--- title: "Best LLC Formation Services in Missouri" canonical: https://startupowl.com/start/llc-services-missouri last_updated: "September 20, 2026" --- # Best LLC Formation Services in Missouri Missouri charges $50 to file an LLC online and never asks for an annual report. - Services Compared: 6 ## How We Chose the Best LLC Services for Missouri Missouri has no annual report. That changes what a formation service is for. The state's side is quick, $50 online with immediate processing, so we weighted compliance tools lower than in states with recurring paperwork. We graded three things hard, the operating agreement each service delivers (state law requires one), registered agent quality, and correct handling of Missouri's Series LLC option. That split is the whole Missouri market. The state's half is cheap and instant, $50 online, processed immediately, with no annual report ever. The private half is what a service actually sells here. You are buying the one document state law requires, done right, plus an agent whose office cannot be a UPS Store. ## Quick Comparison of All 6 Services | Service | Price | Best For | Rating | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Northwest Registered Agent](https://startupowl.com/go/northwest-registered-agent?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) | From $39 + state fees | Founders who want a complete business setup (formation, address, domain, email, website, phone) in one $39 entry package. | 4.8 | | [ZenBusiness](https://startupowl.com/go/zenbusiness?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) | From $0 + state fees | First-time founders needing an easy, guided, and affordable LLC setup | 4.5 | | [Tailor Brands](https://startupowl.com/go/tailor-brands?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) | From $0 + state fees | First-time founders who want LLC filing and basic branding tools in one place. | 4.2 | | [FileNow](https://startupowl.com/go/filenow?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) | From $49 + state fees | Entrepreneurs who want a clean, upsell free checkout and will take the $199 Premium plan to get 24-hour processing. | 4.2 | | [Swyft Filings](https://startupowl.com/go/swyft-filings?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) | From $0 + state fees | Founders needing fast turnaround who can navigate heavy upsells. | 3.2 | | [LegalZoom](https://startupowl.com/go/legalzoom?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) | From $0 + state fees | Founders prioritizing brand recognition and access to an extensive legal document library. | 2.8 | ## Full Reviews ### Northwest Registered Agent [Northwest Registered Agent](https://startupowl.com/go/northwest-registered-agent?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) Best Overall | From $39 | 4.8 A transparent LLC formation service that bundles a complete business identity (address, domain, email, phone, website) into a $39 entry package. Northwest is our top pick for LLC formation. The $39 package carries a business address, domain, website, email, phone line and mail scanning, plus the filing itself and a year of registered agent service. An EIN and a prepared operating agreement sit in the $139 package, not this one. It is privately held, and the Corporate Guides know the state rules they are quoting. The dashboard is plain rather than polished. At $125 a year to renew, that is a fair trade. In interviews with founders who used Northwest, one kept costs down by skipping the paid EIN add-on and applying to the IRS directly. **Best For:** Founders who want a complete business setup (formation, address, domain, email, website, phone) in one $39 entry package. **Pros** - The $39 entry package covers the state filing and a full year of registered agent service. - Business Identity comes free, a business address, domain, hosted website, email address and phone line. - Agent renewal has held at $125 a year for 20 years, with no contract and cancellation at any time. - Registered agent mail is scanned and uploaded to your account at no extra charge. - Every filing carries a 100% error-free guarantee, and Northwest files any correcting amendment at no cost. - U.S.-based Corporate Guides who actually answer the phone. **Cons** - An EIN and a prepared operating agreement need the $139 Deluxe package, not the $39 one. - Same-day processing only comes with the $199 Premium package. - The free business address includes 10 mail scans a year of ordinary mail, and each additional piece you want to view costs $15. - Customer support is not available on weekends. - Online cancellation process can be cumbersome. - The free phone line only works through Northwest's Android or iOS app, and extra numbers have no published price. ### ZenBusiness [ZenBusiness](https://startupowl.com/go/zenbusiness?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) Best for LLC Formation | From $0 | 4.5 ZenBusiness files your LLC for $0. The add-ons are where it earns. ZenBusiness runs the smoothest filing in this category. The setup walks a first-time founder through every step, and the dashboard chases your deadlines for you. Starter is $0 and never renews, so a founder who buys nothing else pays the state and stops. The catch sits beside it. Pro renews at $199 a year and Premium at $299, and on Starter the EIN, the operating agreement and the agent are each priced on their own. A strong pick if you want a polished filing and you read the cart before you pay. Founders liked getting formation, the EIN and the S corp election in one place, and one who kept the services said yearly cost was about $398. **Best For:** First-time founders needing an easy, guided, and affordable LLC setup **Pros** - Starter is $0, you pay only the state fee - The dashboard is the clearest we have used - Phone support runs 7 days a week - A free first year of Worry-Free Compliance on Starter - Good iOS app, 4.5 stars from 1.8K ratings; Android is 4.2 from 970 reviews **Cons** - Heavy push for add-ons at checkout - The registered agent is $199 a year on every tier including Premium, and on Starter the EIN and operating agreement cost $99 each on top - Renewals climb, Pro at $199 a year and Premium at $299 - Auto-renewing subscriptions are hard to cancel ### Tailor Brands [Tailor Brands](https://startupowl.com/go/tailor-brands?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) Best for Branding | From $0 | 4.2 Tailor Brands bundles logo design and a website into LLC formation, then charges $199 a year for the registered agent almost everyone needs. Formation is the free part. The logo and website builders are easy to use, and the guided setup is beginner friendly. The catch is checkout. Plan prices stay hidden until the end, a $39 a month bookkeeping trial comes pre-checked, and the registered agent most founders need costs $199 a year. That puts the real first-year cost at $199 plus your state's filing fee. If you want branding and formation together, it works. If you only need the LLC, Northwest files for a flat $39 with no upsells. Founders liked the interface and admin dashboard, but one mentioned an automatic renewal charged after about a year of no use, and they received only a partial refund. **Best For:** First-time founders who want LLC filing and basic branding tools in one place. **Pros** - Free Lite plan files the LLC for $0 plus your state fee - Beginner-friendly dashboard that is easy to navigate - Built-in logo maker and website builder in one dashboard - Customer support available on weekends - Guided questionnaire walks you through setup **Cons** - Plan prices stay hidden until the end of the questionnaire - Pre-checked $39 a month bookkeeping trial you must cancel yourself - Registered agent service costs $199 a year, more than budget rivals ### FileNow [FileNow](https://startupowl.com/go/filenow?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) Best for Speed | From $49 | 4.2 FileNow files fast and sells cleanly, but the 24-hour processing its reputation rests on sits in the $199 Premium plan, not the $49 Starter. FileNow runs the cleanest checkout in this category. Two plans, no pre-checked add-ons, no hidden fees, and every price visible before you commit. The speed is real but it is priced. FileNow's own plan comparison puts 24-hour order processing inside the $199 Premium plan and values it at $50, and same day filing is a separate $75 to $150 add-on on either plan. The $49 Starter files your Articles and runs the name search, nothing more, and the registered agent costs $119 a year on top of it. Premium bundles the agent for a free first year, the EIN, an operating agreement, a banking resolution and contract templates, which FileNow lists at $443 of value against the $199 price. **Best For:** Entrepreneurs who want a clean, upsell free checkout and will take the $199 Premium plan to get 24-hour processing. **Pros** - Checkout is transparent, no pre-checked add-ons and no hidden fees - Premium at $199 includes 24-hour processing, a free agent year, the EIN and an operating agreement - Two plans only, so the choice takes a minute - Support runs on phone, chat and email - Every plan price is shown per state before you start **Cons** - No free formation tier, the entry plan is $49 - 24-hour processing belongs to Premium, the $49 Starter does not carry it - Same day filing is an extra $75 to $150 on either plan - Starter leaves out the registered agent, which is $119 a year - No ongoing compliance dashboard ### Swyft Filings [Swyft Filings](https://startupowl.com/go/swyft-filings?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) Best for Fast Filing | From $0 | 3.2 Swyft Filings offers exceptionally fast processing speeds, but you must navigate a minefield of expensive upsells during checkout. Swyft Filings lives up to its name by offering some of the fastest LLC formation times on the market. Their 5-step setup process is simple and easy for beginners to understand. However, their aggressive upsells and missing registered agent service make their $0 starting price highly deceptive. We recommend them only if you desperately need same-day processing and know exactly which add-ons to decline. **Best For:** Founders needing fast turnaround who can navigate heavy upsells. **Pros** - Exceptionally fast processing speeds - Streamlined 5-step application interface - Knowledgeable and responsive phone support - Basic package starts at $0 plus state fees - No confusing legal jargon during setup **Cons** - Registered agent service is billed quarterly at $149, which is $596 a year - Aggressive multi-page upsell flow - Difficult cancellation process for ongoing subscriptions ### LegalZoom [LegalZoom](https://startupowl.com/go/legalzoom?src=startupowl.com%2Fstart%2Fllc-services-missouri.md_card) Most Recognized | From $0 | 2.8 A famous name with an aggressive checkout process and expensive recurring fees. LegalZoom relies heavily on its brand recognition to charge premium prices for basic services. While the platform is easy to navigate and offers excellent legal document libraries, the checkout process is a maze of expensive upsells and auto-renewing trials. We do not recommend it if you are on a budget. You will end up paying significantly more for registered agent and compliance services than you would with competitors. Founders who used LegalZoom said the formation itself was easy, then got a surprise about a year later with a registered agent renewal of about $299. **Best For:** Founders prioritizing brand recognition and access to an extensive legal document library. **Pros** - Highly intuitive platform that is easy for absolute beginners to navigate. - Access to a massive library of legal documents and forms. - Long-standing brand reputation provides reliability and peace of mind. - Customer support is available seven days a week. - Basic LLC formation is free excluding mandatory state fees. **Cons** - Incredibly aggressive upselling for simple tasks like obtaining an EIN. - Registered agent fees are heavily inflated at $249 per year. - Checkout includes pre-selected free trials that auto-renew at high prices. - Standard processing times are slow unless you pay a $99 expedite fee. ## What Makes a Good LLC Service for Missouri Founders Missouri is one of only a handful of states with **no annual report requirement**. The state's own [FAQ](https://www.sos.mo.gov/business/faqs) answers in one word, no. Illinois bills an LLC $75 every year, and Kansas collects an information report every two years. Missouri never comes back for more. Missouri allows **anonymous LLCs**, and you can check that on the state's own form. The [Articles of Organization (form LLC-1)](https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Business/llc1.pdf) have no field for member or manager names, only for an organizer, who does not have to be an owner. Your name stays off the record. Missouri offers **Series LLCs** under [Section 347.186](https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=347.186). One parent, many protected series. That beats paying $50 for each new entity if you hold several rentals or run distinct lines. Two conditions come attached. Your Articles have to give notice of the liability limit. They also have to separately identify each series. A series does not automatically cost you the anonymity above. Most guides read this wrong. Field 6 of [form LLC-1A](https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Business/llc1a.pdf) asks for the series' members or managers only if they differ from the limited liability company. Own every series yourself and the field stays blank. Bring a partner into one series and that series names names. One date has passed. The 2026 rewrite of Section 347.186 took effect on 28 August, and we read the new text at the revisor on 4 September 2026. A series can now pull its own certificate of good standing. It can also register to do business in another state under its own name, without the parent company registering there. The conditional in field 6 is unchanged in the new text, so the anonymity above survives the rewrite. What changes is the shop window. The Secretary of State has to profile every series on the public business search by 31 January 2027, the same way a normal company is listed. The filing stays quiet. The register will not. Missouri law **requires an operating agreement** for every LLC ([RSMo 347.081](https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=347.081)). Most states treat the document as optional. Here the statute says shall. A single member company needs it as a written declaration. The state never collects it, the Secretary of State will not even accept one for filing, but a bank opening your business account will ask for it. Field 6 is conditional. It asks for names only where a series differs from the company, so a solo owner leaves it blank. Read at the Missouri Secretary of State form LLC-1A, revision 01/2025, and RSMo 347.186.4(2) in the text effective 28 August 2026, both on 4 September 2026. ## What to Do After You File Your Missouri LLC 1. **Adopt your operating agreement first.** Missouri law (RSMo 347.081) requires every LLC to have one, and a single member company needs it in writing. Do not mail it to the state. The Secretary of State will not accept it. Keep the signed copy with your records, banks and courts ask for it. 2. **Get an EIN from the IRS.** You need this federal number to open a business bank account, hire employees, or file taxes. It is free. The IRS website issues it in about five minutes. 3. **Register for Missouri taxes if you sell taxable goods.** Registration happens at the Missouri Department of Revenue. DOR also issues your state tax ID. 4. **Check local license requirements.** Missouri has no general state business license. But St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield each run their own licensing. Ask your city or county clerk, and our [guide to business licenses and permits](https://startupowl.com/start/business-licenses-and-permits) covers the trades that need a state board instead. 5. **Skip the federal BOI report.** The requirement is dead. Guides written before 2025 told new LLCs to file ownership reports with FinCEN or face fines. [FinCEN exempted all US-formed companies](https://www.fincen.gov/boi) on March 26, 2025, and a final rule made that permanent on 14 August 2026. A Missouri LLC formed today files nothing, and anyone charging to file one is selling a dead rule. ## Missouri LLC Tax Overview Missouri taxes LLC income that passes through to you at a top individual rate of 4.7 percent. Most guides still print 4.95 percent, a figure the state has cut in steps since 2023. The bigger change is capital gains. Since January 1, 2025, Missouri subtracts 100 percent of federal capital gains from state income (Section 143.121). Gains from selling your company are not taxed here. That subtraction runs through your personal return, so it fits an LLC taxed the default way. An LLC that elected corporate tax does not get it yet, because the state ties the corporate version to the individual rate first falling to 4.5 percent. There is no franchise tax. ## Hidden Costs to Watch Out For in Missouri Every dollar Missouri collects from a standard LLC filing. Card is the only online option. It adds 2 percent plus 25 cents. Sources, Missouri Secretary of State online filing FAQ, schedule of fees and charges, and e-payment fee schedule, all verified September 20, 2026. - **Paper filing costs $105, online costs $50** - The state's own FAQ prices the gap at $55. Every service on this page files online. If you file yourself, use the portal. - **Online filings must be paid by card** - The portal takes credit cards only. It adds a 2 percent plus 25 cent convenience fee, so the real online total is $51.25. The state keeps none of it. - **The operating agreement is legally required** - RSMo 347.081 mandates one for every Missouri LLC. Free tiers usually leave it out. Then they sell it back as an add-on or a template. - **Active duty military pay nothing, but not through the portal** - Missouri waives the Articles of Organization fee for active duty military and Missouri National Guard members who live in the state. The military member has to be an organizer and a member in the operating agreement. The catch is the route. Fees cannot be waived online, so file at a Secretary of State office or by mail with proof of service, or file online and call the office the same day for a refund. - **Name reservation costs $25 and caps at 180 days** - A reservation holds your name for 60 days and renews twice. Then the door shuts. The same applicant can never reserve that name again. ## Frequently Asked Questions About Missouri LLCs ### How much does it cost to form an LLC in Missouri? Filing online costs $50 plus a card fee of 2 percent and 25 cents, so $51.25 total. Filing on paper costs $105, and the state's own FAQ points out the $55 gap. That is all Missouri ever requires. There is no annual report. A formation service adds its own fee on top, and several on this page start at $0. ### Does Missouri require a registered agent? Yes. Every Missouri LLC needs an agent with a street address in the state. A PO Box works only next to a real street address. The state also bars retail mail stores like the UPS Store from serving as the registered office. You can be your own agent. Your address then goes on the public record. ### How long does LLC formation take in Missouri? The Secretary of State's portal processes online filings immediately after submission, in the state's own words. Your filed articles come right back. That is why no Missouri service can honestly sell speed. Paper costs more, $105 against $50, and waits on the mail. ### Does Missouri require an operating agreement for an LLC? Yes. RSMo 347.081 says the members shall adopt one. A single member LLC needs it as a written declaration. Between partners it can technically be oral, though no bank will honor a handshake. The state never sees the document, the Secretary of State will not accept one for filing. Keep the signed copy. ### Do I need to file a BOI report for my Missouri LLC? No. The requirement is dead. FinCEN exempted all US-formed companies in an interim final rule published March 26, 2025, and a final rule made that permanent on 14 August 2026. Older guides still warn about 90 day deadlines and $500 daily fines, but those predate the rule change. Only certain foreign companies registered to do business in the US still file. ### Do I have to renew my LLC every year in Missouri? No. The Secretary of State answers the annual report question for limited liability companies with a single word, no. There is no renewal filing and no yearly fee, so the $50 you pay to form the company is the last thing the state asks of you. You do have to keep a registered agent on file, and paying someone to be that agent is the only recurring cost most Missouri LLCs carry. Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up for a service through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our rankings.