THE DONOR DESK · LOUISIANA

Checking a charity in Louisiana.

Which public records Louisiana keeps about a charity that asks you for money, in the state's own words. The agency the research names is the Louisiana Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General. 10 official sources back this page. Last checked 2026-08-06.

Free to read. No account needed. Nothing on this page is a rating or an endorsement of any organization.

What this state records about charities that ask you for money

Registration is a filing requirement, not a rating. States exempt whole categories of organization from it, so an organization that does not appear in a state record is not necessarily doing anything wrong, and one that does appear has not been endorsed.

Register with the Attorney General at least 10 days before solicitation when using a professional solicitor

SOURCE VERIFIED

Submit the Unified Registration Statement and Louisiana checklist materials at least ten days before solicitation. The current state registration fee is $25; online payment adds the stated $1 plus 2.75% processing charge.

How often
Initial and annual
Filed with
Louisiana Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General
Form or portal
Unified Registration Statement; Charitable Organization Registration Checklist; Attorney General registration portal

Applies to: A charitable organization within the current Louisiana Attorney General rule for organizations using a professional solicitor and not qualifying for an exemption.

Exceptions

  • Exempt organizations and organizations outside the professional-solicitor trigger require the separate scope analysis in LA-F039–LA-F041.

Source: Charitable Organizations — Louisiana Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General and 4 more official sources below.

Last verified

Renew Attorney General charity registration annually while the professional-solicitor trigger continues

SOURCE VERIFIED

The Attorney General describes the registration as annual. Refile or renew through the current channel with the $25 fee and updated information while the trigger continues.

How often
Annual
Filed with
Louisiana Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General
Form or portal
Annual charitable registration renewal; Attorney General portal

Applies to: A registered charitable organization continuing to use a professional solicitor.

Exceptions

  • Do not merge this filing with the Secretary of State annual report or federal Form 990.

Source: Charitable Organizations — Louisiana Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General and 2 more official sources below.

Last verified

Whether the organization is still current with the state

Every nonprofit corporation owes its state this filing to stay in good standing, and the state keeps the result as a public record. It is separate from any charity registration above, and being current says nothing about how an organization spends what you give it.

File the Louisiana nonprofit annual report each year on the corporate anniversary for $10

SOURCE VERIFIED

File an annual report on or before the anniversary date of incorporation. The current nonprofit fee is $10, and the published October 1, 2026 schedule leaves the nonprofit annual-report fee at $10.

How often
Annual
Filed with
Louisiana Secretary of State
Form or portal
Nonprofit annual report; GeauxBIZ

Applies to: Domestic Louisiana nonprofit corporations, subject to statutory church provisions.

Exceptions

  • R.S. 12:205.1 contains church-specific procedure and fee treatment that must be applied when relevant.

Source: R.S. 12:205.1 — Annual report — Louisiana State Legislature and 3 more official sources below.

Last verified

Who keeps these records in Louisiana

These are the offices the Louisiana research itself names for the filings above. An office that keeps a record is also the place to take a question or a concern about one.

What this page does not tell you

Whether your gift is deductible

That is federal, not state, and it depends on the organization's federal status and on your own tax situation. See the federal record rules and check the organization in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.

Whether a particular organization has complied

This page carries Louisiana's rules, not any organization's filing history. The offices above hold the records for the organization you are asking about.

Which state's rules apply to your gift

Your state of residence, the organization's home state, and the state it solicits in can all differ. This page is about Louisiana.

What this organization promised you

Restrictions on your gift, refund terms, recurring-payment terms and the acknowledgment you receive come from the organization itself. Ask it, and keep what it sends.

BEFORE YOU GIVE

Make the checklist
for your gift.

The federal side of a donation does not change by state: what to confirm before paying, and which record to keep afterward. Build a list around the gift you are actually making.

Open the giving checklist

If you run this organization

The rules above are three of the requirements Louisiana puts on a nonprofit. The full guide covers formation, governance, reporting, tax and employment, from the same official sources.

Louisiana nonprofit compliance guide ↗

Linking to this donor page from your own donation page or donor FAQ is welcome. It does not replace your organization's required notices, policies or donation acknowledgments.

Official sources

10 official sources back the entries on this page. Every one is a government statute, regulation, agency instruction, form or portal.

Agency or authoritySourceAccessedURL
Louisiana Secretary of State Business Forms and Fee Schedule https://www.sos.la.gov/business-services/forms-fee-schedule
Louisiana Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General Charitable Organizations https://www.ag.state.la.us/Article/70
Louisiana Secretary of State GeauxBIZ https://geauxbiz.sos.la.gov/
Louisiana Division of Administration, Office of the State Register Louisiana Administrative Code, Title 16 — Community Affairs https://www.doa.la.gov/media/oz2lmv1v/16.docx
Louisiana Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General Louisiana Charitable Organization Registration Checklist https://www.ag.state.la.us/Files/Article/70/Documents/CharitableOrganizationRegistrationChecklist.pdf
Louisiana Secretary of State Louisiana Secretary of State Fee Changes Effective October 1, 2026 https://static.sos.la.gov/shared/fee_changes_2026.pdf
Louisiana State Legislature R.S. 12:205.1 — Annual report https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=76392
Louisiana State Legislature R.S. 51:1901 et seq. — Charitable solicitations https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=104159
Louisiana Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General Registered Charitable Organizations Listing https://www.ag.state.la.us/Charity/Registration/Listing
Louisiana Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General Unified Registration Statement https://www.ag.state.la.us/Files/Article/70/Documents/CharitableOrganizationRegistrationForm.pdf