Foreign LLC registration
Missouri Foreign LLC Registration: Form LLC 4
An LLC formed in another state registers with Missouri on Form LLC 4, Application for Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company. The $105 filing fee goes to Missouri; our $199 covers preparing and filing it plus the first year of Missouri registered agent service, for $304 at checkout. Missouri also wants a certificate of good standing from the home state, dated within 60 days.
Missouri LLC registration at a glance
- Filing
- Form LLC 4, Application for Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company
- State fee
- $105 filing fee
- Total with us
- $304, first year of Missouri registered agent service included
- Home-state certificate
- Required, dated within 60 days
- Missouri yearly filing
- None for foreign LLCs
- Filed with
- Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division
What Form LLC 4 asks for
For Form LLC 4, Missouri needs:
- The exact name of your LLC as formed
- The state it was formed in and its date of formation
- A Missouri registered agent with a street address there; we fill in ours
- A principal office address
- A certificate of good standing from the home state, no older than 60 days when Missouri receives it
LLC into Missouri, by home state
The first-year total adds the home state's certificate fee to the $304 checkout total; the certificate is ordered from that state.
| Formed in | Certificate Missouri asks for | First year |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Certificate of Existence, $25 | $329 |
| Alaska | Certificate of Compliance, $10 | $314 |
| Arizona | Certificate of Good Standing, $10 | $314 |
| Arkansas | Certificate of Good Standing, $25 | $329 |
| California | Certificate of Status, $5 | $309 |
| Colorado | Certificate of Good Standing, free | $304 |
| Connecticut | Certificate of Legal Existence, $50 | $354 |
| Delaware | Certificate of Good Standing, $50 | $354 |
| Florida | Certificate of Status, $5 | $309 |
| Georgia | Certificate of Existence, $10 | $314 |
| Hawaii | Good Standing Certificate, $5 | $309 |
| Idaho | Certificate of Existence, $10 | $314 |
| Illinois | Certificate of Good Standing, $25 | $329 |
| Indiana | Certificate of Existence, $15 | $319 |
| Iowa | Certificate of Existence, $5 | $309 |
| Kansas | Certificate of Good Standing, $7.50 | $311.50 |
| Kentucky | Certificate of Existence, $10 | $314 |
| Louisiana | Certificate of Good Standing, $25 | $329 |
| Maine | Certificate of Existence, $30 | $334 |
| Maryland | Certificate of Status, $20 | $324 |
| Massachusetts | Certificate of Good Standing, $25 | $329 |
| Michigan | Certificate of Good Standing, $10 | $314 |
| Minnesota | Certificate of Good Standing, $5 | $309 |
| Mississippi | Certificate of Good Standing / Certificate of Existence, $25 | $329 |
| Montana | Certificate of Existence, $5 | $309 |
| Nebraska | Certificate of Good Standing, $6.50 | $310.50 |
| Nevada | Certificate of Existence, $50 | $354 |
| New Hampshire | Certificate of Good Standing, $5 | $309 |
| New Jersey | Standing Certificate, $50 | $354 |
| New Mexico | Certificate of Good Standing and Compliance | $304 |
| New York | Certificate of Status, $25 | $329 |
| North Carolina | Certificate of Existence, $10 | $314 |
| North Dakota | Certificate of Good Standing, $20 | $324 |
| Ohio | Certificate of Good Standing, $5 | $309 |
| Oklahoma | Certificate of Good Standing, $20 | $324 |
| Oregon | Certificate of Existence, $10 | $314 |
| Pennsylvania | Subsistence Certificate, $40 | $344 |
| Rhode Island | Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing, $22 | $326 |
| South Carolina | Certificate of Existence, $10 | $314 |
| South Dakota | Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, $20 | $324 |
| Tennessee | Certificate of Existence, $20 | $324 |
| Texas | Certificate of Fact - Status, $15 | $319 |
| Utah | Certificate of Existence, $12 | $316 |
| Vermont | Certificate of Good Standing, $35 | $339 |
| Virginia | Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration, $6 | $310 |
| Washington | Certificate of Existence, $20 | $324 |
| West Virginia | Certificate of Existence, $10 | $314 |
| Wisconsin | Certificate of Status, $10 | $314 |
| Wyoming | Certificate of Good Standing, free | $304 |
When Missouri expects an LLC to register
Missouri law lists 7 activities that do not, on their own, count as doing business in Missouri (RSMo 347.163.5); the list gives examples and is not the full test. A one-off transaction completed within 30 days, and not one of a series, does not count either. Being a member or manager of an LLC that does business in Missouri does not by itself mean you do business there. These rules decide registration only; Missouri tax nexus and lawsuits follow their own tests. An office, staff, or regular sales and contracts there are what typically lead to registration.
If you do business in Missouri without registering
An unregistered LLC doing business there cannot start a lawsuit in Missouri courts until it registers. Its contracts stay valid, and it can still defend a case brought against it. Members and managers do not become personally liable just because the LLC skipped registration. Missouri penalties for unregistered business: a fine of at least $1,000.
Missouri registered agent rule
Missouri requires every registered foreign LLC to keep a registered agent there. Switching agents later costs $10. A resigning agent stays responsible for 30 days after filing the resignation. Our $199 includes the first year of Missouri registered agent service, then $149 a year.
Missouri yearly filings
Missouri has no annual report for foreign LLCs.
How long Missouri takes
We file Form LLC 4 with the Missouri Secretary of State.
Leaving Missouri later
If your LLC stops doing business there, it ends the registration by filing a Cancellation of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company. Until then, the Missouri registration and registered agent stay in place.
Missouri foreign LLC questions
Do I have to register my LLC in Missouri?
Yes, if it was formed in another state and does business there. Missouri law lists 7 activities that do not count on their own. A one-off deal finished within 30 days does not count either. An office, staff or regular sales there usually mean registering.
How much does foreign LLC registration in Missouri cost?
$304 at checkout: the $105 filing fee plus our $199, which includes the first year of registered agent service.
Does Missouri need a certificate from my home state?
Yes, a certificate of good standing from the home state, dated within 60 days.
What does it cost each year to stay registered in Missouri?
$149 a year for our registered agent service; Missouri has no annual report for foreign LLCs. The home state's own yearly filing stays separate.
What if I don't register with Missouri?
Your LLC cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Missouri can add a fine of at least $1,000.
Do I need a registered agent in Missouri?
Yes. Missouri requires one for every LLC registered there from another state. Ours is included for the first year, then $149 a year.
How do I withdraw from Missouri later?
File a Cancellation of Registration with the Missouri Secretary of State.
Can I form a new Missouri LLC instead?
It is possible, but that is a separate company, while the original keeps its home-state filings. Registering keeps one company in both states.
Is the Missouri filing the same for a corporation?
No: corporations file Form Corp 42 ($155 in state fees), and LLCs file Form LLC 4.
Is this a certificate of authority?
Missouri calls it registration; other states call the same step a certificate of authority or foreign qualification.
Official Missouri sources
- Missouri filing page (sos.mo.gov)
- Missouri Form LLC 4 (sos.mo.gov)
- Missouri Revised Statutes 347.153, registration of foreign LLCs
- Missouri Secretary of State, schedule of fees and charges
- Missouri Revised Statutes 347.163, failure to register
- Missouri: RSMo 351.572, authority to transact business required (foreign corporation)
- Missouri Form Corp 59, change of registered agent or office
- Missouri: RSMo 347.030, registered office and agent of a limited liability company