How to Start an LLC in Missouri
Missouri LLC formation runs $199 through us — that covers preparing and submitting your Articles of Organization, on top of the state's $50 filing fee. Keeping the LLC compliant afterward is a separate matter: Missouri requires an ongoing registered agent, which we provide for $99/year, billed apart from the one-time $199.
Filing a Missouri LLC reduces to: one Articles document with the state, an agent in place from day one, and ongoing compliance once you're approved. Cost-wise: $50 for the state, roughly a week for the state to process, and then an annual maintenance cadence you keep up with. Below: every step, the all-in cost view, and what we handle if you'd rather not DIY.
Quick price summary: LLC formation — $199 one-time (plus Missouri's $50 state fee). Registered agent — $99/year, ongoing, required for every Missouri LLC.
File Your Missouri LLC — $199
The full filing service is $199. We prepare the Articles, submit through Missouri Secretary of State, and wait the roughly a week for approval.
What an LLC Does for You in Missouri
A LLC-style liability company is a separate legal entity for tax and liability purposes, even when a single individual owns it. Within Missouri, consultants, real estate holders, solo operators, and small partnerships all favor the LLC for its blend of low overhead and real protection.
All-In Missouri LLC Costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee (Missouri Secretary of State) | $50 one-time |
| Registered agent (required for every Missouri LLC) | $99/year |
| State annual report fee | None (not required) |
Our $199 is the filing service alone. The state's portion is paid to Missouri Secretary of State. Agent product is separate at $99/year.
Important Missouri-specific notes: No annual filing requirement. $50 online, $105 by mail. One of four states with no ongoing annual LLC fees (with AZ, NM, OH). No franchise tax for LLCs.
Missouri LLC Formation: Each Step
1. Choose Your Missouri LLC Name
Pick a name that includes 'Limited Liability Company,' 'LLC,' or 'L.L.C.' and that is genuinely unique among entities already on record with Missouri Secretary of State. Run a search of Missouri Secretary of State's records for any candidate name — it's free and tells you within seconds whether the name is open.
Names cannot suggest a bank, insurance company, or governmental body unless you carry the proper license. Most filings are simpler if you just avoid those terms.
2. Line Up Your Registered Agent
Missouri's formation statute requires an agent in place from day one. The agent must have a physical street address in Missouri and must be available throughout normal business hours. Whatever name and address you list goes on the public filings at Missouri Secretary of State — open to anyone running an entity search.
Our agent product runs $99 per year in Missouri. Our address is what appears on the public filing.
3. Send the Articles of Organization to Missouri Secretary of State
This is where the LLC becomes a legal entity: file your Articles with Missouri Secretary of State and pay $50 to the state. The Articles ask for the entity's legal name, the LLC's primary address, the RA's contact details, the management designation (member or manager managed), and the names provided for the organizers.
Submit through the state's filing portal for the standard online filing process; mail filings take noticeably longer.
The state usually returns approval within roughly a week. Faster processing can usually be added for an additional charge.
4. Put Together an Operating Agreement
Operating agreements aren't filed in Missouri, yet skipping one creates real problems with banks, members, and any dispute that comes up. It covers ownership splits, profit distribution rules, decision-making authority, voting thresholds, and what happens when a member wants out. Skip the agreement and Missouri's default statutory rules take over. They're often a poor fit for the specifics of your LLC.
5. Apply for the LLC's EIN
Your LLC's EIN acts as the federal ID the IRS uses to track the LLC. It's required for business banking, payroll, and federal taxes. Go to IRS.gov for the no-cost application. The whole thing takes around ten minutes and the number issues right after.
Don't pay for EIN help from outside services. The IRS gives EINs away for free through a quick online form.
6. Handle Ongoing Compliance
Keeping the LLC alive and well requires ongoing attention to a short list of items:
- Preserve the agent appointment tied to a Missouri address from formation onward
- Turn in the Missouri tax obligations (the state doesn't require an annual report)
- Maintain an explicit division between LLC-side and personal-side finances (distinct bank accounts and bookkeeping)
- Stay compliant with federal and Missouri tax deadlines when they're due
Failure to maintain triggers administrative dissolution by Missouri Secretary of State. The LLC loses its liability protection until reinstated.
Done filing things yourself? $199 hands the Missouri filing to our team.
The Registered Agent Piece
Missouri LLCs are required to have a RA at all times. The requirement applies from the day you file forward. The agent has to:
- Hold a physical street address in Missouri (post office box-only setups don't work)
- Remain available across business hours to take legal correspondence and lawsuits
- Deliver incoming legal and state correspondence without delay so the LLC has time to react
The owner-as-agent option works but exposes the owner's address to the public. Everyone with access to Missouri Secretary of State's public entity database can see it.
Our Missouri office handles this for $99 a year. We list our office address on the formation documents in your place.
Common Missouri LLC Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Missouri?
Missouri Secretary of State charges $50 for the formation filing. That's among the most affordable state filing fees nationally. Missouri doesn't impose a separate annual report fee on LLCs.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Missouri?
The state generally returns approval inside roughly a week.
Does Missouri require an annual report?
Standard LLCs in Missouri don't have an annual report obligation.
Do I need a registered agent for my Missouri LLC?
Yes. Missouri requires a RA with a Missouri street address from formation onward. It's a continuous obligation, not a one-time setup.
Can I form an LLC in Missouri if I live in another state?
Yes. Missouri doesn't require LLC owners to be residents. (the one in-state requirement is the agent — we fulfill that requirement at $99/year.)
File Your Missouri LLC Today
Self-filing with Missouri Secretary of State is fully available using the state's filing portal. The state collects $50, a RA must still be on record.
Prefer to add our registered agent service instead? For $99/year — billed separately from the $199 formation fee above — we place our Missouri address on the public record, scan documents the same day they arrive, and email you ahead of every filing deadline.
Start Your Missouri LLC — $199
Just want the registered agent role? The standalone Missouri agent plan costs $99/year.
Got other questions about Missouri LLCs or how our service handles the agent role? Visit the FAQ page or send a message via contact.
Ready to get started?
Lock in agent representation for the annual rate — address, scans, deadline reminders.