How to Start an LLC in Indiana
We prepare and file your Indiana LLC for $199, one time, plus the state's own filing fee. A registered agent is required for every Indiana LLC — ours runs $99/year and is bundled into the walkthrough below.
Standing up an LLC in Indiana is mostly paperwork: file the formation document, designate an agent, and stay on top of the annual obligations. The state charges $0 to file, takes about a few business days to approve, and then your ongoing obligations kick in. The rest of this page covers the steps, the full cost picture, and the part we take off your plate.
Set Up Your Indiana LLC — $199
$199, paid once, covers preparation and filing through Indiana Secretary of State. Approval comes back in about a few business days.
Set Up Your Indiana LLC — $199
Why Form an LLC in Indiana
A limited-liability company is the small-business entity that combines liability protection for the owner with simple tax treatment by default. Indiana's small-business landscape leans heavily on the LLC structure for its mix of protection, simplicity, and minimal ongoing compliance.
All-In Indiana LLC Costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee (Indiana Secretary of State) | $0 one-time |
| Registered agent (required for every Indiana LLC) | $99/year |
| State annual report fee | $32 (biennial, online) |
$199 for the filing work; state fee to Indiana Secretary of State; RA service $99/year as its own product.
Important Indiana-specific notes: Biennial Business Entity Report: $32 online, $50 by mail. Due in anniversary month every 2 years. Filed through INBiz portal.
How to Form Your Indiana LLC, Step by Step
1. Name Your Indiana LLC
An LLC name in Indiana must signal its entity type with an approved designator and must be visibly different from any name already on the state's records. Indiana Secretary of State provides an online entity search; use it to confirm your chosen name is actually available before filing.
Words implying banking, insurance, or government affiliation are restricted in entity names. Skip them unless you've already cleared the relevant authority.
2. Assign an Indiana Registered Agent
Each Indiana LLC must keep a designated agent in the state's records. The agent must have a real street address in Indiana and must be present within standard business hours. Whatever address you put down for the agent is publicly visible through Indiana Secretary of State's entity search.
For just $99 per year, our RA service covers Indiana. Our address is what appears on the public filing.
3. File Your Formation Document at Indiana Secretary of State
This is the legal birth of the LLC: file the Articles of Organization with Indiana Secretary of State with $0 attached at submission. The filing covers the company name, the entity's principal location, agent identity and address, the management structure (member-managed or manager-managed), and the organizers.
Online filing through the state's filing portal is the standard channel and usually moves faster than paper submissions.
Typical processing is a few business days from filing to approval. Rush processing can shorten that further for an added fee.
4. Prepare an Operating Agreement
Although Indiana does not mandate an operating agreement on file, having one in place is essential for routine business operations. Topics covered: who owns the LLC, how profits and losses are allocated, who makes decisions, and how member changes are handled. When there's no agreement, Indiana applies its standard LLC defaults — those may or may not align with what you and your members want.
5. Register for the LLC's EIN
A federal EIN operates as the federal ID the IRS uses to track the LLC. Used for business banking, hiring employees, and filing federal returns. The IRS issues EINs for free at IRS.gov. The application is short — around ten minutes and you'll have the number.
Avoid paying an external service for the EIN — the free IRS application takes about ten minutes.
6. Maintain Compliance Going Forward
The LLC stays in active status only if you handle the recurring obligations. Those are:
- Sustain your designated agent at a physical Indiana address without interruption
- Send in the Indiana's biennial report every two years
- Adhere to true separation between company funds and personal funds (separate cards, separate ledgers)
- Keep current on federal tax filings along with state requirements throughout the year
Letting these slide opens the door to administrative dissolution by Indiana Secretary of State. Reinstating the LLC restores protection but takes time and fees.
We'll handle it for $199. The Indiana formation filing is ours from start to finish.
The Registered Agent Piece
Every LLC formed in Indiana carries a continuous designated agent obligation — no carve-outs. An agent in Indiana must:
- Have on file a physical street address in Indiana (post office box alone isn't acceptable)
- Be at the address throughout the workday to receive legal service
- Pass along all received mail and notices promptly enough to keep response windows open
Many founders self-appoint as agent, not realizing the address becomes public. That address shows up in Indiana Secretary of State's public database and stays there.
For just $99 per year, our RA service covers Indiana. Our address is what appears on the public filing.
FAQs
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Indiana?
The state's filing fee is $0. That puts it in the lower bracket of LLC filing fees. After formation, the annual report fee is $32 (biennial, online).
How long does it take to form an LLC in Indiana?
The state generally returns approval inside a few business days.
Does Indiana require an annual report?
Yes, but on a biennial schedule (every two years). The fee is $32 (biennial, online).
Do I need a registered agent for my Indiana LLC?
Yes — The agent obligation applies to every Indiana LLC, continuously. The obligation starts at filing and continues through dissolution.
Can I form an LLC in Indiana if I live in another state?
Yes. Indiana does not mandate LLC owners to be residents. — and the one state-specific item is the Indiana agent. We provide that as a $99/year service.
Start Your Indiana LLC the Right Way
Anyone can file directly with Indiana Secretary of State via the state's filing portal. The agent requirement still applies regardless — the state's filing fee is $0.
We act as the registered agent listed on your filing. For $99 per year, you get our address on the filing, scans the day mail arrives, and a heads-up before every state deadline.
Just want the agent role? The agent-only plan carries a $99/year price.
More questions about launching an LLC in Indiana or the way our RA service operates? Visit our FAQ page or reach out any weekday.
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