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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Chapter 1 · Missouri

Missouri LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 7 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

Summary for 2026: to handle forming an LLC in Missouri with outside help, choose among MO Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Missouri Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. The chapter has 7 sections. Missouri charges $50 to file.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key points

Fee to form $50 Source text at sos.mo.gov, October 2026
Recurring report None Nothing recurring
Three years of state fees $50 Filing plus the recurring state fees
Section count 7 First to last

What this chapter teaches

  • The Missouri formation document, its fee and its recipient
  • What the agent rule says
  • How to remain in good standing
  • The services ranked highest

Missouri: the ranked services

Three-year cost and paperwork completed carry the most weight; how we grade lists all five.

1. MO Registered Agent.org: best for Missouri LLCs that watch every dollar

Best overall
Formation $199; renewal $99 annually

First place goes to MO Registered Agent.org; the filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

Its three-year total is below Mainstay Filing's, which earns first place because cost carries 34%.

Price covers

  • The filing is made for you
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 and the state fee
  • Then $99 per year
  • First agent year included

Limitations

  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit MO Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for a single yearly fee

All fifty states
$199 annually and the $50 state fee

The second recommendation, Mainstay Filing: one annual payment of $199 completes the filing and provides a registered agent, plus the EIN application.

Total three years and it comes to $200 more than MO Registered Agent.org.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • No markup on the state fee

Advantages

  • Renews at $199
  • $199 annually, all inclusive
  • The EIN application is prepared as well

Limitations

  • MO Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less
  • Missouri gives it no report to file
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Missouri Registered Agent.co: best for a small agent renewal

In-state service
Formation $199; renewal $99 annually

Missouri Registered Agent.co takes third position; the filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

It publishes the same prices as MO Registered Agent.org.

Price covers

  • The filing is made for you
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 and the state fee
  • First agent year included
  • Then $99 per year

Limitations

  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit Missouri Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Rankings and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 MO Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit MO Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Missouri Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Missouri Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Every row also owes the $50 state fee.

Formation in sequence

  1. Section 1

    Confirm the name is not taken

    Start in the business name records of the Missouri Secretary of State. A name already registered in Missouri may cause the filing to be rejected.

    Keep a second choice on hand.

  2. Section 2

    Name your registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Missouri resident, or a corporation authorized in Missouri, whose business office is the registered office.

    The address has to be a physical street address in Missouri. A P.O. box can be listed only together with a street address.

    Any service in the recommended reading provides a registered agent.

    Reference: Source text at revisor.mo.gov, October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Who prepares the filing

    The state fee, $50, applies either way; the recommended services charge $199 for their part.

  4. Section 4

    The filing to prepare is the Articles of Organization

    Required: the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1), the $50 fee, and delivery to the Missouri Secretary of State.

    Reference: Source text at sos.mo.gov, October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Secure the LLC's EIN

    The IRS, not Missouri, issues EINs. Apply after the state approves the LLC and give the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing prepares the EIN application as part of its package.

  6. Section 6

    Write the operating agreement

    Ownership and management rules belong in the operating agreement, an internal record that is separate from the Missouri filing.

  7. Section 7

    Record the recurring deadlines

    The state asks for no yearly filing, but the registered agent must stay on record.

Missouri costs by section

Line itemPaid toAmount
Forming the LLC Filing office$50
Service, if hired The service$199 for year one
State fees across years one to three Filing office$50

The filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax make up the state's three-year total; the bibliography shows where each figure came from.

Why the list is in this order

Tuition over three years accounts for 34% of the ranking, and led on it in Missouri.

Add up years one to three with MO Registered Agent.org and the sum is $397; the same period at Mainstay Filing runs $200 higher.

Missouri questions

Which fees does Missouri charge when an LLC is formed?

The official schedule lists $50. Hiring one of them costs $199 extra.

Which form creates the LLC?

Deliver the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) to the Missouri Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Missouri require each year?

The state requires no recurring report.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners may file by paying $50 as long as they appoint a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Choose MO Registered Agent.org: $199 to start with the first agent year paid, followed by $99 annually. Next are Mainstay Filing and Missouri Registered Agent.co.

More chapters

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. RSMo 347.037 rests on revisor.mo.gov, a text consulted August 2026.
  2. Missouri formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on sos.mo.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  3. Missouri registered agent statute rests on revisor.mo.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  4. pricing page (MO Registered Agent.org), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  5. Missouri service page (Mainstay Filing), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  6. pricing page (Missouri Registered Agent.co), as it stood on November 13, 2026