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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class 1 · Indiana

Indiana LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services

Pop quiz answer for Indiana in 2026: Indiana Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and IN Registered Agent.org ($199) are the services to use for starting an LLC, best grade first. Numbers for the chalkboard: 7 assignments, a $95 filing fee, a $32 business entity report.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

Need-to-know facts

State filing fee$95Look at forms.in.gov for yourself; we read it in August 2026
Business entity report$32 every 2 yearsDeadline set by the state: last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years
Three-year state cost$127Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Class assignments7From first to last

Class goals

  • Where and how to file a Indiana LLC
  • How to meet the registered agent rule
  • What happens once the LLC exists
  • The services at the top of the class

Who we would hire in Indiana

The teacher's five criteria are on how we grade, and they decide the order.
Start with this one

1. Indiana Registered Agent.co: best for Indiana LLCs with a small budget

$199 the first year, $99 after

Indiana Registered Agent.co gets first place, and the reason is that $199 above the state fee, with year one of the agent covered, then $99 a year.

Since Mainstay Filing costs more across three years, this service ends up on top.

You still file the business entity report every two years.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • The agent renews at $99
  • A free first agent year
  • $199 above the state fee

Weak spots

  • No business entity report service on offer
  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Does most of the work

2. Mainstay Filing: best for having the business entity report filed by someone else

$199 a year that renews at $199

Second place goes to Mainstay Filing, since you hand in $199 each year and the formation, the registered agent and the business entity report are taken care of.

Indiana Registered Agent.co undercuts it by $200 over three years, which keeps this one out of first.

It files every business entity report; the only extra is the state's own $32.

Covered by the tuition

  • The filing is done for you
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Business entity report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • State fee at cost

Strengths

  • It prepares your EIN application too
  • $199 yearly with everything in it
  • No jump at renewal ($199)

Weak spots

  • $100 a year more than Indiana Registered Agent.co at renewal
One-state plan

3. IN Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that never leave Indiana

$199 the first year, $99 after

IN Registered Agent.org makes a respectable third: $199 above the state fee, with year one of the agent covered, then $99 a year.

You still file the business entity report every two years.

Indiana Registered Agent.co and this service cost the same.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • The agent renews at $99
  • A free first agent year
  • $199 above the state fee

Weak spots

  • No business entity report service on offer
  • The EIN application is $99 extra

All the tuition in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Indiana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Indiana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3IN Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit IN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Each row still needs Indiana's $95 fee.

The class, assignment by assignment

  1. Assignment
    1

    Name the company

    If a Indiana company already holds your name, the filing can be sent back, so look it up at the Indiana Secretary of State before going any further.

    Bring a second name with you.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Pick 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.

    All of the graded services provide a registered agent.

    Textbook page: Look at faqs.in.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  3. Assignment
    3

    Do it yourself or get help

    With no service, the bill is the state's $95. Each of the graded services adds $199 and handles the paperwork.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Put together and mail the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company

    Send the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form State Form 49459) to the Indiana Secretary of State along with $95, and the LLC exists.

    Textbook page: Look at forms.in.gov for yourself; we read it in August 2026

  5. Assignment
    5

    Take care of the EIN

    After Indiana approves the LLC, ask the IRS for an Employer Identification Number; banks and payroll providers need it. This assignment is inside the Mainstay Filing package.

  6. Assignment
    6

    Get the owners' agreement signed

    Think of the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. The company keeps it; the state never asks for a copy.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Get ready for year two

    Write the business entity report on the class calendar: $32, every two years, deadline last day of the entity's anniversary month, every 2 years.

    Textbook page: Look at forms.in.gov for yourself; we read it in August 2026

What this class costs

ItemReceiverAmount
Forming the LLCState office$95
Business entity reportState office$32 every two years
Optional serviceThe service$199 to start
Three years of state feesState office$127
Filing fee plus two later reports plus any minimum tax makes the state's three-year total. The pages listed below show where each figure came from.

Why Indiana Registered Agent.co is first

pulled ahead of on tuition across three years, which counts for 30%.

Count three years and Indiana Registered Agent.co totals $397, $200 below Mainstay Filing.

Short answers

What will starting a Indiana LLC cost?

The state's fee is $95. Service fees on this list run $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Look for the Articles of Organization Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form State Form 49459); the Indiana Secretary of State is the office.

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 homework that repeats 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 stops you. Indiana wants $95, and the LLC has to name a registered agent, which you can do yourself or hire out.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Indiana Registered Agent.co gets the top grade and Mainstay Filing and IN Registered Agent.org follow; Indiana Registered Agent.co wins on tuition across three years.

See also

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. Study tip for Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division: everything above comes from inbiz.in.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  2. Study tip for Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division: everything above comes from forms.in.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  3. Study tip for Indiana report due date: everything above comes from law.justia.com, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  4. Study tip for Ind: everything above comes from forms.in.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  5. Study tip for Indiana registered agent statute: everything above comes from faqs.in.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  6. The pricing page at Indiana Registered Agent.co, November 13, 2026
  7. The Indiana service page at Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
  8. The pricing page at IN Registered Agent.org, November 13, 2026