Last Updated: February 16, 2024, 12:58 pm by TRUiC Team


Indiana LLC Operating Agreement

Every Indiana LLC should have an operating agreement in place. 

While not legally required by the state, having a written operating agreement will set clear rules and expectations for the management and operations of your LLC.

Download our free Indiana operating agreement template below or sign up to create a custom operating agreement using our free tool.

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Free Indiana LLC Operating Agreement Templates

We offer operating agreement templates for single-member LLCs and multi-member LLCs (including member-managed and manager-managed) as well as a customizable operating agreement tool.

Single-Member LLC Operating Agreement

Our single-member LLC operating agreement template was created for limited liability companies with only one member, where the sole member has full control over all affairs of the LLC and no other individuals have a membership interest in the company.

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Sample single-member LLC operating agreement.

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Multi-Member LLC Operating Agreements

Our multi-member LLC templates are meant for LLCs with more than one member. There are two types available: manager-managed and member-managed.

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Sample member-managed multi-member LLC operating agreement.

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Download Manager-Managed LLC Template

Sample member-managed multi-member LLC operating agreement.

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Create Custom Operating Agreement

Create a custom operating agreement using our free tool. Just answer a few basic questions, and the tool will develop an operating agreement for your new LLC.

To use our tool, you will need to sign in to our Business Center. A Business Center account will also grant you access to many other free tools, special discounts on business services, and much more. 

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TRUiC’s Operating Agreement Tool

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What Is an Indiana LLC Operating Agreement?

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An operating agreement is a legal document that outlines the ownership structure and operating procedures of an LLC.

Whether you are starting a single-member or multi-member LLC, your operating agreement should address all of the topics below. Some of these stipulations will not have much bearing on the actual operations of a single-member LLC, but are still important to include for the sake of legal formality.

  1. Organization: When the LLC was officially formed, who its members are, and how ownership is divided. Multi-member LLCs may utilize an equal ownership structure or assign various members different “units” of ownership.
  2. Management & Voting: Whether the LLC will be managed by its members or by an appointed manager, and how members will go about voting on business matters. Typically, each member has one vote, but you may wish to give some members more voting power than others. For more information on managing your LLC, read our Member-Managed vs Manager-Managed guide.
  3. Capital Contributions: The amount of money each member has invested in the business. This is also where you should establish an approach to raising additional funds in the future.
  4. Distributions: How profits and losses will be divided among the members. The most common option is to distribute profits evenly. If you want them divided a different way, this should be detailed in your operating agreement. For more information on the basics of LLC ownership, read our Contributions and Distributions guide.
  5. Changes to Membership Structure: How roles and ownership will be transferred in the event that a member leaves the company. It’s essential to lay out the process for buying out and/or replacing a member in the LLC’s governing document.
  6. Dissolution: Dissolution: If at some point all the members of your LLC decide you no longer wish to conduct business, you should officially dissolve it. Outlining the hypothetical process of dissolving your business is an important aspect of your operating agreement. To learn how to dissolve your Indiana LLC, read our Indiana LLC Dissolution article.

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Why Should I Have an Indiana LLC Operating Agreement?

No matter what type of Indiana LLC you're starting, you'll want to create an operating agreement. Here's why:

  1. It’s recommended by the state. According to Indiana Code, Business Flexibility Act § 23-18-4-4 and § 23-18-4-5, every Indiana LLC should adopt a written operating agreement to govern the company’s operating procedures.

  2. It'll prevent conflict among your business partners. If you're starting a multi-member LLC, having an operating agreement will prevent misunderstandings amongst your team by setting clear expectations about each partner's role and responsibilities.
  3. It helps preserve your limited liability status. If you're the sole owner of a single-member LLC in Indiana, having an operating agreement will help to ensure your limited liability status is upheld by court officials, and add to your business's credibility as a whole.

The full text of the statutes can be found below:

Sec. 4. (a) A written operating agreement may do one (1) or more of the following:

(1) Modify, increase, decrease, limit, or eliminate the duties (including fiduciary duties) or the liability of a member or manager for breach of the duties set forth in section 2(a) of this chapter.
(2) Provide for indemnification of a member or manager for judgments, settlements, penalties, fines, or expenses incurred in a proceeding to which a person is a party because the person is or was a member or manager.
(3) Provide for officers of a limited liability company that is:

(A) managed by a manager or managers; or
(B) managed by a member or members;
by specifying the title, powers, duties, and term of office (either perpetual or for a specific term) for each officer and the means by which each officer is to be appointed, elected, or reelected, or by authorizing in the written operating agreement the authority of the manager or managers of a manager-managed limited liability company or the member or members of a member-managed limited liability company to otherwise establish officers and the titles, powers, duties, and terms of office of the officers.

(4) Provide that one (1) or more persons who are not members or managers have the right to approve or disapprove any of one (1) or more specified actions with respect to the limited liability company, including:

(A) voluntary dissolution;
(B) merger; or
(C) amending the written operating agreement.

(b) If a person who is not a member or manager is given the right to approve or disapprove specified actions as permitted by subsection (a)(4), the person does not have the general right to vote with the members or managers regarding any matters unless specifically provided otherwise in the written operating agreement.

Sec. 5. Members may enter into an operating agreement to regulate or establish any aspect of the affairs of the limited liability company or the relations of the members and managers, if any, including provisions establishing the following:'

(1) The manner in which the business and affairs of the limited liability company shall be managed, controlled, and operated, which may include the granting of exclusive authority to manage, control, and operate the limited liability company to managers who are not members.
(2) The manner in which the members will share in distributions of the assets and the profits or losses of the limited liability company.
(3) The rights of members to assign all or a portion of their interests in the limited liability company.
(4) Classes or groups of at least one (1) member having certain relative rights, powers, and duties, including voting rights, and may provide for the future creation, in the manner provided in the operating agreement, of additional classes or groups of members having certain relative rights, powers, or duties, including voting rights, expressed either in the operating agreement or at the time the classes or groups are created, including rights, powers, or duties senior to those of at least one (1) existing class or group of members.
(5) Classes or groups of at least one (1) manager having certain relative rights, powers, and duties, including voting rights, and may provide for the future creation, in the manner provided in the operating agreement, of additional classes or groups of managers having certain relative rights, powers, or duties, including voting rights, expressed either in the operating agreement or at the time the classes or groups are created, including rights, powers, or duties senior to those of at least one (1) existing class or group of managers.
(6) The circumstances in which an assignee of a member's interest may be admitted as a member of the limited liability company.
(7) The procedure for the following:

(A) The right to have a member's interest in the limited liability company evidenced by a certificate issued by the limited liability company.
(B) Assignment, pledge, or transfer of an interest represented by the certificate.
(C) Any other provisions dealing with the certificate.

(8) The method by which the operating agreement may be amended.

After Creating Your Indiana LLC Operating Agreement

Once you have finished your operating agreement, you do not need to file it with your state. Keep it for your records and give copies to the members of your LLC.

Following any major company event, such as adding or losing a member, it is a good idea to review and consider updating the operating agreement. Depending on how your operating agreement is written, it may require some or all of the members to approve an amendment to the document.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Although you won’t file your operating agreement with the state, Indiana highly recommends that you have a written operating agreement in place.

While it's a good idea to create an operating agreement before filing your Articles of Organization, the state does not discourage LLCs from waiting until the formation process is complete. It's worth noting that some banks require you to submit an operating agreement in order to open a business bank account.

No. Operating agreements are to be retained by the LLC members. There is no need to file your operating agreement with the Indiana Secretary of State.