The Missouri LLC cost starts at $50 if you file your Articles of Organization online with the Secretary of State, or $105 if you file on paper by mail. Missouri does not charge an annual report fee and does not impose a franchise tax on LLCs, so once the entity is formed, your mandatory state-level costs essentially stop until you owe income or sales tax.1Nolo. LLC Annual Report and Tax Filing Requirements in Missouri
What You Pay the State to Form the LLC
The core filing is the Articles of Organization, submitted to the Secretary of State’s Corporations Division. Online filings cost $50 and are typically approved immediately or within a few business days. Paper filings cost $105 and take roughly three to four weeks to process, plus mail time.2Missouri Secretary of State. Schedule of Fees and Charges3Missouri Secretary of State. Registration System FAQ Missouri does not offer a formal expedited option, though walk-in filings at the Jefferson City office may be handled more quickly.4Missouri Secretary of State. Starting a Business
If you pay the online fee with a credit card, a third-party vendor adds a convenience charge of 2% plus $0.25. E-check payments carry a flat $0.50 fee. Those charges go to the processor, not the state.5Missouri Secretary of State. E-Payment Convenience Fees
Active-duty military personnel in Missouri, including members of the Missouri National Guard, are exempt from the filing fee for new businesses.2Missouri Secretary of State. Schedule of Fees and Charges
Ongoing State Costs
This is where Missouri is unusually cheap. The state does not require LLCs to file an annual report, and there is no franchise tax on LLCs.1Nolo. LLC Annual Report and Tax Filing Requirements in Missouri Nothing recurring is owed to the Secretary of State simply to keep the LLC in good standing. Your real ongoing costs come from whatever you pay a registered agent, any local license renewals, and the taxes you owe on income or sales.
Registered Agent
Every Missouri LLC must maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in the state. The agent can be an individual Missouri resident or a business entity authorized to operate in Missouri. PO boxes alone don’t qualify, and retail mail stores such as UPS Store locations cannot serve as the registered office.6Missouri Secretary of State. Business FAQ
You can serve as your own registered agent at no cost if you have a qualifying address and are available during business hours. A commercial service costs roughly $100 to $300 per year, with well-known providers generally priced between $99 and $250.7Forbes. Missouri Registered Agents Changing your registered agent later costs $10 at the Secretary of State.2Missouri Secretary of State. Schedule of Fees and Charges
Optional Add-Ons at Formation
A handful of filings are available if your situation calls for them:
- Name reservation: $25, holding your chosen name for 60 days with up to two renewals, for a maximum of 180 days.8Missouri Secretary of State. Starting a Business in Missouri
- Fictitious name (DBA) registration: $7, required if the LLC operates under a name other than its exact legal name. The registration lasts five years.9Missouri Secretary of State. Fictitious Name FAQ
- Preclearance examination: $55, a pre-submission review of your proposed documents.10Missouri Secretary of State. General Information
Missouri law requires LLC members to adopt an operating agreement, but it is an internal document that is not filed with any agency and carries no state fee.11Missouri Revisor of Statutes. RSMo Section 347.08112Missouri Secretary of State. Startup Guide Any cost comes from hiring an attorney to draft or review one, which single-member LLCs often skip in favor of a template.
A federal Employer Identification Number from the IRS is free through the IRS’s online application. Third-party services sometimes charge for this; there’s no reason to pay for it.13Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. Entrepreneur Checklist
Local Licenses and Taxes
Forming the LLC at the state level does not cover local licensing. Most Missouri cities and counties require their own business license, with fees that vary by jurisdiction. Kansas City, for instance, requires a business license for any operation generating revenue inside city limits, renewed annually, with a free zoning clearance letter needed before issuance.14Kansas City, Missouri. KC Business License St. Louis requires a Graduated Business License for each location and trade name, valid June 1 through May 31.15City of St. Louis. Business License Info Industry-specific permits may apply on top of the general license.
Missouri LLCs are generally treated as pass-through entities, so the LLC itself doesn’t pay state income tax; income flows to the members. LLCs with employees must register for withholding and unemployment tax through the state’s MyTax portal, and LLCs selling tangible goods or taxable services need a Missouri sales tax license.16Missouri Department of Revenue. Register Business17Missouri Department of Revenue. Registration Requirements
Later Filings and Dissolution
The Secretary of State charges flat fees for changes you may file over the life of the LLC:2Missouri Secretary of State. Schedule of Fees and Charges
- Amendment to Articles of Organization: $2518Missouri Secretary of State. Amendment of Articles of Organization (LLC 12)
- Merger with the LLC as surviving entity: $25
- Notice of Winding Up: $25
- Articles of Termination: $2519Missouri Secretary of State. Articles of Termination (LLC 5)
- Certificate of Good Standing: $10
- Change of registered agent or office address: $10
- Certified copy of a business record: $10, plus $0.50 per page for paper copies
Closing the LLC runs $50 total, since the Notice of Winding Up must be on record before the Articles of Termination can be accepted.20Missouri Secretary of State. Business Corporation Forms
Foreign LLCs Registering in Missouri
If your LLC was formed in another state and you want to do business in Missouri, you file an Application for Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-4). The fee is $105 whether filed online or on paper, and the application must include a current certificate of good standing from the home state dated within 60 days of filing.21Missouri Secretary of State. Application for Registration of a Foreign LLC (LLC 4)
Using a Formation Service
Missouri’s online filing is straightforward enough that many owners handle it themselves and pay only the $50 state fee. If you’d rather pay someone to file for you, base-tier pricing from the major providers generally starts at $0 to $39 on top of state fees:
- ZenBusiness: $0 plus state fees, with registered agent service as a $199-per-year add-on.22ZenBusiness. Best Missouri LLC Services
- LegalZoom: $0 plus state fees, with registered agent service at $249 per year.22ZenBusiness. Best Missouri LLC Services
- Bizee (formerly Incfile): $0 plus state fees, including one year of free registered agent service, then $119 to $149 per year.23Forbes. Best LLC Services
- Northwest Registered Agent: $39 plus state fees, including one year of free registered agent service, then $125 per year.22ZenBusiness. Best Missouri LLC Services
Higher-tier plans add features like rush filing, compliance monitoring, and operating agreement templates, generally priced between roughly $199 and $400 per year.
What You’ll Actually Spend
The minimum for a domestic Missouri LLC filed online, with you acting as your own registered agent, is $50. A more realistic first-year budget that includes a commercial registered agent, a DBA registration, and a free EIN lands in the $175 to $375 range depending on which agent you pick. From year two onward, because Missouri doesn’t require an annual report or charge a franchise tax, your recurring costs are usually just the registered agent fee and any local business license renewals.