To form an LLC in Missouri, file Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State for $50 online or $105 by mail. That filing creates the entity, but a working LLC also needs a compliant name, a registered agent with a Missouri street address, a decision about who manages it, an operating agreement, an EIN, and any local licenses your city or county requires. Missouri LLCs are governed by Chapter 347 of the Revised Statutes and, unlike most states, are not required to file annual reports.
Choose a Compliant Name
Your name has to end with one of the accepted designators: “Limited Liability Company,” “Limited Company,” “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “LC,” or “L.C.” It also has to be distinguishable from every other business entity already on file with the Secretary of State, including corporations and limited partnerships.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 347.020 – Name of Company Regulated
Run your candidate through the Secretary of State’s business entity search before you get attached to it. If you want to lock in a name before you’re ready to file, submit an Application for Reservation of Name with a $25 fee. That reserves the name for 60 days, and it can be renewed up to a total of 180 days.2Missouri Secretary of State. Application for Reservation of Name
Appoint a Registered Agent
Every Missouri LLC needs a registered agent to accept legal papers and official notices. The agent can be a person or a business entity, but must have a physical street address in Missouri. A P.O. box on its own does not qualify, because someone has to be able to hand-deliver court documents to the address on file.3Missouri Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions Corporations
You can name yourself if you have a Missouri address and can be reliably available during business hours. Commercial registered agent services typically charge $50 to $300 per year and handle service of process for you.
Decide Between Member-Managed and Manager-Managed
The Articles of Organization ask you to choose one. In a member-managed LLC, every owner has authority to run the business and bind it to contracts. In a manager-managed LLC, one or more designated managers handle daily operations and the other members stay passive. Managers do not have to be members unless the operating agreement says so.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 347.079 – Management of Limited Liability Company
Small LLCs where every owner works in the business typically pick member-managed. Manager-managed is the better fit when there are passive investors or an outside professional running things.
File the Articles of Organization
The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) is what actually creates the LLC. You can file online through the Secretary of State’s website or send a paper form by mail, and the required information is the same either way:
- LLC name with one of the required designators
- Purpose of the business (a general statement such as “any lawful purpose” is acceptable)
- Name and Missouri street address of the registered agent
- Whether the LLC is member-managed or manager-managed
- Duration, either perpetual or a specific dissolution date
- Name and street address of each organizer (organizers do not have to be members)
The fee is $50 online and $105 by mail.5Missouri Secretary of State. Schedule of Fees and Charges Online filings usually clear within a few business days; mailed applications can take several weeks. If you need the LLC to start on a particular date, you can set a future effective date up to 90 days out.6Missouri Secretary of State. Articles of Organization for a Limited Liability Company Once the filing is processed, you receive a Certificate of Organization confirming the LLC legally exists.
Adopt an Operating Agreement
Missouri law requires every LLC to adopt an operating agreement.7Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 347.081 – Operating Agreement, Contents, Policy Statement, Enforceability, Remedies It’s not filed with the state, but it governs how the business actually runs. Single-member LLCs should still put one in writing, because it reinforces the legal separation between owner and business and reduces the risk that a court will pierce the veil.
The statute favors “maximum effect to the principle of freedom of contract,” so members have wide latitude on what to include. Where the agreement is silent, Missouri’s default statutory rules fill the gap, and those defaults may not be what you would have chosen. A workable operating agreement typically covers:
- Each member’s ownership percentage
- How profits and losses are split (this doesn’t have to track ownership)
- Voting rights and what requires a vote
- Initial capital contributions and rules for additional contributions
- What happens when a member wants to sell their interest or leave
- The circumstances that trigger dissolution
Get an EIN and Handle Taxes
Once the LLC is formed, apply for a Federal Employer Identification Number on the IRS website. It is free and takes a few minutes. The IRS recommends completing state formation first, since applying beforehand can delay things.8Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number You’ll need the EIN to open a business bank account, hire employees, and file returns.
By default, the IRS treats a single-member LLC as a disregarded entity, meaning income and expenses land on your personal return on Schedule C. A multi-member LLC is treated as a partnership and files Form 1065. Either way, profits flow through to members. You can change the default by filing Form 8832 to elect C-corporation treatment or Form 2553 to elect S-corporation status.9Internal Revenue Service. Limited Liability Company (LLC) An S-corp election can reduce self-employment tax for profitable businesses but adds payroll obligations, so it’s worth an accountant’s input.
Members who actively work in the business owe federal self-employment tax of 15.3% on their share of the profits: 12.4% for Social Security on earnings up to $184,500 in 2026, and 2.9% for Medicare on all earnings.10Internal Revenue Service. Self-Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare Taxes)11Social Security Administration. Contribution and Benefit Base
On the state side, register with the Missouri Department of Revenue if your LLC sells taxable goods or services, has employees, or elected corporate treatment. Registration for sales tax, withholding, and consumer’s use tax can be done online.12Missouri Department of Revenue. Online New Business Registration Not every LLC needs to register: a consulting firm with no employees and no taxable sales may only have federal filings. If you’re collecting sales tax, registration is mandatory before your first sale.13Missouri Department of Revenue. Business Tax Registration Requirements
Local Licenses and Permits
Missouri does not issue a state-level general business license, but most cities and counties do. Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, and most other municipalities require a local business license, and businesses operating in more than one city usually need one from each. Depending on what you do, you may also need zoning approval, a certificate of occupancy, or health department permits. Ask the clerk’s office in the city or county where you’ll physically operate. This is the step that catches new owners who assume the state paperwork is the whole picture.
Keeping Your Missouri LLC in Good Standing
Missouri LLCs are not required to file annual reports.3Missouri Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions Corporations That’s unusual: most states require a yearly or biennial report with a fee. Missouri corporations do file annual reports, but LLCs do not.
You do have to keep your registered agent information current. If your agent or the registered office address changes, file a notice of change with the Secretary of State.14Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 347.030 – Registered Agent, Change of Agent or Address Stale agent information is one of the few ways a Missouri LLC quietly gets into trouble, because the state has no way to reach you with legal notices.
Federal beneficial ownership reporting is not currently a step for domestic Missouri LLCs. An interim final rule published in March 2025 removed the FinCEN beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirement for entities created in the United States, so no BOI filing is needed when forming your LLC.15FinCEN.gov. Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting