Starting a service business in Louisiana

Form your business in Louisiana

File Articles of Organization for a Louisiana LLC (form 365) with the Secretary of State's Commercial Division, online through geauxBIZ or on paper. The fee is $125 as listed by the Secretary of State in October 2026; it rose on October 1, 2026 under Act 921 of the 2026 Regular Session. Card payments carry a $5 statutory convenience fee. If you need it fast, 24-hour expedite is $35 more and while-you-wait service is $60 more.

Ongoing state filings

Louisiana LLCs file an annual report every year, online or on paper. The fee is $35 as listed in the Secretary of State's fee schedule effective October 1, 2026.

Using a business name (DBA)

Register a trade name with the Secretary of State for $95 as listed in the fee schedule effective October 1, 2026. Names must be distinguishable from corporate, LLC and trade names already on file or reserved. A trade name reservation is $25.

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 Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) covers far more small jobs than most states' boards. Per the board's FAQ, home improvement projects over $7,500, up to $50,000, need a home improvement registration, and commercial projects over $50,000 need a contractor's license; on commercial work, electrical, mechanical and plumbing subcontracts need a license at $10,000. The board's FAQ requires proof of general liability insurance of at least $100,000 and workers' comp coverage, with no exceptions to the workers' comp requirement. Plumbers are licensed by the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry licenses horticulturists who recommend and install plantings, irrigation contractors and arborists, and regulates structural pest control.

• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors: Commercial, residential, home improvement and mold remediation licenses and registrations
• State Plumbing Board of Louisiana: Plumber licenses
• Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry: Nursery and landscaping licensing: Horticulturist, irrigation contractor and nursery licenses
• Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry: Structural pest control: Structural pest control licensing

Workers' compensation

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says employers must carry workers' comp even if they have only one employee, counting part-time, full-time, temporary and seasonal workers. You can buy a policy from a private insurer authorized in Louisiana, apply to the Office of Workers' Compensation to self-insure, or join an approved group self-insurance fund. If you plan to get an LSLBC license or registration, the board requires proof of workers' comp coverage at application and renewal.

More on coverage: business insurance for contractors.

Sales tax on services

Louisiana's state sales tax rate has been 5% since January 1, 2025, under Act 11 of the 2024 Third Extraordinary Session, and local sales taxes apply on top of it. The Department of Revenue says ten categories of services are taxable at the state level, including laundry, cleaning, pressing, alteration, repair and dyeing services; repairs and maintenance of tangible personal property; parking; and printing and copying. A company that repairs equipment or appliances, or that sells goods, needs to register with the Department of Revenue through geauxBIZ or LaTAP before it starts charging tax. If your work is on buildings or land rather than personal property, ask the department how your specific service is treated before you set prices.

Recording business calls in Louisiana

Louisiana is one-party consent. La. R.S. 15:1303(C)(4) lets someone on the call, or someone a participant has consented to in advance, record it, unless the purpose is criminal, tortious or otherwise injurious. Our guide to recording business calls covers callers from all-party states.

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

How the seasons shape the work

Louisiana's heat and humidity give lawns, mildew and mosquitoes a long season, so mowing, washing and pest work run most of the year. Hurricane season shapes everything from June through November: storms bring roofing, tree, debris and water-damage work, and the contractor board's $7,500 home improvement threshold applies to that repair work too. Hard freezes are rare in the south but do hit north Louisiana, where pipe and irrigation calls spike after a cold snap.

Yard work versus plant work

The Department of Agriculture and Forestry says horticulture licenses are usually required if you work with or sell live plants, and that a horticulturist license covers recommending and installing plantings. It also states that yard work such as cutting lawns, edging and hand-weeding beds is not regulated by the department and does not require a license. A mowing company that adds bed installs or plant sales should check the department's license chart first.

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.

Louisiana questions