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How to start a business in Missouri

The fees, filing links and deadlines for forming and registering a business in Missouri, with the official page for each step.

Last verified October 24, 2026 General information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Each fee shows the date we checked it on the official page. Fees change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.

LLC filing fee: $50
LLC, first year (state fees): $50
Corporation filing fee: $58
Annual report: Not required
DBA filed with: State
General state license: No
Newspaper notice: No

How much does it cost to form an LLC or corporation in Missouri?

To form an LLC, file Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) with the Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division for $50 (checked Oct 24, 2026) The fee schedule shows $50 online ($105 paper) and says fees include a $5 Technology fund fee where applicable; state law (RSMo 347.179) sets $45 ($100).. You can file online. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation (Form Corp. 41) for $58 (checked Oct 24, 2026). That filing fee is not the whole bill: see what it costs in the first year.

What does an LLC really cost in its first year in Missouri?

Filing fees are only part of the cost. Here is every state fee and minimum tax we found that a new LLC must pay to form and stay in good standing for its first year. Example: Single-member LLC filed online at standard speed, operating from day one with no employees; licenses every business must hold are counted, sales tax licenses are listed separately.

State fee	Cost	When	Checked
Articles of Organization filing fee (online)	$50	at filing	Oct 24, 2026

First-year total: $50 in state fees. Formation $50 filed online. Missouri LLCs file no annual report and owe no franchise tax, so there is no state fee to stay in good standing in year one. Paying online by credit card adds a 2% plus $0.25 convenience fee ($1.25), or $0.50 by e-check. Excludes the sales tax license (only for sellers), fictitious names, city and county licenses, and registered agent services.

After the first year: No recurring state fee to keep a Missouri LLC in good standing. A fictitious name, if you have one, renews every five years for $7. City and county licenses, such as Kansas City's, renew on their own schedules.

Fees that apply only in some cases

State fee	Cost	When	Checked
Credit card convenience fee on the online filing (2% + $0.25) If you pay by credit card; an e-check costs $0.50 instead		at filing	Oct 24, 2026
Sales tax license (Department of Revenue) If you sell goods or taxable services in Missouri; no bond unless the Department asks for one	Note Confirm this on the official page before you rely on it.	before making sales	Check when you file
Fictitious name registration If you do business under a name other than the LLC's legal name; lasts five years	$7	before using the name	Oct 24, 2026
Unemployment tax registration If you hire employees and become liable (for most businesses, $1,500 in wages in a quarter or a worker in 20 weeks of a year); register within 30 days	Note Confirm this on the official page before you rely on it.	when you become liable	Oct 24, 2026

Not included: city or county licenses, a registered agent service if you hire one, and optional extras such as expedited filing. Fees can change after the date shown; confirm on the official page before you pay.

Do I need to register a DBA in Missouri?

If you do business under a name that isn’t your legal name, register it as an assumed name (DBA) with the state for $7 (checked Oct 24, 2026).

How to file a DBA

Does Missouri require an annual report?

No. Not required for LLCs. Corporations file an annual registration report by the end of the month they were incorporated ($20 online, $45 on paper). (checked Oct 24, 2026)

Does Missouri have a franchise or privilege tax?

None. Missouri's corporate franchise tax was phased out and is not imposed for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2016. Banks and trust companies still file a separate bank franchise tax return.

How do I register for state taxes in Missouri?

Register with the state revenue agency for sales tax and withholding, and open an unemployment insurance account once you hire your first employee.

Does Missouri require a general business license?

No. Missouri doesn’t issue one general business license; what you need depends on your activity and where you operate.

Missouri has no general state business license; the Secretary of State's startup steps list state tax registration and a local city or county business license. If you sell goods or taxable services, you need a sales tax license from the Department of Revenue before you start; selling without one carries a $500 penalty for the first day and $100 a day after that, up to $10,000. Since August 28, 2018, new sellers do not have to post a sales tax bond unless the Department asks for one. Sales tax, withholding and unemployment tax can be registered together in one online Department of Revenue application (or Form 2643); allow about 10 business days for a sales tax license. Professional licenses come from the Division of Professional Registration. No statewide local license lookup found.

What local licenses will I need in Missouri?

Cities and counties set their own licenses, zoning and permits. Call your city or county clerk with your business type and address before you open.

Kansas City (city)
Business License Office steps: register with the Missouri Secretary of State, get an EIN, get a zoning clearance through CompassKC for each location in the city, then register in QuickTax. New businesses file the business license form (RD-105) within 60 days of opening and renew it each year before March 1 (February 28 in 2026). The fee is based on the prior year's gross receipts; the city's pages do not list the dollar amounts.

When do I need workers’ comp in Missouri?

5 or more employees.

Construction employers need coverage with 1 or more employees. Part-time and family-member employees count, and LLC members and corporate officers count toward the total; LLC members are covered unless they opt out. Sole proprietors and partners do not count and are not covered unless they elect coverage. Farm labor, domestic servants, occasional household labor, qualified real estate agents and direct sellers, and some volunteers are exempt.

What else should I know about starting a business in Missouri?

LLC Articles of Organization cost $50 filed online or $105 on paper. Online payments by credit card carry a convenience fee of 2% plus $0.25; e-checks cost $0.50. The corporation fee depends on authorized shares: $58 covers up to $30,000 and rises $5 for each extra $10,000 (it includes a $3 certificate fee and a $5 technology fund fee). LLCs do not file annual reports with the Secretary of State. Corporations file an annual registration report due by the end of their incorporation month, $20 online or $45 on paper, or a biennial report for $40 online or $90 on paper, with a $15 late fee for each 30 days late. Anyone doing business under a name other than their legal name must register a fictitious name with the Secretary of State for $7; it lasts five years and can be renewed in the six months before it expires.

What to double-check for Missouri?

A few details below aren't spelled out on the state's own pages. Confirm them on the official page before you file.

Note The fee schedule's $50 online LLC fee ($105 paper) is $5 above state law (RSMo 347.179: $45 and $100); the schedule says its fees include a $5.00 Technology fund fee 'where applicable', but we found no statute setting that charge for LLCs. https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Business/fees.pdf
Note The Secretary of State's pages list a credit card convenience fee (2% plus $0.25) and a $0.50 e-check fee but do not say which payment methods the online LLC filing accepts. https://www.sos.mo.gov/business/corporations/e_payment_fees
Note https://dor.mo.gov/forms/2643.pdf
Note Confirm this on the official page before you rely on it.
Note Kansas City's business license fee depends on the prior year's gross receipts; the city's pages do not list the amounts. https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/finance/business-license
Note Confirm this on the official page before you rely on it.

What to do next

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Sources

Official pages checked on October 24, 2026.