How to Start an LLC in Missouri

Forming a limited liability company in Missouri is one of the more straightforward filings in the country. There is no annual report requirement for LLCs, no state franchise tax, and the base filing fee is a flat $50. That said, "straightforward" does not mean "skip the details." Get the name, registered agent, and Articles of Organization right the first time and you will avoid rejected filings and wasted weeks. Here is exactly what to do, in order.

What You Need Before You Start

A proposed LLC name that meets Missouri's naming rules (see Step 1)
A registered agent with a physical Missouri street address
The names and addresses of the LLC's organizer(s) and, if you want them listed, its members or managers
$50 for the Articles of Organization filing fee (plus $25 if you choose to reserve your name first, and $7 if you plan to file a separate fictitious name/DBA)
An email address to create an account in the Missouri Business Filings online portal
A plan for how the LLC will be taxed and managed, which you will formalize in an operating agreement

Step-by-Step: How to Start an LLC in Missouri

Step 1: Choose a Compliant, Available Name

Under RSMo 347.020, your Missouri LLC name must contain the words "Limited Company" or "Limited Liability Company," or one of the abbreviations LC, LLC, L.C., or L.L.C. The name also has to be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from every other corporation, LLC, limited partnership, LLP, or LLLP already registered in Missouri, unless the existing holder gives written consent or a court says otherwise. Avoid words like "corporation," "incorporated," or "Ltd." that misstate your entity type, and avoid anything implying you are a government agency.

Before you get attached to a name, search it on the Secretary of State's business database at bsd.sos.mo.gov. If it is available and you are not ready to file yet, you can reserve it for $25. The reservation holds the name for 60 days and can be renewed for two additional 60-day periods, for 180 days of total protection.

Step 2: Appoint a Missouri Registered Agent

Every Missouri LLC must continuously maintain a registered agent with a Missouri address, and that address has to match the LLC's registered office. The agent can be a Missouri resident whose business office is the registered office, or a corporation authorized to do business in the state. A PO box is not enough on its own; it can only supplement a real street address. If you skip this or let it lapse, Missouri can administratively dissolve or revoke your entity's registration, so treat this as a permanent obligation, not a one-time checkbox. Changing your registered agent or registered office later costs $10.

You can serve as your own registered agent if you have a physical Missouri address and are reliably available during business hours. Many owners instead hire a commercial registered agent service, typically in the range of $100 to $300 per year, mainly for privacy (your address stays off the public record) and to make sure legal notices never get missed while you are traveling or between offices.

Step 3: File the Articles of Organization

This is the document that legally creates your Missouri LLC. You will file Form LLC-1, Articles of Organization, with the Missouri Secretary of State. The fee is $50, and the fastest route is the Missouri Business Filings online portal at bsd.sos.mo.gov. The Secretary of State notes that online filings are generally processed immediately, while paper filings mailed to the Corporations Division take longer with no guaranteed turnaround published.

There is no separate expedited filing fee on the state's fee schedule, since the online system is already close to instant. A related but different service, the Pre-Clearance Examination, costs $55 and is a document review before filing, not a rush option. One niche but useful fact: active duty military members and Missouri National Guard members can form a new business with no Secretary of State filing fee under the Startup for Soldiers program.

On the form, you will provide your LLC's name, its registered agent and registered office, its principal place of business, whether it will be member-managed or manager-managed, and how long it is intended to last (most owners choose perpetual duration). Double-check every field against your registered agent's exact address before you submit, since a mismatch is one of the more common reasons filings get kicked back for correction.

Step 4: Draft an Operating Agreement

Missouri does not require you to file an operating agreement with the state, but do not skip writing one. It is the internal document that spells out ownership percentages, how profits and losses are split, voting rights, what happens if a member wants to leave or sell their interest, and how the LLC will be managed day to day. Without one, Missouri's default LLC statute governs those questions, and its defaults may not match what you and your co-owners actually intended. Banks also frequently ask to see an operating agreement before opening a business account, so have it ready even as a single-member LLC.

Step 5: Get an EIN from the IRS

An Employer Identification Number from the IRS is free and can be requested online in minutes. You need one to open a business bank account, hire employees, and file federal taxes, and most banks require it even for single-member LLCs that would otherwise be allowed to use the owner's Social Security number.

Step 6: Register with the Missouri Department of Revenue

If your LLC will sell tangible goods or taxable services, you need a sales tax license from the Missouri Department of Revenue; the state sales tax rate is 4.225 percent, with local rates added on top depending on where you operate. If you plan to hire employees, you also need to register for employer withholding and for unemployment tax through the Division of Employment Security. Registration for these accounts happens through dor.mo.gov/register-business, and general business tax information lives at dor.mo.gov/taxation/business.

On income tax: a default pass-through LLC does not pay entity-level tax. Profits flow to the members, who report them on their personal returns at Missouri's graduated individual rates, which top out at 4.70 percent for 2026. If your LLC instead elects to be taxed as a corporation, it pays Missouri's flat 4 percent corporate income tax rate instead. There is no Missouri franchise tax to worry about either way, since RSMo 147.010 eliminated it for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2016.

Step 7: Check City and County Licensing

Missouri has no general statewide business license. The Secretary of State's own guidance for new owners points them to their city or county for a local business license and any zoning or occupancy permits that apply. Regulated professions and trades, such as contractors, cosmetologists, or food service operators, have their own state-level licensing on top of that. Check with your city hall or county clerk early, since local licensing timelines vary and can hold up your opening date if you leave it for last.

Step 8: Understand Missouri's Ongoing Requirements

Here is where Missouri is genuinely easier than most states: LLCs do not file an annual report and owe the Secretary of State no recurring maintenance fee. The Secretary of State's own FAQ confirms it plainly. Compare that to corporations, which do owe an Annual Registration Report ($20 fee, or a biennial option) due at the end of the month they originally incorporated. If you have both an LLC and a corporation, do not let corporate deadlines convince you the LLC needs the same filing; it does not.

What you do still need to maintain indefinitely is your registered agent. If that agent resigns or moves and you do not update the state, Missouri can administratively dissolve your LLC even though no annual report was due.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming an LLC name search guarantees trademark clearance. The Secretary of State only checks whether the name is distinguishable from other registered entities, not whether it infringes on a trademark. Run a separate trademark search if your brand name matters to you.
Using a PO box as the entire registered office. Missouri requires a physical street address for the registered agent; a PO box can only be listed in addition to one.
Skipping the operating agreement because you are a single-member LLC. Banks and, eventually, courts in a dispute or divorce may want to see it.
Forgetting the DBA filing if you operate under a different name. If your LLC will do business under a name other than the one on its Articles of Organization, file a Registration of Fictitious Name (Form Corp. 56) with the Secretary of State for $7. It is a statewide filing, not a county-by-county one.
Confusing LLC and corporation deadlines. Only corporations file the Annual Registration Report in Missouri; LLCs do not.

What to Expect

Filed online and correctly, most Missouri LLC formations are generally approved quickly, often the same day, though actual turnaround can vary based on Secretary of State workload and whether your paperwork needs correction. Once approved, you should generally be able to obtain your EIN, open a business bank account, and register for applicable state taxes within the same one to two weeks, assuming no complications with your local licensing. Results depend on your specific business type, location, and whether regulated licensing applies, so treat these as typical ranges rather than guarantees.

Where to Get Help

The Missouri Small Business Development Center offers free or low-cost consulting for new business owners and can be reached through sbdc.missouri.edu. The U.S. Small Business Administration's St. Louis district office, at sba.gov/district/st-louis, is another resource for financing questions and general startup guidance.

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Missouri LLC requirements, fees, and tax rates can change, and your specific situation, including industry-specific licensing, multi-member ownership structures, or tax elections, may call for professional judgment this guide cannot provide. Consult a licensed attorney or CPA before making formation or tax decisions for your business.