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Founder Mentor Guide

Walkthrough 1 · Missouri

Missouri LLC Formation Walkthrough (2026): 7 Stages and the 3 Best LLC Services

Ranked for 2026, the services worth your call for forming an LLC in Missouri are Mainstay Filing ($199), Missouri Registered Agent.co ($199) and MO Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Expect 7 stages and a $50 state fee.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

The short version

Cost to form
$50
sos.mo.gov, seen in October 2026
Yearly report
None
Does not apply
State fees over three years
$50
Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Stages in this walkthrough
7
One at a time

By the end you will know

  • How forming an LLC works in Missouri
  • What the registered agent rule asks of you
  • What happens once the LLC exists
  • How the picks compare

The Missouri call list

Cost over three years leads, then work taken off your desk, year-two price, Missouri fit and honest pricing (scoring page).

Our call

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a ready-made package

Start with this oneYear one $199; renewal $199; state fee separate

Start with Mainstay Filing; you get formation plus a registered agent for $199, and the same bill returns at renewal (EIN application included).

Missouri Registered Agent.co costs $200 less across three years; this one still ranks higher because it takes more work off your plate.

What you get

  • Formation filing prepared and sent
  • Registered agent all year long
  • The EIN application comes with it
  • State fee passed through at cost

What works

  • One yearly fee of $199
  • $199 when you renew
  • The EIN stage is part of the package

What to watch

  • After year one it costs $100 more every year
  • Missouri has no report to wrap in, so the bundle gives you less
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Missouri Registered Agent.co: best for Missouri LLCs working to a budget

Focused on Missouri$199 and fees, then $99 yearly

Pick number 2 is Missouri Registered Agent.co, where $199 to get going, agent service for year one included, then $99 each year.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • $99 a year after that
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 to form

What to watch

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

Our call

3. MO Registered Agent.org: best for a local filer

Focused on Missouri$199 and fees, then $99 yearly

Pick number 3 is MO Registered Agent.org, where $199 to get going, agent service for year one included, then $99 each year.

It lists the same prices as Missouri Registered Agent.co.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • $99 a year after that
  • $199 to form
  • Agent covered in year one

What to watch

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

The Missouri picks side by side

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Missouri Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Missouri Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3MO Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit MO Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Pulled from each price page on November 13, 2026. The $50 state fee comes on top of each row.

Starting a Missouri LLC, stage by stage

  1. Stage 1

    Choose a name that is open

    the Missouri Secretary of State keeps the list of names in use, so check there before you spend time on forms; Missouri may turn down a duplicate.

    Decide on a plan B name in case the first is gone.

  2. Stage 2

    Line up a 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.

    You can hire whichever recommended service you like for this.

    Check it yourself: revisor.mo.gov, seen in October 2026

  3. Stage 3

    Handle it alone or get help

    Doing it yourself costs just the $50 state fee. A service adds $199 and takes over the forms; our ranking shows who we would phone.

  4. Stage 4

    Time to send in the Articles of Organization

    Fill out the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1), add $50 and send it all to the Missouri Secretary of State.

    Check it yourself: sos.mo.gov, seen in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    Pick up the EIN

    EINs come from the IRS, not Missouri. Apply after approval and hand the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing prepares the EIN application inside its package.

  6. Stage 6

    Draft the operating agreement

    Treat the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. Keep a copy; no one at the state will ask for it.

  7. Stage 7

    Deal with Missouri's repeating filing

    Missouri has no repeating LLC report, so all you have to maintain is a registered agent.

The bill

EntryReceiverCost
The formation stageGoes to the state$50
Paid helpYour service$199 at the start
Three years of state feesGoes to the state$50
The state rows come from Missouri's published fee schedules (the pages we opened are listed under the table), and each service row comes from that company's own price. Across three years the state row counts the filing, the report in year two, the report in year three and any minimum tax.

How the scores came out

On work taken off your desk (32% of the score) finished first, with right behind.

With no report to bundle, the margin over Missouri Registered Agent.co is slim.

What founders ask

How much will Missouri charge me to start an LLC?

$50, paid to the state. Bring in a service and add $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Once the Missouri Secretary of State accepts the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1), your LLC is real.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Missouri require each year?

Missouri has no recurring LLC report.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state takes filings straight from owners, so no service is needed. Expect $50 plus a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing ranks first and Missouri Registered Agent.co and MO Registered Agent.org follow; Mainstay Filing wins on work taken off your desk.

Where we got the facts

  1. Our RSMo 347.037 notes lean on revisor.mo.gov as of August 2026.
  2. Our Missouri formation fee: Filing fee, official source notes lean on sos.mo.gov as of October 2026.
  3. Our Missouri registered agent statute notes lean on revisor.mo.gov as of October 2026.
  4. November 13, 2026, Missouri service page belonging to Mainstay Filing
  5. November 13, 2026, pricing page belonging to Missouri Registered Agent.co
  6. November 13, 2026, pricing page belonging to MO Registered Agent.org