Business obligations
AboutEspañol
Plan for New Orleans, LA

Starting a Business in New Orleans: Licenses, Registrations & Checklist

A step-by-step plan to open a business in New Orleans: what to file first, what depends on what, and which permits come before opening day. Change the business details to fit yours.

Business
Leave empty if none fits; general rules apply.
Size
Money (USD)
Tax
Details
Details
Not answered yet
Not answered yet
Not answered yet
Not answered yet
Not answered yet
Not answered yet
Dates

Permits and registrations specific to New Orleans, LA

Sales tax permitLouisiana sales tax account (LaTAP)
City of New OrleansHas its own business licenses, taxes or permits (listed below).
Orleans CountyHas its own business licenses, taxes or permits (listed below).
Local licenses and permits to obtain
  • Parish/municipal occupational license — New Orleans, Orleans County, Louisiana · Parish or city: New Orleans / Orleans County (city)
  • Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in New Orleans · New Orleans (Orleans County) building department (city)
  • Obtain and renew New Orleans occupational license · City of New Orleans Safety and Permits (zoning review) and Bureau of Revenue (city)
  • File Orleans County business personal property return · Orleans Assessor (county)
Register with these Louisiana agencies

Startup sequence and prerequisites in New Orleans

Based on your selections, this plan has 11 steps. What you file first decides what you can do next: later registrations and licenses wait on the ones below.

Do these first

  1. Maintain a registered agent in Louisiana
  2. File formation documents with the Louisiana Secretary of State
  3. Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Then, once those are done

  • Register for and file Louisiana entity-level taxes — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  • Parish/municipal occupational license — New Orleans, Orleans County, Louisiana — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  • Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in New Orleans — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  • Obtain and renew New Orleans occupational license — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Start planObligations (10)
Government fees

Known charges: $35.00 per year.

Total incomplete: some fees unknown

10 of 11 steps have no fee amount in our data. The figures above count only the 1 step with a recorded fee. Check each agency's fee schedule.

File formationOct 25, 2026in 7 days
Ready to operateJan 1, 2027in 75 days
Opening dateNot setAdd a target opening date to check the plan fits
Progress0 / 11Saved in this browser

Things the formation documents depend on: a registered agent and any professional approvals.

Suggested planning date: Oct 25, 2026
Ongoing
not individually checked

File the formation documents with the state.

Suggested planning date: Nov 8, 2026
One-time
not individually checked
After: Maintain a registered agent in Louisiana

Obtain the EIN (and apply for tax-exempt status, for nonprofits). Most registrations need it.

Suggested planning date: Nov 11, 2026
One-time
not individually checked
After: File formation documents with the Louisiana Secretary of State

State tax accounts, trade name, foreign qualification and publication requirements.

Suggested planning date: Nov 25, 2026
Annual
not individually checked
After: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Licenses and permits you need before you operate: state, industry, local and professional.

Suggested planning date: Dec 25, 2026
Annual
not individually checked
After: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Suggested planning date: Dec 25, 2026
One-time
not individually checked
After: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Statutory deadline: Dec 25, 2026 · in 68 days
Annual
not individually checked
Applies because: Business is located in New Orleans, LA. Schedule: December 31 (licenses expire).After: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Recurring filings and payments, in the order they fall due.

Statutory deadline: Nov 1, 2026 · in 14 days
Annual
checked Oct 16, 2026
Applies because: Business operates in LA. Schedule: November 1.
Statutory deadline: Apr 1, 2027 · in 165 days
Annual
checked Oct 16, 2026
Applies because: Business is located in Orleans County, LA. Schedule: April 1.
Statutory deadline: Apr 15, 2027 · in 179 days
Annual
not individually checked
Applies because: Federal tax treatment is sole_prop. Schedule: April 15.
Statutory deadline: Oct 25, 2027 · in 372 days
fee $35
Annual
checked Oct 13, 2026
Applies because: llc formed in LA. Schedule: On the anniversary of formation.
Suggested planning dates are allowances, not agency processing times. Statutory deadlines come from the rules and are labeled as such.

Common questions about New Orleans

The state licenses your industry through its own regulator, and the city and county add local permits. These are the authorities and local items on record for New Orleans:

  • Contractor licensing: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
  • Real estate licensing: Louisiana Real Estate Commission
  • Alcohol licensing: Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control
  • Child care licensing: Louisiana Department of Education
  • Health facility licensing: Louisiana Department of Health
  • Parish/municipal occupational license — New Orleans, Orleans County, Louisiana (Parish or city: New Orleans / Orleans County, city)
  • Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in New Orleans (New Orleans (Orleans County) building department, city)
  • Obtain and renew New Orleans occupational license (City of New Orleans Safety and Permits (zoning review) and Bureau of Revenue, city)
  • File Orleans County business personal property return (Orleans Assessor, county)

With your current selections, the licenses and permits are: Parish/municipal occupational license — New Orleans, Orleans County, Louisiana; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in New Orleans; Obtain and renew New Orleans occupational license. Change the industry above to see yours.

Sources: sos.la.gov, revenue.louisiana.gov, louisianaworks.net

Formation comes first; tax, license and employer registrations wait on it. In your plan the first steps are:

  1. Maintain a registered agent in Louisiana
  2. File formation documents with the Louisiana Secretary of State
  3. Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Sources: sos.la.gov, revenue.louisiana.gov

Known government fees for your plan: $0.00 one-time and $35.00 per year.

Steps without a recorded fee are not counted, so check each agency's fee schedule before you budget.

Sources: sos.la.gov, revenue.louisiana.gov

In your plan for New Orleans, requirements come from four levels. Louisiana sets formation, state taxes and employer rules; the city and county add local licenses and taxes.

  • Federal (2): Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN); File federal income tax return: Form 1040 with Schedule C
  • State (4): Maintain a registered agent in Louisiana; File Annual Report (Louisiana); Register for and file Louisiana entity-level taxes; File the annual unclaimed property holder report (Louisiana)
  • County (1): File Orleans County business personal property return
  • City (3): Parish/municipal occupational license — New Orleans, Orleans County, Louisiana; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in New Orleans; Obtain and renew New Orleans occupational license

Sources: sos.la.gov, revenue.louisiana.gov

  • Register for unemployment insurance with Louisiana Workforce Commission.
  • Workers' compensation: Louisiana Office of Workers' Compensation Administration. Required when: 1 employee
  • Register to withhold Louisiana income tax from wages.

Sources: louisianaworks.net, www2.laworks.net, revenue.louisiana.gov

We use cookies for analytics (Google Analytics and PostHog) to see which pages help. Nothing loads until you choose. Privacy policy