If you're looking to start a business in Indiana, you should consider forming a limited liability company (LLC). You'll find many advantages to forming an LLC, such as limited liability protection for owners, a flexible management structure, and tax benefits.
Follow these steps to create an LLC in Indiana. For more information on how to form an LLC in any state, see our article on how to start an LLC. You can also use our online LLC formation service to register your LLC.
The first step in creating your LLC is choosing a business name. Be sure to follow Indiana's laws around LLC names when picking out a name for your new business.
LLC name must be distinguishable. Your LLC's name must be distinguishable (different) from the names of any businesses on file with the Indiana Secretary of State (SOS). You can see whether your proposed business name is available by searching the SOS's business search. (Ind. Code § 23-0.5-3-1 (2024).)
LLC name must include an entity designator. Under Indiana law, your LLC name must contain the words "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC." (Ind. Code § 23-0.5-3-2 (2024).)
Name reservation. You can reserve an available business name for 120 days by filing a name reservation application with the SOS. You must submit this form online through the SOS's INBiz website. You'll need to create an account to use INBiz. You can renew the name reservation. As of 2024, the filing fee to reserve a name is $10. (Ind. Code § 23-0.5-3-3 (2024).)
Using an assumed name. You can do business under a name that's different from your LLC's real name listed in its articles of organization. This alternative name is sometimes called an "assumed name," "trade name," "DBA" (short for doing business as), or "fictitious business name." If your LLC uses an assumed name, you must file a certificate of assumed name with the SOS. You can register your assumed name online via INBiz. As of 2024, the filing fee for an assumed name certificate is $20. (Ind. Code § 23-0.5-3-4 (2024).)
Every Indiana LLC must have an agent for service of process (called a "registered agent") in the the state. A "registered agent" is a person or business that agrees to accept legal papers on a company's behalf and forward the documents to the represented entity.
In Indiana, a registered agent must either be:
Your registered agent must have a physical street address in Indiana.
(Ind. Code §§ 23-0.5-4-1 and following (2024).)
You can create an Indiana LLC by filing Articles of Organization with the SOS. The articles must include:
(Ind. Code § 23-18-2-4 (2024).)
You can file your articles online through the SOS's INBiz website. You can also download a paper copy of the articles from the SOS website and file by mail.
As of 2024, the filing fee for Indiana Articles of Organization is $95 if filed online and $100 if filed by mail.
In Indiana, like in most states, your LLC isn't legally required to have an operating agreement. While this organizational document isn't legally required, it's still important to have. This agreement will establish the rules and procedures for how your LLC will operate. You don't need to file your operating agreement with the state but you should put it in writing.
Your operating agreement should generally cover:
Besides being legally required, having an operating agreement has other important advantages. An operating agreement can help preserve your limited liability by showing that your LLC is truly a separate business entity from its owners. In addition, investors and banks typically like to see an LLC's operating agreement when determining whether to invest or loan money to the company.
For help creating an LLC operating agreement, you can use our online LLC formation service.
Other tax and regulatory requirements might apply to your LLC. For instance, your LLC might need to obtain an EIN, apply for business licenses and permits, and register for business taxes.
EIN. If your LLC has more than one member, it must obtain a federal employer identification number (EIN), even if it has no employees. If you form a single-member LLC, you must obtain an EIN for your LLC only if you'll have employees or you elect to have your LLC taxed as a corporation instead of a sole proprietorship (disregarded entity). You can obtain an EIN by completing an online EIN application on the IRS website. There's no filing fee.
Business licenses. Depending on your LLC's business activities and location, your LLC could need to obtain other local and state business licenses. For local licenses, check with the clerk for the city where the LLC's primary place of business is located (or county if it's in an unincorporated area). For state licenses, read the section on specific licensing and permitting issues in the Indiana Business Owner's Guide. For further guidance on regulatory requirements for your business, read how to get a small business license in Indiana.
Indiana Department of Revenue. In some cases, for example, if you have employees or will be selling goods and collecting sales tax, you'll need to register with the Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR). You can register your business online for multiple types of taxes with INBiz. For more information on Indiana LLC tax registration, check out our article on LLC biennial report and tax filing requirements in Indiana.
Here are some other questions you might have about your Indiana LLC.
If you're just starting your business or have already been operating as a sole proprietor, you should consider forming an LLC. LLCs limit an owner's personal liability for business debts and lawsuits and offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to ownership, management, and taxation of the business.
To learn more about LLCs and decide if it's the right business structure for you, see our article on LLC basics.
Below are the fees (as of 2024) you might need to pay to form your LLC in Indiana:
Filing on your own is often the cheapest option, but completing all of the forms and filing them yourself can be complicated. Hiring a lawyer is another option, but it will often cost you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the process. If you'd like help completing all the filings, try our online LLC formation service.
To learn more about the costs associated with forming and running an LLC, see our article on how much it costs to form an LLC.
Yes. You must file a Business Entity Report with the SOS every two years. Your report is due every other year in the anniversary month of your LLC's formation.
You can file the report online via INBiz or by mail. As of 2024, the fee for filing your business entity report in Indiana is $32 if filed online and $50 if filed by mail.
(Ind. Code § 23-0.5-2-13 (2024).)
Apart from business entity reports, your LLC will need to file and pay applicable taxes to the local, state, and federal governments. In addition, your LLC might need to obtain and periodically renew any required general or special business licenses or permits. You'll be responsible for keeping track of these maintenance requirements to keep your LLC in good standing and legally compliant.
Starting in 2024, all LLCs were previously required to submit a beneficial ownership information (BOI) report to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Treasury. However, in March 2025, after some constitutional challenges, FinCEN revised the BOI reporting rule so that the requirement only applies to companies created outside the U.S. So, if you form your LLC within the U.S., then you no longer need to worry about the BOI reporting requirement.
You're not required to have an operating agreement in Indiana. Though, it's highly advisable to have one. An operating agreement can help protect your limited liability status, prevent financial and managerial misunderstandings among members, and ensure that you choose the rules that govern your business instead of your state's default rules.
Indiana, like most states, doesn't require businesses to have a statewide general business license. However, your city might require your LLC to apply for a license or register your business and pay a fee to operate within the city limits. Some cities require all businesses to get a license while others only require certain types of businesses to apply for one.
In addition, depending on your profession, you and your LLC might need to apply for a professional or occupational license. Your business could also need to obtain tax licenses and apply for local zoning and building permits.
Check out our article on Indiana business licenses for additional information.
In Indiana, your LLC will need to pay business taxes to the DOR. LLCs are considered "pass-through tax entities" by default. As a result, income passes through to the business owners (members) who then pay taxes on their share of the LLC's income. Unless you elect for your LLC to be taxed as a corporation, you'll be responsible for reporting your share of taxes on your personal tax return.
If you have employees, you'll need to register with the DOR to withhold and pay employee income taxes. You'll also need to register with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development to pay unemployment insurance tax. In addition, if you plan to collect sales tax, you must apply for a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate and make sales tax payments to the DOR.
See our article on Indiana tax filing requirements for more details.
Yes. To do business in Indiana, all LLCs organized outside of the state (called "foreign LLCs") must register with the SOS. To register, file a Foreign Registration Statement. With your statement, you must include a certificate of existence (or similar document) from your LLC's home state that's been issued within the last 60 days.
You can file the application online via INBiz or by mail. As of 2024, the fee to register your foreign LLC in Indiana is $105 if filed online and $125 if filed by mail.
Before filing, make sure the LLC's name is available in Indiana by checking the SOS's business search page. If your LLC name isn't available, you must adopt an alternate name.
(Ind. Code §§ 23-0.5-5-1 and following (2024).)
See our guide to qualifying to do business outside your state for more information.
Yes. For most formation purposes, an Indiana single-member LLC is considered the same as a multi-member LLC. The steps to form a single-member LLC in Indiana are generally the same as those listed above.
Single-member LLCs do have additional flexibility when it comes to filing a tax return. To learn more, see our article on how single-member LLCs pay federal income tax.
No. Indiana doesn't recognize professional LLCs. Instead, if you provide a licensed professional service in Indiana, you can form either a regular LLC or a professional corporation.
Providers of professional services include:
In general, you can form a professional corporation to perform one single type of professional service and services ancillary to the professional service.
(Ind. Code §§ 23-1.5-1-1 and following (2024).)
When you're ready to close your business, you should legally dissolve your LLC to limit your liability for lawsuits and government fees. To dissolve an LLC in Indiana, you should:
(Ind. Code §§ 23-18-9-1 and following (2024).)
You also need to close your tax accounts and take any other steps necessary to close out your business. See our article on what you need to do when closing your business for more in-depth information and guidance.
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