Pen, notebook and reading glasses on a wooden table, How to Start an LLC in Missouri

How to Start an LLC in Missouri

Last verified: November 4, 2026

Forming a Missouri LLC is cheap and quick to file, and the state asks very little of you afterward: the Secretary of State says LLCs do not file an annual report, and Missouri no longer charges a franchise tax. The part that costs people money is the choice of how to file. Online costs $50; the same Articles of Organization on paper cost $105. Our advice is to file online yourself unless you need a registered agent or want someone else to handle the paperwork. Here is the order to do it in.

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 organizer's name and address, plus the names of members or managers if you want them listed
  • $50 for online filing of the Articles of Organization ($105 on paper), plus $25 if you reserve the name first and $7 if you register a fictitious name (DBA)
  • An email address for an account with the Secretary of State business filing system
  • A plan for ownership, management and taxation, which you will write down in an operating agreement

What It Costs

ItemCostSource
Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1), online$50SOS fee schedule
Articles of Organization, paper$105SOS FAQ
Name reservation (optional, 60 days)$25SOS fee schedule
Pre-clearance review of your documents (optional)$55SOS general services
Change of registered agent or office$10Form Corp. 59
Fictitious name (DBA), if you use one$7Form Corp. 56
Annual report for an LLCNoneSOS FAQ
EINFreeIRS: employer ID numbers

Fees above are from the Secretary of State schedule dated 01/2025 and were checked on November 3, 2026. For all fees by business type, see our guide to the cost of starting a business in Missouri.

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

Step 1: Choose a Compliant, Available Name

Under RSMo 347.020, the name must include "Limited Liability Company" or "Limited Company," or one of the abbreviations LLC, LC, L.L.C. or L.C. It must also be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from every domestic or foreign corporation, LLC, limited partnership, LLP and LLLP registered or reserved in Missouri, unless the other holder consents in writing and files the required paperwork or a court decree establishes your prior right. Leave out words such as "corporation" or "incorporated" that misstate your entity type, and anything that suggests a government agency.

Search the name in the Missouri Secretary of State business entity search first. If it is free and you are not ready to file, you can reserve it for $25. The Secretary of State FAQ says a reservation lasts up to 60 days and can be renewed for two more 60-day periods, and the same applicant cannot reserve that name again after 180 days.

A cleared name is not a cleared brand. The state only compares your name to its own records, so run a trademark search before you print signs or buy a domain.

Step 2: Appoint a Missouri Registered Agent

Every Missouri LLC must keep a registered agent with a Missouri address, per the Secretary of State general services page. The agent can be a Missouri resident whose business office is the registered office, or a corporation authorized to do business in Missouri. The registered office must be a physical location where the agent can be served. A PO box is accepted only when a physical street address in the same city is also listed. Changing the agent or office later costs $10 on Form Corp. 59.

Serving as your own agent is free, but it puts your name and address on the public record and means someone must be at that address during business hours to accept legal papers. If either is a problem, use a commercial agent. Prices differ by provider and change often, so compare them in our Missouri LLC services comparison before you pay.

Step 3: File the Articles of Organization

You create the LLC by filing Form LLC-1, Articles of Organization, with the Secretary of State. The fee is $50 through the Missouri online business services portal and $105 on paper, so online saves $55. The form asks for the name, registered agent and registered office, and the other details printed on it. Copy the agent's address exactly as the agent gave it to you.

The state also offers a $55 pre-clearance review of your documents before filing. It is a document check, not a faster filing, and it is worth considering only if your articles are unusual. We did not find a published processing-time guarantee for either online or paper filings, so do not set a lease start or a contract date on the day you submit.

Active-duty military members who live in Missouri, including Missouri National Guard members, can qualify for a waiver of the filing fee under the Secretary of State's Startup for Soldiers program. The waiver covers an LLC organizer who is listed as a member in the operating agreement. The state says it cannot waive the fee on online filings; you must file in person or by mail with proof of service.

If you would rather not handle the filing and agent yourself, you can compare formation services in our best LLC services in Missouri guide.

Step 4: Draft an Operating Agreement

Missouri does not make you file an operating agreement, but write one. It sets ownership percentages, how profits and losses are split, voting, what happens when a member leaves, and who manages the LLC. Without one, the default rules in the Missouri LLC statute (chapter 347) decide those questions, and they may not match what you and your co-owners expect. This is our reasoning, not a state requirement. Some banks ask for the agreement when you open an account, even for one owner, so check with yours. If members disagree about money or control, an attorney is the right person to draft it.

Step 5: Get an EIN from the IRS

The IRS says you can get an EIN for free, online, in minutes through its EIN application. Never pay a website to get you one; the IRS charges nothing. Whether you need an EIN depends on your situation, for example if you have employees or more than one member. A single-member LLC with no employees may not be required to have one, but your bank may still ask for it.

Step 6: Register with the Missouri Department of Revenue

If the LLC sells tangible goods or taxable services, it must register for a sales tax license with the Missouri Department of Revenue business registration. The state rate is 4.225%, and cities, counties and districts add local taxes. Selling at retail without the license carries a penalty of $500 for the first day and $100 for each day after, up to $10,000, according to the Department of Revenue registration FAQ. If you hire employees, register for employer withholding and for unemployment insurance through the Division of Employment Security.

On income tax, a default LLC pays no entity-level income tax. Profits pass to the members' personal returns, and individual rates are set in RSMo 143.011; check the Department of Revenue's current tax year tables for the rate that applies to you. An LLC that elects corporate taxation pays the flat 4% corporate income tax under RSMo 143.071. Missouri imposes no annual franchise tax for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2016 (RSMo 147.010). Whether an S corporation or corporate election saves you money is a question for a CPA, not this guide.

Step 7: Check City and County Licensing

The Secretary of State FAQ says business licenses are obtained from the local government and that the Secretary of State does not issue them. Your city or county may also require zoning or occupancy approval, and regulated trades and professions have their own state boards. Ask city hall or the county clerk before you sign a lease, because local approval can delay opening. If you will work from home, read our directory of Missouri guides for home-based and local licensing pages.

Step 8: Know Your Ongoing Requirements

Missouri LLCs do not file an annual report; the Secretary of State FAQ answers that question with a flat "No." Corporations do file one, at $20 online or $45 on paper, due at the end of the month they were incorporated or qualified (registration reports). If you also own a corporation, do not assume its deadlines apply to the LLC.

What you must keep up is the registered agent. If the agent resigns or moves and you do not update the state, the LLC can lose good standing, so tell the Secretary of State promptly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Treating a name search as trademark clearance: the state checks only its own records.
  • Listing a PO box alone as the registered office: a physical street address is required.
  • Filing on paper by default: it costs $105 against $50 online.
  • Skipping the DBA registration: if the LLC operates under a different name, register it on Form Corp. 56 for $7. Registration does not give you exclusive rights to the name.
  • Confusing LLC and corporation deadlines: only corporations file the annual registration report.

When This Guide Is Not Enough

Use an attorney or CPA if you have several members with unequal contributions, plan to bring in investors, hold real estate in the LLC, or are weighing an S corporation election. The state forms are simple, but those decisions are legal and tax judgments. The same goes for regulated businesses: licensing for contractors, cosmetologists or food operators is separate from forming the LLC.

Where to Get Help

The Missouri Small Business Development Center offers training and advising for new business owners. For comparing entity types, read our guide to starting a corporation in Missouri.

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 situation may call for professional judgment this guide cannot provide. Consult a licensed attorney or CPA before making formation or tax decisions for your business.

Sources

Keep exploring: related Missouri guides