How To Complete A Louisiana Business Name Reservation For Your LLC – Jul. 2026 Guide

You may need to reserve your desired business name before forming your Louisiana Limited Liability Company (LLC), especially if you plan to file online. While it’s not a legally required step, it’s practically necessary due to the way the online filing system works in Louisiana.

If you file online, you need to obtain your Employer Identification Number (EIN) to complete the process. Because of this, you should reserve your desired business name first to ensure that your EIN will be linked to an available business name. Doing so helps avoid obtaining an EIN but later finding that it’s associated with an unavailable LLC name.

In this guide, I will take you through the Louisiana business name reservation procedures when filing online and by mail. Alongside this, you’ll learn about the required fees, processing times, and key consideration points to avoid mistakes or filing delays.

What Is The Louisiana Business Name Reservation Process?

Under Louisiana RS §12:1307, you do NOT need to reserve your desired business name to form your LLC. Despite this, you should reserve your desired business name if you plan to file your Articles of Organization formation documents online.

1. Why You Need To Do Name Reservation Before Filing Articles Of Organization

You can file your Louisiana Articles of Organization and Initial Report via the online geauxBIZ portal or by mail, depending on your chosen parish. Some operating locations require that you file online, while others let you choose between online and mail submissions.

If you’re filing online, you’ll likely need to obtain your EIN before submitting your LLC formation documents. This is different from most U.S. states, where you form your LLC first before applying for your EIN. Doing things in this order ensures that your EIN confirmation letter matches your approved business name.

With the state of Louisiana reversing this order, you might apply for your EIN but find that your desired LLC name is unavailable. If this happens, you may be required to make corrections or file additional paperwork.

You can use a common workaround to avoid this issue:

1. Reserve your desired LLC name in advance.
2. Use the reserved name to apply for your EIN from the IRS.
3. File your Articles of Organization and Initial Report online.

2. Name Reservation Filing Methods & Fees

You need to pay a $25 filing fee to reserve your desired business name, regardless of whether you file online or by mail.

• Online: Via the geauxBIZ online portal. Your filing should be processed in 1 business day. 
• By mail: Submit a Reservation of Corporate/LLC/LC3/Partnership Name (Form 398). This should be processed in 3 to 5 business days. 

Your desired LLC name will be reserved for 120 days once your filing has been approved by the state.

You can use expedited services to speed up your approval time:

• Priority expedite: $75 for 3 hours of processing time.
• Expedite: $55 for 24-hour processing time (only by mail).

How To Reserve Your Louisiana Business Name Online

1. Access GeauxBIZ Account

To begin, visit the geauxBIZ online portal. Click “Create Account” or “Sign In.”

Sign in with your email address and password. If you haven’t created an account, you can follow my guidance in the sections below.

2. Access The Name Reservation Form

Click “Get Started.”

Select “Reserve a new business name” and click “Next.”

Click “Start Name Reservation.” 

3. Type Of Business

Next, choose your business type. Select “LLC (Limited Liability Company)” or “L3C (Low-profit Limited Liability Company).”

For a normal LLC, you will then need to choose whether your business is in the state or out of state.

Click “Next” to continue to the name reservation form.

4. Name Reservation Form

a. LLC Name

First, enter your desired LLC name, including a required designator. Examples include “LLC” or “Limited Liability Company.”

Enter your full name in the “Said name is requested to be reserved on behalf of” field. This is because you’re forming the LLC yourself.

b. Contact Person

Provide your full name and address so that the Louisiana Secretary of State (SOS) can contact you if there are any issues or problems with your name reservation.

c. Signature

Enter your full legal name to sign electronically. Then, state your title (e.g., Owner).

Click “Next” to continue.

5. Review

Once everything is complete, carefully review your filing. If there is any error and you want to make any changes, click “Previous” or the yellow icon next to each section to edit.

Click “Next” to continue once everything is good.

6. Filing Fee

You can choose between two main filing options:

1. Choose “No” to use the normal filing method which costs $25 in total.
2. Choose “Yes” to select expedited filing. This costs $75 and provides approval within approximately 3 hours.

Click “Next” to proceed to the payment section. 

7. Select Payment Method

Next, select your payment method and pay your required filing fee. You have 2 payment options:

• Credit card.
• Bank account.

Select your desired payment option and click “Checkout & File” to continue.

Then, provide your payment details based on your chosen payment method.

Once you’ve submitted your online name reservation, the state will immediately send a receipt and provide email updates regarding your filing status.

You’ll receive another email where you can download your official documentation after your application is approved. Following this, your desired LLC name is reserved for 120 days.

How To Create A GeauxBIZ Account

1. Access GeauxBIZ

First, visit the geauxBIZ login page and click “Create An Account” on the right-hand side of the screen.

2. Email & Password

Provide your email address and enter your password twice.

Enter the reCAPTCHA security code if it appears.

Then, check the “Terms and Conditions” box and click “Create Account.”

3. Contact Information

Next, provide your address information. You can use a home, office, or mailing address. I recommend using an office address to speed up future document filings.

• Choose an appropriate address type.
• Select your country.
• Complete address line 1 (required).
• Provide your city.
• Choose your state and enter your ZIP code.

Following this, add your contact phone number. You can streamline future filings if you choose to use a business phone number.

• Choose your phone type (e.g., office).
• Pick your country.
• Enter your phone number.

Once you’ve completed the required fields, click “Create Account” to proceed.

You should see the following message on the next screen:

“Your account has been created successfully! A confirmation email has been sent to the email address you provided. Please follow the instructions in this email to complete your registration.”

4. Email Verification

Navigate to your inbox and find the email from the state. The subject line should be “Welcome to Louisiana Secretary of State / geauxBiz.”

Click the provided verification link.

The system will then redirect you to a page that says “Your email has been verified!”

Click the “Sign In Page” button to go to the next step.

5. Log In To Your Account

Enter your email and password on the main login page.

Then, click “Sign In.”

6. Create GeauxBIZ Profile

Log in to your newly created geauxBIZ account.

You need to select your account type as either an individual or an organization before completing any documents on the official portal.

• Individual: Choose this if you’re forming your LLC on your own.
• Organization: Choose this if you’re part of an existing company and want to register your new LLC under that business.

a. Account Type As Individual

Follow these steps if you want an individual account type:

1. Choose “Individual” for account type.
2. Enter your first and last name in the applicable fields.

Check the “Disclaimer” box and click “Save.”

b. Account Type As Organization

Follow these steps to create an organization account type:

1. Select “Organization” for your account type.
2. Enter your company name.
3. Provide your contact name.

Check off the “Disclaimer” box and click “Save.”

How To Reserve Your Louisiana Business Name By Mail

If you don’t want to reserve your desired business name online, you also have the option to reserve it by mail.

To do this, download the form by clicking this link: “Reservation of Corporate/LLC/LC3/Partnership Name (Form 398).” Alternatively, click the “Download” button on the right-hand side of the screen.

You must complete 2 parts of the form and file them together:

1. Transmittal Information Form: This allows you to choose your processing speed and enter your contact information.
2. Name Reservation Form: This is used to officially request and reserve your desired business name.

1. Transmittal Information

Choose one of the following options when selecting your processing speed:

• Routine: The standard processing time is 3 to 5 days. Your total fee is $25.
• Expedite ($30): Your filing should be processed within 24 hours. Your total fee is $55.
• Priority expedite ($50): Your filing will be processed within 2 to 4 hours. Your total fee is $75. 

Next, choose your payment method by checking “Check or Money Order Enclosed.”

Underneath, enter your desired business name. Make sure you write it exactly as you want it to appear on your name reservation.

Provide your contact information:

• Your full name.
• Your mailing address (street, city, state, and ZIP code).
• Your address.
• A daytime phone number, fax number (if applicable), and email address.

2. LLC Name

Next, enter your desired LLC name in the applicable field. This should include an appropriate designator, such as “LLC” or “Limited Liability Company.”

Enter your own name in the “Said name is requested to be reserved on behalf of” field if you’re forming the LLC yourself.

3. Contact Person & Signature

As you’re forming the LLC by yourself, state your name and address in the provided boxes so that the Louisiana SOS can contact you if there are any issues regarding your name reservation.

Then, sign the paper at the bottom and write the date of filing. 

4. Payment

Finally, prepare a check or money order made payable to the SOS. This should contain the total amount of money that you chose from the beginning. Place your name reservation form alongside it into an envelope and send it to:

• Commercial Division
  P. O. Box 94125
  Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125

Once submitted, the state will mail your approved documentation. Your name will then be reserved for 120 days. Alongside this, you may get instructions from the SOS if you entered your email address in your Transmittal Form.

Louisiana SOS Contact Info

Contact the Louisiana SOS if you have any issues or questions regarding your LLC name reservation filing:

• Phone: 225.925.4704.
• Fax: 225.932.5314.
• Contact page: Louisiana Contact Us.

Frequently Asked Questions