Starting a service business in Indiana

Form your business in Indiana

File Articles of Organization (State Form 49459) with the Secretary of State. The paper form, in the January 2026 revision posted in October 2026, lists a $100 filing fee. You can also file online through INBiz, which shows the online fee at checkout. You need a registered agent, either a commercial registered agent on file with the state or an individual or business with an Indiana address.

Ongoing state filings

Indiana LLCs file a business entity report every two years, not every year. INBiz says the first report is due two years after you register. INBiz lists the for-profit fee at $32 online or $50 on paper (October 2026). If you skip it, the Secretary of State administratively dissolves the business.

Using a business name (DBA)

Where you file depends on who owns the business. An LLC or corporation uses State Form 30353 at the Secretary of State; the form lists a $30 fee per name, and the Secretary of State notes it cannot be used for county filings. A sole proprietorship or general partnership files a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the county recorder in each county where it has a place of business, as county recorders such as Whitley County's explain. Recorders set their own fees.

Not sure whether you need an LLC at all? Read LLC vs sole proprietor for contractors, then get your free EIN from the IRS.

Licensing for service trades

The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA) licenses plumbers through the Plumbing Commission under Indiana Code 25-28.5, and it also licenses home inspectors. Pesticide application is regulated by the Office of Indiana State Chemist, which sets competency standards for applicators who must be licensed and handles their licenses; check its categories before you sell lawn weed control or pest treatments. Electrical, HVAC, remodeling and general contracting rules are set closer to home in Indiana: call the permit office for each city and county on your route and ask what it requires before you quote.

• Indiana Plumbing Commission (IPLA): Plumbing contractor, journeyman and apprentice licenses
• Office of Indiana State Chemist, Pesticide Section: Pesticide applicator licensing and competency standards
• Indiana Home Inspectors Licensing Board (IPLA): Home inspector licenses

Workers' compensation

Indiana Code 22-3-5-1 says every employer covered by the Worker's Compensation Act must either insure its liability with a company authorized to write workers' comp in Indiana or prove to the Worker's Compensation Board that it can pay claims directly as a self-insurer (the initial self-insurance application fee is $500). The board's FAQ notes that Indiana employers carry private insurance and the insurers pay claims, not the board. Owners can check a company's coverage with the board's online coverage lookup before hiring a subcontractor.

More on coverage: business insurance for contractors.

Sales tax on services

Per the Department of Revenue, a business that sells goods or tangible personal property must register to collect Indiana's 7% sales tax and will receive a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate, with one certificate displayed at each retail location. Registration runs through INBiz. If you sell parts, materials or products to customers along with your labor, ask the department before your first invoice which charges it treats as taxable, and keep labor and materials on separate invoice lines so the answer is easy to apply.

Recording business calls in Indiana

Indiana is one-party consent. Indiana Code 35-31.5-2-176 defines an illegal interception as recording a communication by someone other than a sender or receiver without the consent of the sender or receiver, so you can record calls you take part in. Callers from all-party states are a different matter; our guide to recording business calls explains.

See our guide to recording business calls before you turn on call recording or an AI receptionist.

How the seasons shape the work

Northern Indiana near Lake Michigan gets lake-effect snow that keeps plow and salt crews busy around South Bend and LaPorte, while southern Indiana's hills see more ice and freeze-thaw than deep snow. Summers are hot and humid statewide, which drives lawn, mosquito and air conditioning work from May through September. Spring storms bring roofing, siding and tree calls, and fall leaf cleanup is a dependable add-on in the older tree-lined towns.

Independent contractor certificate of exemption

Indiana lets an independent contractor who is not electing coverage file a statement with the Department of State Revenue, get clearance, and obtain a certificate of exemption filed with the Worker's Compensation Board, under Indiana Code 22-3-2-14.5. The board's compliance page lists the fee as $20 total ($15 to the board and $5 to the Department of Revenue), and documentation of independent contractor status must be filed annually. The board says independent contractor status follows IRS guidelines. Contractors who hire subs often ask for this certificate, or proof of insurance, before work starts.

Then set up the back end that gets you hired

The paperwork makes you legal. Customers still have to find you, reach you and pay you. Before your first job, set up a business phone number, email on your own domain, a Google Business Profile, a simple website, and a way to send quotes and take card payments. The launch checklist lays out the order.

Indiana questions