Start a Free LLC in Missouri

Per the Missouri Secretary of State, as of September 2026, Missouri charges $50 to file the Articles of Organization. Missouri does not require an annual report, so there is no recurring report fee. With LLC Register, formation is included in the $99-a-year Missouri registered agent service, so year one costs $149.

Most online filings are processed immediately after submission, according to the Secretary of State. Paper filings take longer. Missouri does not offer paid expedited processing for LLC formations. Your LLC exists once the state accepts your filing.

To start an LLC in Missouri, choose an available name, appoint a Missouri registered agent, and file the Articles of Organization with the Missouri Secretary of State for $50. Then sign an operating agreement, get a free EIN from the IRS, open a business bank account and register for any state taxes. LLC Register files it for you as part of the $99-a-year registered agent service.

Yes. You can file online through Missouri Business Filings, or on paper by mail (paper costs $105 instead of $50). The Articles of Organization costs $50.

In Missouri you form an LLC by filing the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) with the Missouri Secretary of State. Other states call this document the articles of organization or the certificate of formation. The filing fee is $50.

No. Missouri does not offer paid expedited processing for LLC formations. Most online filings are processed immediately after submission, according to the Secretary of State. Paper filings take longer.

Use the Missouri Secretary of State's free online business name search to check whether your LLC name is available. Your Missouri LLC name must include "Limited Liability Company," "Limited Company" or an abbreviation such as "LLC," "L.L.C.," "LC" or "L.C.". It must be distinguishable from every other business name on file with the Secretary of State and cannot imply the company is a government agency.

Your Missouri LLC name must include "Limited Liability Company," "Limited Company" or an abbreviation such as "LLC," "L.L.C.," "LC" or "L.C.". It must be distinguishable from every other business name on file with the Secretary of State and cannot imply the company is a government agency. The rules are set by the Missouri Limited Liability Company Act, Chapter 347, RSMo.

Yes. You can reserve a name for $25 with Form BE-1; the reservation lasts 60 days and can be renewed back-to-back, but the same name cannot stay reserved for more than 180 days total. A reservation is optional; filing the formation document also secures the name.

Yes. Every Missouri LLC must have a registered agent. Your registered agent must be a Missouri resident individual, or a company authorized to do business in Missouri, with a physical Missouri street address that matches the LLC's registered office. A PO box works only alongside a street address, never by itself.

Yes. A member or manager who is a Missouri resident can serve as the LLC's registered agent using their own Missouri street address. Your address becomes public record, and someone must be there during business hours to accept legal papers.

Not as your registered agent's address. Your registered agent must be a Missouri resident individual, or a company authorized to do business in Missouri, with a physical Missouri street address that matches the LLC's registered office. A PO box works only alongside a street address, never by itself. A PO box can usually serve as a mailing address, but the registered agent needs a physical address in Missouri.

File the Corp. 59 Statement of Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office with the Missouri Secretary of State. The fee is $10.

Serving as your own Missouri registered agent is free if you qualify. Commercial registered agents charge a yearly fee. LLC Register's Missouri registered agent service is $99 a year and includes LLC formation and annual report filing.

No. Missouri does not require LLCs to file an annual report. Missouri has no franchise or privilege tax on LLCs, and LLCs owe no annual state tax or annual report fee just for existing. Missouri's old corporate franchise tax was repealed for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2016.

Missouri has no franchise or privilege tax on LLCs, and LLCs owe no annual state tax or annual report fee just for existing. Missouri's old corporate franchise tax was repealed for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2016.

Missouri taxes an LLC the same way the IRS does. A multi-member LLC files an informational Missouri Partnership Return (Form MO-1065), and its profits pass through to the members' Missouri individual income tax returns; a single-member LLC's profits go straight on the owner's Missouri return. Federally, a single-member LLC is taxed like a sole proprietorship and a multi-member LLC like a partnership, unless it elects to be taxed as a corporation.

If you sell taxable goods or services, register for a Sales/Use Tax license with the Missouri Department of Revenue through the MyTax Missouri portal.

Before you hire, register for a Missouri unemployment insurance tax account with the Division of Employment Security through UInteract, and register for income tax withholding with the Department of Revenue. You also need an EIN from the IRS before you run payroll.

It depends on your industry and location: Missouri regulates some professions and activities through state licenses, and many cities and counties require local business licenses. Start with the Missouri.gov Business Portal.

Missouri does not require an LLC to adopt or file an operating agreement; the Articles of Organization only ask for management structure, duration and purpose. LLC Register includes an operating agreement with every Missouri LLC it forms.

You need an EIN if your LLC has employees or more than one member, and most banks ask for one to open a business account. A single-member LLC without employees can use the owner's Social Security number for federal taxes, but an EIN keeps it off business paperwork.

Apply for free on the IRS website once the state has approved your LLC; online applicants receive the EIN immediately. Owners without a Social Security number can apply with Form SS-4 by fax or mail.

Yes. You do not have to live in Missouri or be a U.S. citizen to form a Missouri LLC. You do need a registered agent with a physical address in Missouri. Non-U.S. owners without a Social Security number apply for an EIN with IRS Form SS-4.

Yes. Missouri allows an LLC with a single owner. By default the IRS taxes a single-member LLC like a sole proprietorship, reported on the owner's personal return.

Yes. Missouri allows series LLCs under Section 347.186: check the Series LLC box on the Articles of Organization and file a Series Attachment (Form LLC-1A) for each series.

Yes. Missouri has no distinct professional LLC filing; a licensed professional organizes a standard LLC under Chapter 347 and states the licensed purpose on the Articles of Organization.

No. Missouri does not require newspaper publication to form an LLC.

Order a Certificate of Good Standing from the Missouri Secretary of State for $10. Banks, lenders and other states often ask for one as proof your LLC is current with the state.

An LLC formed in another state registers to do business in Missouri by filing the Application for Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-4) with the Missouri Secretary of State. The fee is $105, and the LLC needs a Missouri registered agent.

File the Amendment of Articles of Organization (Form LLC-12) with the Missouri Secretary of State for $25. Amend when you change your LLC's name or other information in the formation document.

File the Articles of Termination (Form LLC-5) with the Missouri Secretary of State for $25. Before you file, wind up the business: pay debts, close tax accounts and distribute what is left to the members.

File a Fictitious Name Registration (Form Corp. 56) with the Missouri Secretary of State for $7. A DBA lets your LLC trade under another name without forming a new company.

Yes. An eligible LLC can elect S corporation tax status by filing IRS Form 2553. The election can reduce self-employment tax once profits are high enough to pay yourself a reasonable salary. Missouri taxes an LLC the same way the IRS does. A multi-member LLC files an informational Missouri Partnership Return (Form MO-1065), and its profits pass through to the members' Missouri individual income tax returns; a single-member LLC's profits go straight on the owner's Missouri return.

An LLC separates your personal assets from business debts and lawsuits, keeps pass-through taxation, and needs less paperwork than a corporation. In Missouri it costs $50 to form, with no annual report to file.

A sole proprietorship costs nothing to start, but you are personally liable for the business's debts. A Missouri LLC costs $50 to form and protects your personal assets, with the same pass-through taxes by default.

Usually not if your business operates in Missouri. An out-of-state LLC doing business here must also register as a foreign LLC in Missouri for $105 and keep a Missouri registered agent, so you pay two states' fees.

No. Formation is included in the $99-a-year Missouri registered agent service. The state still charges its $50 filing fee, which we pass through at cost.

For $99 a year plus the $50 state fee: Missouri LLC formation in year one, a Missouri registered agent, an operating agreement, and ongoing compliance reminders. Renewal is $99 a year. State fees are passed through at cost.

No. FinCEN has exempted companies created in the United States from beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting. Only foreign companies registered to do business in a U.S. state still have to report.

The Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division (Business Services), handles LLC formations, amendments and annual filings. Its office is at PO Box 778 / 600 W. Main St., Rm. 322, Jefferson City, MO 65102 (express/courier deliveries: 600 W. Main St., Jefferson City, MO 65101).

Yes, you should. Mixing business and personal money can weaken the liability protection your LLC gives you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization, your EIN and your operating agreement.