State hub · Indiana
Indiana LLC true cost (2026)
Indiana state side: $95 formation filing, $32 for Business Entity Report (biennial) in the 3-year model, ~$127 state fees over three years (methodology below) — #14 of 51 on the cheapest-states ranking. Provider markup is separate — use the table for formation/RA path + state fees.
Indiana state filing fees
These are state fees — not Northwest / ZenBusiness / Bizee / LegalZoom service fees. The collecting agency is Indiana Secretary of State — Business Services Division. Filings go through inbiz.in.gov.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Articles / Certificate of Formation | $95 | IC 23-0.5-9-19: Articles of Organization electronic $75; paper $100. Online INBiz filings also collect a $20 enhanced-access fee under 75 IAC 8-3-4, so typical online total is $95. Card payments may add a processing percentage (portal FeeCalculator). Research baseline uses $95 online all-in statutory+EA. |
| Business Entity Report (biennial) | $32 | INBiz official Business Entity Report page: for-profit online $32.00; paper $50.00. IC 23-0.5-9-34 lists electronic biennial report statutory fee $20 for for-profit entities — the $32 INBiz total reflects statutory fee plus enhanced-access/portal components. No separate monetary late fee stated; continued non-filing leads to administrative dissolution/revocation. |
| 3-year state subtotal (model) | $127 | Online Articles $95 + one Business Entity Report $32 due at the two-year anniversary within a three-year window = $127 (same biennial-in-window approach as NY in batch-a). Next BER would fall at year four. Excludes card processing %, paper channel premiums, and commercial RA. |
When Indiana actually bills you
Indiana's recurring filing is due Every two years on the anniversary month/day of formation; first report due two years after formation/registration; may file up to 90 days early — put it in a calendar the day you form, because the state will not chase you before it penalises you.
| Point in time | What Indiana charges | Amount | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|
| At formation | Articles / Certificate of Formation | $95 | $95 |
| Year 1 cycle | Business Entity Report (biennial) | $32 | $127 |
| Year 2 cycle | Business Entity Report (biennial) | $32 | $159 |
| Year 3 cycle | Business Entity Report (biennial) | $32 | $191 |
Provider + Indiana state (3-year)
Provider totals from the national comparison (formation + RA Y1–Y3, state fees excluded there) plus the Indiana state subtotal of $127.
| Provider | Plan | Provider 3-yr | + state |
|---|---|---|---|
| northwest | Formation $39 (RA Y1 included) | $289 | $416 |
| zenbusiness | Starter $0 + RA add-on | $497 | $624 |
| bizee | Basic $0 (RA Y1 free) | $298 | $425 |
| legalzoom | Basic $0 + RA $249/yr | $747 | $874 |
Partner link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices above are researched from public pages, not supplied by the provider. How this site makes money.
How Indiana ranks against the other 50 charters
Across the 51 jurisdictions covered on this site, Indiana sits at #14 — the 14th cheapest three-year state charter — at $127 in Secretary of State and revenue-department dollars. That is $92 more than Montana, the cheapest charter in the ranking ($35), $153 below the $280 median, and $2,383 less than California at $2,510. In plain terms, Indiana lands in the cheaper half of the table.
Ranking caveat for Indiana: Exact credit/debit card processing percentage at INBiz checkout (portal FeeCalculator).
- Just cheaper: Michigan ($125), Colorado ($125).
- Just pricier: Pennsylvania ($146), Nebraska ($150).
- Full table: all 51 states ranked by 3-year state fees — including where the ranking flips once you add a professional registered agent.
Registered agent (Indiana)
- Indiana requires a registered agent with an Indiana street address. A business cannot serve as its own registered agent. Commercial RA or law firm commonly used if no Indiana address.
Put the agent next to the state's own bill: three years of Indiana state fees is $127, while the cheapest provider path in our national 3-year comparison runs $289 (Formation $39 (RA Y1 included)) and the most expensive runs $747 (Basic $0 + RA $249/yr) — a $458 spread for the same statutory job. On the cheapest path the service, not Indiana, is about 69% of your three-year outlay. Choosing the agent well is usually a bigger lever than choosing the state.
Gotchas (fact-based)
- Biennial — not annual — report; first due two years after formation.
- Online $32 vs paper $50 for the Business Entity Report.
- Administrative dissolution requires tax clearance from DOR before reinstatement (can take weeks).
Who Indiana is for / not for
Often a fit when…
- Indiana-nexus businesses wanting low recurring SOS cost with only a biennial report.
Often a poor fit when…
- Anyone expecting a true $0 ongoing SOS obligation — the BER is still required every two years.
Orientation only — not legal advice.
Common questions about Indiana LLC cost
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Indiana?
$95 to Indiana Secretary of State — Business Services Division for the formation filing. IC 23-0.5-9-19: Articles of Organization electronic $75; paper $100. Online INBiz filings also collect a $20 enhanced-access fee under 75 IAC 8-3-4, so typical online total is $95. Card payments may add a processing percentage (portal FeeCalculator). Research baseline uses $95 online all-in statutory+EA. That is the state charge only. A formation service is a separate bill on top: Formation $39 (RA Y1 included) works out to $39 in year one, versus $249 on the most expensive path we track.
What are the ongoing Indiana LLC fees after year one?
$32 for the Business Entity Report (biennial), due Every two years on the anniversary month/day of formation; first report due two years after formation/registration; may file up to 90 days early. INBiz official Business Entity Report page: for-profit online $32.00; paper $50.00. IC 23-0.5-9-34 lists electronic biennial report statutory fee $20 for for-profit entities — the $32 INBiz total reflects statutory fee plus enhanced-access/portal components. No separate monetary late fee stated; continued non-filing leads to administrative dissolution/revocation. Recurring state charges are what make a low formation fee misleading — they are the reason this site models three years instead of one.
What does a Indiana LLC really cost over three years?
$127 in Indiana state fees, plus whatever your provider charges. With the cheapest tracked path that is $416 all-in over three years; with the most expensive it is $874 — a $458 difference that has nothing to do with Indiana.
Do I need a registered agent in Indiana?
Yes. Indiana requires a registered agent with an Indiana street address. A business cannot serve as its own registered agent. Commercial RA or law firm commonly used if no Indiana address. On the money side, the four providers tracked here charge $0–$249 in year one for formation plus the agent, then $125–$249 a year in agent renewal after that — separate from every Indiana figure above.
Is Indiana a cheap state to form an LLC?
On charter cost alone, Indiana ranks #14 of 51 at $127 over three years, against a $35 floor and a $2,510 ceiling. But cheapest charter is not the same as cheapest outcome: if you operate somewhere else you will likely foreign-qualify there and pay that state's fees and taxes too. See the full 3-year state fee ranking for the comparison.
How the Indiana three-year number is built
Online Articles $95 + one Business Entity Report $32 due at the two-year anniversary within a three-year window = $127 (same biennial-in-window approach as NY in batch-a). Next BER would fall at year four. Excludes card processing %, paper channel premiums, and commercial RA. Figures are re-derived from the cited Indiana sources rather than copied from other guides.
Deliberately excluded from the Indiana state subtotal:
- Professional registered agent fees (same shopping problem in every state)
- County newspaper publication (NY, AZ, and similar — variable)
- Card / portal convenience fees unless fixed on the SOS schedule
- Expedites, name reservations, certified copies, foreign qualification
- Income / sales / payroll taxes and variable gross-receipts tiers above a stated floor
Unverified / confirm before filing
- item: unverified — check source —
- Re-check live Indiana Secretary of State — Business Services Division fee schedules — amounts change.
Sources (official)
- Indiana Code 23-0.5-9-19 — Articles of Organization fees ($75 electronic / $100 other)
- 75 IAC 8-3-4 — Enhanced access fee $20 for electronic articles of organization
- INBiz — Business Entity Reports (for-profit online $32 / paper $50)
- Indiana SOS Business Services / INBiz
Keep comparing
- Cheapest states to form an LLC (2026)
All 51 charters ranked by three-year state fees — see exactly where Indiana's $127 lands.
- LLC formation true 3-year cost: Northwest vs ZenBusiness vs Bizee vs LegalZoom
The provider side of the Indiana math, with the upsells worth skipping.
- All 51 state hubs
Same fee model, state by state.