstart Filings ($150), SunDoc Filings ($159), Registered Agents Inc. ($200), Incorporate.com ($235), ZenBusiness ($199), and Swyft Filings ($149). If you need more comprehensive offerings from a registered agent in Louisiana, you are better off choosing Northwest Registered Agent.

Team ‘Big Brand’

These are big-name brands that are content with charging outrageous fees for services that are virtually the same as Northwest or Harbor Compliance. They have nice-looking websites and competent marketing teams and that’s it. 

They are LegalZoom ($299 plus filing fee), Wolters Kluwer ($305 plus filing fee), and CSC Global ($299 plus filing fee).

Wrapping It All Up 

After years of dealing with a fear of big business, I overcame my anxiety by evaluating and reviewing the 13 best Louisiana registered agents.

This entire procedure took a year to complete, and in the end, Northwest Registered Agent proved to be the best registered agent in Louisiana.

For $125, provided everything I needed to get started, including the following essential services:

• Filing my LLC formation documents with the Secretary of State on behalf of my Limited Liability Company (LLC)
• Sending compliance alerts that remind me of upcoming filing deadlines to keep me in good standing with the law
• Scanning, uploading, and forwarding my mail
• Providing me a registered office in Louisiana that is available during regular business hours to serve as a point of contact and accept Service of Process while hiding my actual contact information
• Quick sign-up process with pre-filled paperwork and no time-consuming or out-of-date website

The Corporate Guides of Northwest Registered Agent are the reason for their good ranking. They have aided me since the beginning of my business adventure and will continue to do so by offering good business advice for my Louisiana business.

Look no further than Northwest Registered Agent if you need a registered agent in Louisiana that offers expert business guidance and a wide range of comprehensive services for your LLC.