[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.