Louisiana Fundraising Licensing

Resources for charities, businesses, professional fundraisers, and individuals conducting charitable solicitation activities
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Below, you'll find licensing requirements for a range of fundraising activities. At a glance, you can see requirements, fees, filing instructions, and links to forms for everything from charitable gaming and cause marketing to professional fundraisers and charitable gift annuities.

Make sure your fundraising activities meet the unique requirements of each jurisdiction where you’re soliciting. Feel free to explore, bookmark, and share!

Louisiana charitable solicitation license, Louisiana fundraising license
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Company Licenses

Louisiana Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses

Louisiana Charitable Gaming License

Game Type:

Bingo, raffles, and keno.

Agency:Louisiana Office of Charitable Gaming
Organization Age Requirement:

2 years of continuous existence in Louisiana.

Initial Registration

Agency:Louisiana Office of Charitable Gaming
Form:

Form OCG2000: Application to Conduct Charitable Gaming

Agency Fee:

$75

Original Ink:Not required
Notarization Required?:Not required

Registration Renewal

Agency:Louisiana Office of Charitable Gaming
Form:

Form OCG2000: Application to Conduct Charitable Gaming (Renewal)

Agency Fee:

$75

Due:

Annually by June 30.

Original Ink:Not required
Notarization Required?:Not required

Louisiana Charitable Gift Annuity Registration

Not required



Charitable Gift Annuity licensure is not required on the State level in Louisiana.

No filing is required. Louisiana exempts 501(c)(3) organizations from insurance regulations related to charitable gift annuities.

Law:

LA Rev. Stat. § 22:951(D)

Louisiana Charitable Organization Registration

Agency:Louisiana Department of Justice - Public Protection Division - Charities
Law:

16 LAC Pt. III §515

Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:No
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?Yes

Automatic Exemption

Exemption Eligible Organizations:

Charities that do not use professional solicitors or fundraising counsels

Law:

16 LAC Pt. III §515

Notes:
  • Charities that do not use professional fundraisers or fundraising counsels are automatically exempt from registration.
  • If a charity uses a professional solicitor in another state but not when soliciting in Louisiana, they are still eligible for exemption in Louisiana.

One-Time Exemption Registration

Exemption Eligible Organizations:
  • Religious Institutions that include ecclesiastical or denominational organizations, churches, or established physical places for worship in this state at which nonprofit religious services and activities are regularly conducted and carried on and shall also include those bona fide religious groups which do not maintain specific places of worship
  • Religious institutions that include such separate groups or corporations which from an integral part of those institutions which are exempt from federal income tax as exempt organizations under the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, or of a corresponding section of any subsequently enacted Federal Revenue Act, and which are not primarily supported by funds solicited outside its own membership or congregation
  • Religious institutions that include such institutions soliciting contributions for construction and maintenance of a house of worship or clergyman's residence
  • Educational institutions recognized and/or approved by the State Department of Education or the appropriate state educational board, of the appropriate accrediting agency
  • Any hospital organized under the laws of this state, or any voluntary health organization organized under the laws of this state and/or under federal laws
Form:

Charitable Exemption Form

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$0

Law:

16 LAC Pt. III §515

Original Ink:Not required
Notarization Required?:Required
Notes:

Exemptions do not expire as long as the organization continues to qualify under the exemption criteria.

Required Attachments:

To apply for exemption based upon educational institution:

  • Letter of Accreditation from the State Department of Education or the appropriate
    state educational board or accrediting agency;
  • Articles of Incorporation;
  • Bylaws;
  • IRS Determination Letter;
  • Copy of all contracts with current professional solicitors or fundraisers

 

To apply for exemption based upon religious institution:

  • IRS Determination letter;
  • Articles of Incorporation;
  • Bylaws;
  • An explanation of how the religious institution/organization meets the religious institution requirement for exemption status. The definition of a religious institution can be found at 16 LAC Pt. III §515;
  • Copy of all contracts with current professional solicitors or fundraisers;

Initial Registration

Form:

Initial Charitable Registration Form

Filing Method:
  • Online
  • Payments must be submitted by mail
Agency Fee:

$25

Turnaround:

4-6 weeks

Original Ink:Not required
Notarization Required?:Required
Notes:
  • Include signatures as required in the URS form instructions
  • Some Louisiana counties and municipalities may require charities that solicit in-person to register prior to fundraising.
Before you Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  • Check the available exemptions to see if your charity is eligible for exemption from the full registration requirement.
  • If filing the URS, appoint a registered agent to receive legal documents in Louisiana.
  • Look through the list of required attachments and make sure that you have each required document in hand before starting the registration application.

Foreign Applicants:

  • Check the available exemptions to see if your charity is eligible for exemption from the full registration requirement.
  • If filing the URS, appoint a registered agent to receive legal documents in Louisiana.
  • Look through the list of required attachments and make sure that you have each required document in hand before starting the registration application.
  • If you will foreign qualify in Louisiana, obtain a certificate of good standing from your home state to submit during the foreign qualification process. The certificate cannot be more than 90 days old when filing foreign qualification documents.
How to Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  1. File entity formation documents with the Louisiana Secretary of State - Commercial Division.
  2. Submit an Initial Charitable Registration Form and all required attachments to the Louisiana Department of Justice - Public Protection Division - Charities.

Foreign Applicants:

  1. Determine whether or not your charity will need to foreign qualify based on your activity in Louisiana. If not required, skip to number 3.
  2. File foreign qualification documents with the Louisiana Secretary of State - Commercial Division.
  3. Submit an Initial Charitable Registration Form and all required attachments to the Louisiana Department of Justice - Public Protection Division - Charities.
Required Attachments:

  • Articles of incorporation
  • Bylaws
  • IRS determination letter
  • List of officers and directors
  • Professional fundraising contracts
  • List of other states where registered to solicit

Registration Renewal

Form:

Charitable Registration Renewal Form

Filing Method:
  • Online
  • Payments must be submitted by mail
Agency Fee:

$25

Due:

Annually by the date of initial registration.

Original Ink:Not required
Notarization Required?:Required
Required Attachments:
  • List of officers and directors
  • Professional fundraising contracts
  • List of other states where registered to solicit

Reinstatement

Not required



Formal reinstatement is not required. Charities wishing to reinstate an expired registration must submit a renewal application with all the necessary documents and fees. 

Change of Fiscal Year

Form:

Charitable Registration Renewal Form

Filing Method:

Mail

Agency Fee:

$0

Notes:

Your fiscal year can be updated during the standard renewal process. 

Cancelation

Filing Method:

Mail

Agency Fee:

$0

Notes:

To close out your registration, send a signed letter indicating the organization is no longer required to maintain an active registration (does not use professional solicitors) in Louisiana.

Louisiana Commercial Co-Venturer Registration

Not required



Commercial Co-venturer licensure is not required on the State level in Louisiana.

Louisiana does not currently have a traditional registration requirement for commercial co-venturers, but they may need to follow other regulations before and after fundraising events.

Louisiana Fundraising Counsel Registration

Not required



Fundraising Counsel licensure is not required on the State level in Louisiana.

Louisiana does not currently have a traditional registration requirement for fundraising counsels, but they may need to follow other regulations before and after fundraising events.

A professional solicitor generally is a person or corporation who is paid by a charity to raise money or create a charity’s donation campaign on the charity's behalf. Employees or volunteers of a charity who raise funds for that charity are not professional solicitors.

Louisiana Professional Solicitor Registration

Agency:Louisiana Department of Justice - Public Protection Division - Charities
Bond Requirements:

$25,000

Initial Registration

Form:

Professional Solicitor Registration Form

Agency Fee:

$150

Original Ink:Not required
Notarization Required?:Required
Before you Apply:
  •  Full name and business address of solicitor (Include city, state, zip and telephone number) and name under which business will operate in Louisiana.  
  • The names and residence addresses of all officers, directors, trustees and executive personnel of the professional solicitor
  •  names and addresses of all persons in charge of any solicitation activity
  • Information about any of its directors, officers, persons with controlling interest in the applicant, employees or agents been convicted within the last 5 years of any felony or of a misdemeanor
    arising from the conduct of a solicitation for any charitable organization or sponsor or a charitable or sponsor purpose; or has the applicant or any of its directors, officers, persons with controlling interest in
    the applicant, employees or agents been enjoined from violating a charitable solicitation law in this or any other state
  •  
Required Attachments:
  • If the professional solicitor has custody or control of contributions made to a charitable organization, the professional solicitor shall file a department-approved bond, at least in the amount of $25,000.00, with the Louisiana State Treasurer. 

Registration Renewal

Form:

Professional Solicitor Registration Form (Renewal)

Agency Fee:

$150

Due:

Annually by the anniversary date of initial registration.

Original Ink:Not required
Notarization Required?:Required

Contract Filing

Form:

Notice of Commencement of Solicitation

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

File a notice of commencement of solicitation at least 10 days prior to the start of the performance of the contract.

Individual Licenses

Louisiana Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses

Louisiana Individual Professional Fundraiser Registration

Not required



Professional Solicitor licensure is not required on the State level in Louisiana.

Solicitors who are not employed by a professional fundraising firm but operate independently may be required to register. Employees of professional fundraising firms are generally not required to register as an individual solicitor in Louisiana.

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Learn about fundraising in other jurisdictions:

Harbor Compliance® proudly partners with the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations to provide insightful resources and compliance solutions to nonprofits in Louisiana.