Foreign registration · Form 21

Missouri Corporation Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Missouri that wants to do business in Wisconsin files Form 21, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin also wants Missouri's Certificate of Good Standing ($10), dated within 60 days. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services using your Missouri records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Missouri vs Wisconsin: the paperwork

	Missouri formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Missouri Certificate of Good Standing	Form 21, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$10	$100 at order
How it is handled	Missouri: online with a verification number anyone can check, or by mail	Filed on Wisconsin's paper form
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	sos.mo.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Corporate Registration Report, $15, every two years	Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report, $65, every year
Due	Last day of the corporation's anniversary month	March 31 each year after qualification
Late yearly filing	$15 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your Missouri registered agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How Missouri companies register with Wisconsin

Order the Missouri certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($10) is ordered from Missouri separately; it is not part of our Wisconsin order. Wisconsin counts 60 days from the day Missouri issues it, so the order goes in shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form 21
It lists us as your Wisconsin registered agent, next to your Missouri name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Missouri certificate comes first; then the Wisconsin filing goes in. After approval, your Missouri corporation is registered with Wisconsin.

First-year cost, Missouri to Wisconsin

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$100
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Missouri	$10
Our service, with a year of Wisconsin registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Missouri certificate included	$309

Wisconsin's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Your Missouri name and Wisconsin's rules

We check your exact Missouri name against Wisconsin's records before filing.

Agents: Wisconsin and Missouri

Missouri and Wisconsin both call it a registered agent. Wisconsin papers come to us; Missouri's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Missouri and Wisconsin

Missouri wants the Corporate Registration Report every two years ($15); Wisconsin wants the Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report every year ($65). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Missouri to Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Missouri files Form 521 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Wisconsin company in Missouri

A corporation formed in Wisconsin that registers with Missouri files Form Corp 42 with $155 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($10) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Missouri to Wisconsin

Does my Missouri company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once a Missouri business operates there; Wisconsin does not count a one-off deal finished within 30 days.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Wisconsin issues one to Missouri corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the Wisconsin registration cost?

$299 at checkout plus $10 to Missouri for the Certificate of Good Standing, $309 in all (checkout is $100 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Missouri's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Wisconsin wants it ($10), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Missouri and Wisconsin?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Missouri's report ($15, every two years) and Wisconsin's report ($65).

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

Wisconsin can charge a Missouri company up to $65 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

Yes: the Missouri registered agent stays, and ours covers Wisconsin for year one.

Can I form a new Wisconsin corporation instead?

Yes, but Missouri keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Missouri's Corporate Registration Report.

Official sources

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