How to Form an LLC in Missouri (2026)
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Missouri · Last updated 2026-08-06
A limited liability company (LLC) is a business structure that legally separates the company from the people who own it, so the owners are generally not personally responsible for the company's debts. Forming one in Missouri means filing a formation document with a state office and paying its fee to bring the company into legal existence. In Missouri you create an LLC by filing the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State, Corporations Division, and paying a $50 fee for online filing. Two features make Missouri unusually low-maintenance compared with most states. First, Missouri does not require LLCs to file an annual or periodic report, so there is no yearly state filing or report fee to keep the company active. Second, Missouri imposes no franchise tax or minimum annual entity tax on LLCs. Missouri LLCs are governed by the Missouri Limited Liability Company Act in Chapter 347 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. This guide explains what an LLC is, the exact Missouri steps and fees, and the requirements that keep the company in good standing.
Find out where you stand in Missouri
Where are you in forming your LLC?
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How do you form an LLC in Missouri?
File the Articles of Organization with the Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division, and pay the fee, which is $50 for online filing. You must name a registered agent with a physical Missouri street address. The company legally exists once the Secretary of State files the Articles of Organization.
Does a Missouri LLC have to file an annual report?
No. Missouri does not require LLCs to file an annual report or periodic report with the Secretary of State. Unlike most states, which charge a yearly or biennial report fee to keep the company active, Missouri has no such recurring state report requirement for a limited liability company, so there is no annual report fee to budget for.
Does Missouri charge a franchise tax on LLCs?
No. Missouri does not impose a franchise tax or a minimum annual entity tax on limited liability companies. An LLC taxed as a pass-through entity reports its income through the owners' returns. This is different from states such as California, which charge an $800 minimum annual franchise tax regardless of income or activity.
Does Missouri require newspaper publication to form an LLC?
No. Missouri does not require an LLC to publish notice of its formation in a newspaper. This is unlike New York, Arizona, and Nebraska, where publication is a condition of forming or operating. In Missouri the Articles of Organization filing with the Secretary of State completes formation, with no separate publication step.
Missouri LLC formation at a glance
You form a Missouri LLC by filing the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State, Corporations Division, for a $50 fee when you file online. What sets Missouri apart is how little it asks of the company after formation. Missouri does not require LLCs to file an annual or periodic report, so there is no recurring state report and no annual report fee, and the company stays active without a yearly filing. Missouri also imposes no franchise tax and no minimum annual entity tax on LLCs, so a pass-through Missouri LLC owes nothing to the state simply for existing. Every Missouri LLC must name and continuously maintain a registered agent with a physical Missouri street address to receive lawsuits and official notices. Missouri does not require newspaper publication. Online filings are typically processed in one to two business days. The governing statute is the Missouri Limited Liability Company Act, Chapter 347 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, sections 347.010 and following.
Forming a two-owner Missouri LLC, step by step
Suppose two friends in Kansas City want to open a small design studio as an LLC. First they search the Missouri Secretary of State's business entity search to confirm their name is available and includes a designator such as LLC, and they can reserve the name for a fee while they prepare paperwork. Next they appoint a registered agent: one owner lives in Missouri and agrees to serve, using a Missouri street address, not a post office box, where legal papers can be delivered during business hours. They then file the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State, Corporations Division, choosing the online option to pay the $50 fee, and the LLC legally exists once the Secretary of State files it. Because they have two members, they write an operating agreement setting each owner's percentage and how profits split, even though Missouri does not require them to file it with the state. They apply to the IRS for a free EIN so the partnership can file taxes and open a bank account. Here Missouri makes the ongoing picture simple: there is no annual report to calendar and no franchise tax to pay, so once the studio is formed the owners focus on federal and Missouri income taxes and on keeping their registered agent current, not on recurring state entity filings.
Relevant Laws
Missouri Limited Liability Company Act (Chapter 347 RSMo)
The Missouri Limited Liability Company Act governs the formation, management, and dissolution of every Missouri LLC. It sets who may form an LLC, the required contents of the Articles of Organization, the registered agent requirement, and the default rules for member-managed and manager-managed companies. It applies to LLCs organized in Missouri and foreign LLCs registered to do business in the state.
§ 347.039 RSMo (Articles of Organization)
Requires an LLC to be formed by delivering Articles of Organization to the Missouri Secretary of State for filing. The articles state the LLC's name, the purpose, the registered agent and registered office, the events of dissolution if any, and whether the LLC is managed by members or managers. The company comes into existence when the Secretary of State files the articles.
§ 347.030 RSMo (Registered agent and registered office)
Requires every Missouri LLC to designate and continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in Missouri. The registered agent, an individual resident or an authorized business entity with a Missouri street address, receives service of process and official notices for the company. The registered office must be a physical Missouri address, not only a post office box.
§ 347.081 RSMo (Operating agreement)
Recognizes an operating agreement as the contract among the members that governs the LLC's internal affairs, including ownership percentages, profit and loss allocation, management, and voting. Missouri law provides default rules that apply when the operating agreement is silent. The operating agreement is not filed with the state, but it controls how the company runs.
§ 347.179 RSMo (Fees collected by the Secretary of State)
Sets the fees the Secretary of State charges for LLC filings, including filing the original Articles of Organization and reserving a company name. Missouri offers a reduced fee for filing the Articles of Organization online. The statute does not impose an annual report fee, because Missouri does not require LLCs to file an annual or periodic report.
IRS federal tax classification (default pass-through)
The IRS does not tax the LLC as a separate category. By default a single-member Missouri LLC is disregarded and taxed like a sole proprietorship, and a multi-member LLC is taxed as a partnership, with income passing through to the owners. An LLC may instead elect S corporation or C corporation treatment. This federal classification is separate from Missouri state filing requirements.
Regional Variances
How forming an LLC in Missouri differs from other states
No annual or periodic report requirement
This is the headline difference. Missouri does not require an LLC to file an annual report or periodic report with the Secretary of State, so there is no recurring state report and no annual report fee. Most states require an annual or biennial report, and missing it is the usual way a company falls out of good standing. A Missouri LLC stays active without that yearly step.
No franchise tax on LLCs
Missouri imposes no franchise tax and no minimum annual entity tax on limited liability companies. States such as California charge an $800 minimum franchise tax every year regardless of income, and Delaware charges a $400 annual LLC tax. A pass-through Missouri LLC owes nothing to the state simply for existing.
No newspaper publication requirement
Missouri does not require you to publish notice of formation in a newspaper. New York, Arizona, and Nebraska do, which adds cost and a deadline. A Missouri LLC is complete once the Secretary of State files the Articles of Organization, with no publication step.
Reduced fee for online filing
Missouri charges $50 to file the Articles of Organization online, a lower fee than filing on paper. Filing through the Secretary of State's online system is both cheaper and faster, with online filings typically processed in one to two business days.
Formation document and filing office
Missouri uses the Articles of Organization, filed with the Secretary of State, Corporations Division. Some states call the document a Certificate of Formation or Certificate of Organization, and some route filings through a Division of Corporations or a state corporation commission rather than the Secretary of State.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Confirm your LLC name is available and compliant
Before filing days after startingSearch the Missouri Secretary of State's business entity search to confirm your desired name is not already in use and that it includes a required designator such as LLC or Limited Liability Company. Avoid restricted words that need special approval. You can reserve an available name with the Secretary of State for a fee while you prepare your Articles of Organization.
Appoint a registered agent
Before filing days after startingMissouri requires a registered agent with a physical Missouri street address, the registered office, who is available during business hours to accept legal documents. Decide whether you, a co-owner who lives in Missouri, or a commercial registered agent service will serve. You name the agent in the Articles of Organization, so settle this first.
File the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State
To create the LLC days after startingFile the Articles of Organization with the Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division, and pay the fee, which is $50 when you file online. The LLC legally exists only once the Secretary of State files it. Keep the filed confirmation as proof of formation.
Adopt an operating agreement
At or soon after formation days after startingPut the ownership percentages, profit split, management structure, and exit rules in writing. Missouri does not require you to file the operating agreement with the state, but under section 347.081 it governs how the LLC runs and overrides the act's default rules. Attorney review of the agreement is available as an option through DocDraft.
Get a federal EIN from the IRS
Before opening a bank account or hiring days after startingApply for an Employer Identification Number free on the IRS website. Multi-member LLCs, LLCs with employees, and LLCs electing corporate tax treatment need one. Single-member LLCs with no employees usually get one anyway to open a business bank account and keep business and personal finances separate.
Keep your registered agent and records current
Ongoing days after startingMissouri does not require an annual report, so the main ongoing state obligation is maintaining a registered agent with a valid Missouri street address. If the agent or address changes, file the change with the Secretary of State. Keep your operating agreement and formation records with the company so the liability protection holds up.
Handle Missouri and federal taxes for the business
By each applicable tax deadline days after startingMissouri imposes no franchise tax on LLCs, but the business still meets its income tax obligations. Pass-through income flows to the owners' federal and Missouri returns. If the LLC sells taxable goods or has employees, register with the Missouri Department of Revenue for sales tax or employer withholding. Confirm current requirements with the Department of Revenue.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm your LLC name is available and compliant | Search the Missouri Secretary of State's business entity search to confirm your desired name is not already in use and that it includes a required designator such as LLC or Limited Liability Company. Avoid restricted words that need special approval. You can reserve an available name with the Secretary of State for a fee while you prepare your Articles of Organization. | - | Before filing |
| Appoint a registered agent | Missouri requires a registered agent with a physical Missouri street address, the registered office, who is available during business hours to accept legal documents. Decide whether you, a co-owner who lives in Missouri, or a commercial registered agent service will serve. You name the agent in the Articles of Organization, so settle this first. | - | Before filing |
| File the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State | File the Articles of Organization with the Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division, and pay the fee, which is $50 when you file online. The LLC legally exists only once the Secretary of State files it. Keep the filed confirmation as proof of formation. | - | To create the LLC |
| Adopt an operating agreement | Put the ownership percentages, profit split, management structure, and exit rules in writing. Missouri does not require you to file the operating agreement with the state, but under section 347.081 it governs how the LLC runs and overrides the act's default rules. Attorney review of the agreement is available as an option through DocDraft. | llc-operating-agreement | At or soon after formation |
| Get a federal EIN from the IRS | Apply for an Employer Identification Number free on the IRS website. Multi-member LLCs, LLCs with employees, and LLCs electing corporate tax treatment need one. Single-member LLCs with no employees usually get one anyway to open a business bank account and keep business and personal finances separate. | - | Before opening a bank account or hiring |
| Keep your registered agent and records current | Missouri does not require an annual report, so the main ongoing state obligation is maintaining a registered agent with a valid Missouri street address. If the agent or address changes, file the change with the Secretary of State. Keep your operating agreement and formation records with the company so the liability protection holds up. | - | Ongoing |
| Handle Missouri and federal taxes for the business | Missouri imposes no franchise tax on LLCs, but the business still meets its income tax obligations. Pass-through income flows to the owners' federal and Missouri returns. If the LLC sells taxable goods or has employees, register with the Missouri Department of Revenue for sales tax or employer withholding. Confirm current requirements with the Department of Revenue. | - | By each applicable tax deadline |
Frequently Asked Questions
An LLC, or limited liability company, is a business structure that legally separates the company from its owners. The owners, called members, are generally not personally responsible for the company's debts or lawsuits, so a creditor usually cannot reach a member's home or savings for a business obligation. In Missouri, LLCs are created under the Missouri Limited Liability Company Act in Chapter 347 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. The structure pairs that liability protection with pass-through taxation and lighter paperwork than a corporation.
You file the Articles of Organization with the Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division. The fee is $50 when you file online, paid once, and the LLC legally exists only after the Secretary of State files the document. Because Missouri has no annual report and no franchise tax, that one-time filing fee plus an optional registered agent service is the core cost of getting a Missouri LLC off the ground.
For a pass-through Missouri LLC, none. Missouri does not require a periodic report, so there is no yearly report fee, and it imposes no franchise tax or minimum entity tax. That makes Missouri unusually low-maintenance compared with states like California, which charges an $800 minimum franchise tax every year. You still owe federal and Missouri income taxes on business profits and must keep a registered agent current.
Missouri does not have a recurring state report for LLCs, so nothing falls due each year to keep the company active. The main ongoing obligation is maintaining a registered agent with a valid Missouri street address; if the agent or address changes, file that update with the Secretary of State. Keep your formation records and operating agreement with the company, and meet your income tax deadlines.
Yes. You can reserve an available business name with the Missouri Secretary of State for a $25 fee while you prepare your Articles of Organization. First search the Secretary of State's business entity search to confirm the name is not already in use and includes a designator such as LLC or Limited Liability Company. Reservation is optional; many filers simply claim the name when they file.
Under section 347.030 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, every LLC must continuously maintain a registered agent with a physical Missouri street address, called the registered office. That can be you, a co-owner who lives in Missouri, or a commercial registered agent service. The address must be a real street location, not only a post office box, where legal papers can be received during business hours. You name the agent in the Articles of Organization.
Missouri does not require you to file an operating agreement with the state, and a single-member LLC can exist without a written one. Even so, a written agreement is recommended, and it becomes important with multiple owners. Under section 347.081 it governs ownership percentages, profit splits, management, and voting, and it overrides Missouri's default rules. Keep it with company records. Attorney review of the agreement is available as an option through DocDraft.
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