Articles of incorporation Louisiana are meant to be filed when an entity wants to form a corporation. The first step in creating a business in this state starts with filing your articles of incorporation, and you will need to get this document approved in order to legally operate your corporation. In fact, without approval, you won't be able to apply for certain things, such as tax IDs or business licenses. You also will not be able to sign contracts or perform any type of transaction as a legal company.

What Are the Benefits of Incorporating a Business?

There are many benefits gained when you incorporate including:

  • Limiting the liability of directors as well as shareholders and any officers
  • Ensuring compliance with the statutory requirements that must be met in order to register the name of your company
  • Adding credibility to your company and providing governance

If you want to order a certified copy of Louisiana articles of incorporation, you will need to do so either by mail, by fax, or in person. If you choose the mail option, you need to provide your business name, submit the appropriate payment, and leave a daytime phone number.

If you prefer to order a copy by fax, you will need to provide the name of your business, your exact request, a copy of your credit card information to submit as payment, a phone number you can be reached at, and a fax cover sheet. Please note that additional fees are applied when you pay by credit card.

If you want to get a copy in person, you can simply leave your phone number so the appropriate entity can call you and let you know when the process has been completed. For an additional $30, you can get 24-hour processing. For $50 more, you can acquire exceptional expedited service and have the order processed while you wait at the counter. Regardless, it's important that you show up by 4:00 p.m. and that you have any and all necessary payment information ready to pay for the processing fee.

What Are the Fees for Articles of Incorporation in Louisiana?

To get a certified copy of the articles of incorporation in Louisiana, you can expect for the following fee rates to be applied:

  • $15 is the minimum fee
  • $30 will get you 24-hour processing
  • $50 will get you at-the-counter processing
  • $2 fee is applied to credit card payments
  • $1 for each page for a return fax (this has a $10 maximum fee)

What Payment Methods Are Accepted?

There are a variety of payment methods accepted when you want to get a certified copy of your articles of incorporation in Louisiana. You can pay by any of the following:

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Money order
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Discover
  • American Express

If you are going to pay by check or money order, you must make it payable to the Secretary of State.

How Long Does it Take to Receive the Certified Copy of Articles of Incorporation?

Even if you pay for expedited service, this does not mean you are going to receive your copy of the certified article of incorporation before you leave the building. A normal processing time is two to three days, plus time for mailing. A 24-hour processing time is one day plus time for mailing. An expedited processing time is same day plus time for mailing.

As you can imagine, it can take anywhere from two to seven business days for the mailing to take place. This is why you should always incorporate as soon as possible to ensure you have enough time to obtain the certified copy of articles of incorporation in time to open checking accounts and perform other business functions.

The mailing of the certified copy takes place via regular mail. However, you can have it mailed via another carrier if you prefer, but you will have to pay for it. For example, if you want to have it mailed by UPS or Fed Ex, you will need to supply a prepaid envelope to have it mailed in. If you want the copy to be faxed back to you, you will have to pay $1 per page. As mentioned before, there is a $10 maximum.

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