The 5 Best Registered Agents in Missouri (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan The 5 best registered agents in Missouri in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest Registered Agent, MO Registered Agent.org, Bizee, and Missouri Registered Agent.co.

Maya Welcome to The Business Formation Podcast. Missouri. What should a listener know first?

Dan Missouri has no annual report for an LLC, and a change of agent is only $10. But the state is picky about addresses, and it won't let your LLC be its own agent.

0:30 What Missouri requires

Maya What does the law require?

Dan Statute 347.030 says every Missouri LLC must continuously maintain a registered office and a registered agent for service of process.

Maya Who can be the agent?

Dan An individual who is a resident of the state and whose business office is the registered office, or a domestic or authorized foreign corporation with its business office there.

Maya Can the LLC be its own agent?

Dan No. The form says the corporation may not act as its own agent.

Maya And the Secretary of State?

Dan The statute says the Secretary of State shall not be appointed as the resident agent, with narrow exceptions.

Maya What about the address?

Dan A physical location where the agent can be served. A P.O. box only works if a street address in the same city is listed too, and a mailing store like The UPS Store is not allowed.

Maya I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan.

Dan Thanks, Maya. Now the five.

1:31 Mainstay Filing

Maya Number one?

Dan Mainstay Filing, $149 a year, and it's the same $149 at renewal.

Maya What do I get?

Dan Its Missouri address on the public record instead of yours. Served papers are scanned and uploaded the same business day at no fee, and the first three government mailings a year are scanned free.

Maya And if I already have an agent?

Dan Mainstay files the change for you. The $10 state fee passes through at cost.

Maya The honest catch?

Dan If all you want is the lowest flat price, two agents below it charge $99.

2:10 Northwest Registered Agent

Maya Second?

Dan Northwest Registered Agent, $125 a year. It says the price hasn't gone up in 20 years, and up to 10 pieces of regular mail a year are scanned free.

Maya The catch?

Dan Signup auto-enrolls you in its annual report filing service, $100 plus state fees per filing, until you cancel.

Maya Doesn't Missouri skip the annual report?

Dan It does. Missouri LLCs file none, so check what that service would file before you pay for it.

2:39 MO Registered Agent.org

Maya Third?

Dan MO Registered Agent.org, $99 a year, the same at renewal. The office address on your filings, same-day scanning of legal mail, and reminders for state deadlines.

Maya Switching?

Dan Just the $10 state fee.

Maya Any catch?

Dan Formation filing is a separate service, so if you still need to form the company, that's extra.

Maya Against Mainstay?

Dan $50 less a year, $150 across three.

3:07 Bizee

Maya Four?

Dan Bizee, formerly Incfile. Free the first year with a formation package, then $149 a year.

Maya Fine print?

Dan The free year needs a formation order, and the renewal is automatic.

Maya If I'd already formed my company?

Dan You start at $149. Two years is $298.

3:31 Missouri Registered Agent.co

Maya And five?

Dan Missouri Registered Agent.co, a flat $99. The office address, scanning of legal correspondence, and reminders for state filings.

Maya Different from number three?

Dan On the listings, no. Same price, and the same catch: formation filing is a separate service.

3:52 Naming the agent at formation

Maya Where does the agent go when I form the LLC?

Dan In the Articles of Organization, Form LLC 1, item three. It takes the agent's name and Missouri address.

Maya What does the filing cost?

Dan $50 online or $105 on paper.

Maya That's a big gap.

Dan It is, and it's the reason most people file online.

Maya Is a P.O. box okay for the agent's address?

Dan Not by itself. The form says you may not use a P.O. box unless a street address is also provided.

4:25 Changing the agent

Maya How do I change it later?

Dan Form Corp 59, the Statement of Change of Registered Agent and Registered Office. The fee is $10.

Maya Who has to agree?

Dan The new agent. Their written consent has to be on the statement or attached to it.

Maya What does consent look like?

Dan Either an authorized signature on the form, or a separate signed letter. Online, it's an uploaded statement from the new agent saying they consent. The state also has a short form for it, the Acceptance of Appointment.

Maya Does the LLC have to approve it?

Dan The statement recites that the change was authorized by the LLC. And it's effective on filing.

Maya When is a change required?

Dan If the agent's office becomes vacant, or the agent becomes disqualified or incapacitated.

5:11 If the agent resigns

Maya What if my agent quits?

Dan The agent files Form LLC 6, a statement of resignation, with a $10 fee.

Maya Do they have to tell me?

Dan Yes. The statement represents that they gave your LLC written notice and a copy.

Maya When does it take effect?

Dan After 30 days from the state's receipt, or when you appoint a new agent, whichever comes first.

Maya So I have about a month.

Dan At most. Name the replacement with Form Corp 59 right away, and the resignation takes effect sooner.

5:41 When there's no agent

Maya What if papers need to reach a company with no agent?

Dan Statute 347.033 lets process go to an authorized person of the LLC. If that fails, to an organizer.

Maya And if nobody can be found?

Dan Then the Secretary of State is automatically appointed as agent for as long as the default exists.

Maya That sounds risky.

Dan It is. Papers sit with the state and may not reach you in time. We found no dissolution rule for a missing agent, but the exposure is real.

6:12 No annual report

Maya What does Missouri want each year?

Dan Nothing. Missouri LLCs file no annual report.

Maya So no deadline at all?

Dan No state report that restates your agent, so a stale record can sit unnoticed.

Maya Where do other state notices go?

Dan We found no official page saying. So the discipline is yours, or your agent's.

Maya What does the year cost?

Dan With Mainstay, $149. With a $99 agent, $99. The state adds nothing.

Maya That leaves the agent as the one recurring cost.

Dan And that's why the renewal price matters more here than in states with a report.

6:55 Doing it yourself

Maya Can I be my own agent in Missouri?

Dan If you're a resident with a business office at the registered office, yes. The LLC itself can't be its own agent.

Maya What's the tradeoff?

Dan The address has to be a physical place where you can be served, and it's public. If you're not there during the day, the papers aren't taken.

Maya Can I use a home address?

Dan If it's a physical location where you can be served and it's your business office, yes. A mailbox store isn't allowed.

7:24 Picking one

Maya How would a Kansas City or St. Louis owner decide?

Dan Three questions. Does the price hold, is there a real Missouri office, and who files and documents the consent when you change.

Maya And your answer?

Dan Mainstay Filing. Our pick for Missouri, at $149 a year.

7:44 The five in a row

Maya All five, once more?

Dan One, Mainstay Filing: $149, same at renewal. Two, Northwest: $125, with the report service to cancel. Three, MO Registered Agent.org: $99 flat. Four, Bizee: free the first year with a formation order, then $149. Five, Missouri Registered Agent.co: $99 flat.

Maya The links are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.