To get a Missouri charter number, file formation documents with the Missouri Secretary of State — Articles of Organization for an LLC or Articles of Incorporation for a corporation — and pay the filing fee. The state assigns the charter number automatically when it approves your filing. Online LLC filings are usually approved the same day or within one business day for $50; corporation filings start at $58. Below is how to walk through it without tripping on the parts that slow most people down.
What a Charter Number Actually Is
The charter number is the unique identifier the Missouri Secretary of State assigns to every registered business entity — corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships all receive one on formation.1Missouri Secretary of State. Corporations It links your business to its public filings and compliance record with the state. It is not the same as a federal EIN, which the IRS issues separately. You cannot request a charter number on its own; it is generated when the state accepts your formation filing.
Pick a Name That Will Clear the State’s Check
Your proposed name must be distinguishable from every other entity already on file. Punctuation changes, abbreviations, or swapping “LLC” for “Inc.” do not make a name distinguishable.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code Title XXIII Chapter 347 – Section 347.025 Run your candidates through the Secretary of State’s business entity search before you draft anything.
LLC names must include “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC,” or “LC.” Corporate names must include “Corporation,” “Incorporated,” “Company,” or an abbreviation of one of those.
If you have a name but aren’t ready to file, you can reserve it for 60 days for $25.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code Title XXIII Chapter 347 – Section 347.025 The total reservation period cannot exceed 180 days, so one renewal is possible but not indefinite.
Name a Registered Agent
Every Missouri entity must maintain a registered agent in the state to receive legal papers and official notices. The agent must be a Missouri resident or a corporation authorized to do business in Missouri. The registered office must be a physical Missouri address staffed during business hours. A P.O. Box alone will not qualify, though one can appear alongside a physical street address in the same city. Retail mail addresses such as UPS Store or Mailboxes, Etc. locations are not accepted.3Missouri Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions
You can serve as your own agent if you meet the residency and address rules. Commercial registered agent services typically run $40 to $300 per year and keep your home address off the public record.
File the Right Formation Document
The form you file depends on the type of entity. All forms are on the Secretary of State’s website.4Missouri Secretary of State. Fees and Forms
LLC: Articles of Organization
File Form LLC 1.5Missouri Secretary of State. LLC 1 – Articles of Organization It asks for the company name (with the required designator), principal office address, registered agent name and address, business purpose, management structure, and the organizers’ names. Most filers finish it in one sitting.
Corporation: Articles of Incorporation
For-profit corporations file Form Corp. 41.4Missouri Secretary of State. Fees and Forms It requires the corporate name, registered office and agent, each incorporator’s name and address, the corporation’s duration (perpetual or fixed), its stated purpose, and the share structure — the number of authorized shares, their par value, and any special rights or restrictions.6Missouri Secretary of State. Corp 41c – Articles of Incorporation for a Close Corporation Decide the share structure before you file, because it drives the fee.
Out-of-State Businesses
If your business was formed in another state, you do not create a new entity in Missouri; you apply for a certificate of authority. Foreign corporations apply under RSMo 351.576 and must provide the corporation’s name, state and date of incorporation, principal office, Missouri registered agent, current directors and officers, and a certificate of good standing from the home state. The filing fee is $150.7Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code Title XXIII Chapter 351 – Section 351.576 Foreign LLCs use Form LLC 4 with a home-state certificate of good standing; the fee is $105.4Missouri Secretary of State. Fees and Forms
Filing Fees at a Glance
- Domestic LLC, online: $50
- Domestic LLC, mail: $105
- For-profit corporation with $30,000 or less in authorized capital: $58 (base $50 plus $3 certificate fee and $5 technology fund charge)
- For-profit corporation over $30,000 in authorized capital: an added $5 for each additional $10,000 above the first $30,000
- Foreign corporation certificate of authority: $150
- Foreign LLC: $105
Fees come from the Secretary of State’s published schedule.8Missouri Secretary of State. Schedule of Fees and Charges
Submit Online or by Mail
Submit through the Missouri Secretary of State’s Business Registration Online Portal or by mail. Online is faster and cheaper for LLCs. For online filing, create a portal account and pay by credit card or e-check. For mail filing, send the completed form and payment to:
Corporations Unit
James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center
P.O. Box 778
Jefferson City, MO 651029Missouri Secretary of State. Contact Corporations
When You’ll Actually Have the Charter Number
Online LLC filings are typically approved the same day or within one business day. Once processed, the approved documents — including the Certificate of Organization with your charter number — are available to download from the portal.10Missouri Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions for the Online Filing System
Mail-in filings are slower. Paper LLC filings generally require three to four weeks of processing, and total turnaround runs four to six weeks once mail time is added. Corporation filings submitted by mail fall in a similar range. Documents are processed in the order received, and times can shift during heavy volume.10Missouri Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions for the Online Filing System Missouri does not offer expedited processing for mail filings.
Look Up or Verify Your Charter Number
Once your filing is approved, you can verify the registration and pull up your charter number through the Secretary of State’s online business entity search, which accepts searches by business name or charter number. Keep the number handy: you will need it for state tax registration, banking, and every future filing with the Secretary of State.
Keep the Charter Active
Getting the number is the easy part. Keeping it valid requires filing annual or biennial registration reports with the Secretary of State to update officers, directors, registered agent, and address.11Missouri Secretary of State. Annual and Biennial Registration Reports Filing online is cheaper than paper.
Miss the deadline and the state adds $15 for each 30-day period the report is overdue. A domestic corporation that keeps missing can have its charter administratively dissolved; a foreign corporation can have its certificate of authority revoked. Before dissolving, the Secretary of State must send written notice and give the corporation 60 days to cure.12Missouri Secretary of State. General Services and Filings
If your entity has already been administratively dissolved, reinstatement is possible. Request a rescission packet through the online filing system, file every past-due annual report, pay a $55 reinstatement fee, and, for corporations and nonprofits, get a Certificate of Tax Clearance from the Department of Revenue before submitting. All reinstatement documents must be filed together.13Missouri Secretary of State. Entity Reinstatement Entities that were voluntarily terminated or withdrawn cannot use reinstatement and would need to file new formation documents.