Missouri Registered Agent Requirements for Your LLC

Filing fee: $50 (Articles of Organization, online); $105 (by mail)

Processing time: 3–5 business days (online); 5–7 business days (by mail)

State agency: Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division

Annual report due: Missouri LLCs are not required to file an annual report

State tax rate: No state-level LLC franchise tax; Missouri corporate income tax rate is 4%

Every LLC formed or registered to do business in Missouri must designate and continuously maintain a registered agent in the state. The registered agent receives lawsuit papers, government notices, and official correspondence from the Missouri Secretary of State on behalf of your LLC — and must be available at a physical Missouri address during normal business hours.

What a Missouri registered agent does

A registered agent is your LLC's official point of contact for legal and government documents. In Missouri, that means receiving service of process — lawsuit papers, subpoenas, and court documents — and forwarding them to you promptly. Missing one of these notices because no one was available to receive it is the kind of mistake that can put your LLC in a difficult position.

Beyond lawsuits, your registered agent also receives official mail from the Missouri Secretary of State, tax authorities, and other government agencies, then passes those notices along to you. The agent must be physically present at the registered office address during normal business hours — generally 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday — so documents can be reliably delivered.

Who can be a registered agent in Missouri

Missouri allows 2 types of registered agents: an individual person or a business entity. Each has specific requirements.

• Individual: must be at least 18 years old, a Missouri resident, and have a physical street address in Missouri where they can be reached during business hours
• Business entity: must be authorized to transact business in Missouri and maintain a physical Missouri street address as the registered office
• P.O. boxes and commercial mailbox services (like a UPS Store) do not satisfy the physical address requirement — the address must be a true street address where documents can be personally delivered

The registered agent's address does not need to match your LLC's principal business address. Many business owners use a professional registered agent service specifically to keep their home or office address off public state records.

How to appoint a registered agent for your Missouri LLC

You designate your registered agent when you file your Articles of Organization with the Missouri Secretary of State. The filing won't be approved without a registered agent listed — it's a required field, not an optional one. You'll need to provide the agent's name and their physical Missouri street address.

Once your LLC is active, you must maintain a registered agent continuously. There's no grace period if your agent resigns or becomes unavailable — your LLC needs a replacement in place right away.

How to change your registered agent in Missouri

You can change your registered agent at any time after your LLC is formed. To do so, file a Statement of Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office with the Missouri Secretary of State. The state charges a fee for this filing. Once the change is processed, your new agent's address becomes the official registered office on record.

If you're switching from one professional registered agent service to another, the new provider typically handles the paperwork. Confirm the change has been processed with the Secretary of State before assuming it's complete.

Can you be your own registered agent in Missouri?

Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in Missouri if you're at least 18, a Missouri resident, and have a physical street address in the state. But there are real trade-offs worth thinking through before you decide.

• Your name and home or office address become part of the public record filed with the Missouri Secretary of State
• You must be physically present at that address during all normal business hours — if you travel, work remotely, or move, you could miss a legal notice
• Lawsuit papers can be delivered to you in person, including in front of employees or customers
• If you miss a delivery, your LLC could default in a lawsuit without you knowing

Most business owners who start out as their own registered agent switch to a professional service once they realize the availability requirement is harder to meet than it sounds. A professional registered agent keeps your address off public records and ensures nothing gets missed.

What happens if your LLC doesn't have a registered agent?

Missouri requires every LLC to maintain a registered agent at all times. If your LLC loses its registered agent and you don't replace them, the state can administratively dissolve your LLC — meaning your business loses its legal standing to operate. Beyond dissolution, if a lawsuit is filed against your LLC while you have no registered agent on record, you may not receive notice of the suit, and a court can enter a default judgment against you.

How to search for a registered agent in Missouri

The Missouri Secretary of State's online business search tool lets you look up the registered agent on file for any LLC registered in the state. This is useful if you need to verify your own agent's information, serve legal papers on another business, or check whether a company is in good standing. Search by business name or entity number at the Missouri Secretary of State's website.