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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Chapter 1 · Indiana

Indiana LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 7 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

In 2026 the services this chapter recommends for forming an LLC in Indiana are Mainstay Filing ($199), IN Registered Agent.org ($199) and Indiana Registered Agent.co ($199), best first. Read 7 sections to learn the process. The fee at Indiana's filing office is $95; afterward the business entity report falls due every two years.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Essential facts

Fee paid to the state to file $95 See forms.in.gov; page last consulted August 2026
Business entity report $32 every 2 years Stated timing: last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years
State cost, years 1 to 3 $127 Service fees excluded
Sections 7 Taken one at a time

You will be able to explain

  • The official Indiana fee and form
  • The registered agent requirement
  • The state filing that repeats
  • How the recommended services compare

Indiana: the ranked services

Ranked by the grading page: three-year cost (34%), paperwork completed (30%), second-year price, fit with Indiana rules and clarity of the price list.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with little paperwork

Read this one first
$199 a year, renewing at $199

Mainstay Filing comes first. One annual payment, $199, completes the filing, the registered agent and the business entity report; renewal is $199.

Set against IN Registered Agent.org, the three-year premium is $200, which the 30% weight on paperwork covered outweighs.

Each business entity report is filed for you, and the only addition is the state's $32.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Business entity report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee billed at cost

Advantages

  • No increase at renewal ($199)
  • A single yearly fee of $199, with the business entity report included
  • The EIN application is prepared as well

Limitations

  • Renewal costs $100 above IN Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. IN Registered Agent.org: best for Indiana LLCs that watch every dollar

Indiana specialist
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

IN Registered Agent.org takes second position; forming a Indiana LLC costs $199 and the agent for year one is part of that price; the agent renews at $99.

Preparing the business entity report every two years is still left to you.

Price covers

  • The filing is made for you
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • The first agent year is free

Limitations

  • The business entity report remains the owner's responsibility
  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit IN Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Indiana Registered Agent.co: best for LLCs that stay in Indiana

Indiana specialist
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Indiana Registered Agent.co takes third position; forming a Indiana LLC costs $199 and the agent for year one is part of that price; the agent renews at $99.

Preparing the business entity report every two years is still left to you.

Its prices equal IN Registered Agent.org's, so either serves.

Price covers

  • The filing is made for you
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • The first agent year is free
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • $99 yearly from year two

Limitations

  • The business entity report remains the owner's responsibility
  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit Indiana Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The services compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 IN Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit IN Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Indiana Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Indiana Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. No row includes the $95 state fee.

Formation in sequence

  1. Section 1

    Select and check the company name

    The records at the Indiana Secretary of State show every name in use. Look yours up before preparing any forms, because Indiana can refuse a duplicate.

    Keep a second choice on hand.

  2. Section 2

    Appoint a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An individual, a general partnership, an Indiana filing entity, or a foreign entity registered in Indiana. A business cannot serve as its own agent.

    The address has to be a physical street address in Indiana. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    You may use any recommended service for this section.

    Reference: See faqs.in.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Choose how the paperwork is prepared

    Both routes pay $95 to the state. The services in the ranking charge $199 more and do the forms.

  4. Section 4

    Next comes the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company

    Formation takes effect when the Indiana Secretary of State accepts the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form State Form 49459) and $95.

    Reference: See forms.in.gov; page last consulted August 2026

  5. Section 5

    Obtain an EIN

    The IRS, not Indiana, issues EINs. Apply after the state approves the LLC and give the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing handles the EIN application without a separate charge.

  6. Section 6

    Draft the members' agreement

    A one-member Indiana LLC should still have a written operating agreement in its records.

  7. Section 7

    Prepare for the second year

    The recurring filing is the business entity report ($32, every two years, by last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years).

    Reference: See forms.in.gov; page last consulted August 2026

Costs section by section

SectionGoes toCost
Section on formation Filing office$95
Business entity report Filing office$32 every two years
Filing service (optional) Your chosen service$199 for year one
State total over three years Filing office$127

The filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax make up the state's three-year total; the bibliography shows where each figure came from.

The reasoning behind the ranking

Chapters the price completes accounts for 30% of the ranking, and led on it in Indiana.

Handling the business entity report outweighed the lower price once the weights were applied.

Common questions

Which fees does Indiana charge when an LLC is formed?

The state's fee is $95. $199 more buys someone who prepares the filing.

Which form creates the LLC?

Section 4 explains how to complete the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form State Form 49459) and where it is sent: the Indiana Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Indiana require each year?

The recurring obligation is the business entity report ($32, every two years, due last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years).

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing prevents it. Indiana asks $95, and the LLC must name a registered agent, which the owner can be or can hire out.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

The ranking is Mainstay Filing, IN Registered Agent.org and Indiana Registered Agent.co, and Mainstay Filing is first since for $199 a year the owner receives the filing, registered agent service and the business entity report, renewing at $199.

Further reading

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Cited for Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division: inbiz.in.gov, edition of August 2026.
  2. Cited for Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division: forms.in.gov, edition of August 2026.
  3. Cited for Indiana report due date: law.justia.com, edition of August 2026.
  4. Cited for Ind: forms.in.gov, edition of August 2026.
  5. Cited for Indiana registered agent statute: faqs.in.gov, edition of October 2026.
  6. Indiana service page (Mainstay Filing), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  7. pricing page (IN Registered Agent.org), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  8. pricing page (Indiana Registered Agent.co), as it stood on November 13, 2026