[0:00] The short answer Dan: To start an LLC in Kansas, you file Articles of Organization, Form DL, with the Kansas Secretary of State, and pay $85 online. Maya: Is that the whole fee? Dan: For the filing, yes. On paper it's $90, and Kansas cut these fees in February 2026. Maya: This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Kansas for 2026, in six steps, with what it all costs and the two best ways to have it filed for you. Where do we begin? [0:31] Step 1: Choose a name Dan: Your name has to include limited liability company, limited company, or an abbreviation like LLC or LC. And it can't already be in use. Maya: How do I find out if it's taken? Dan: Search the Secretary of State's name availability tool first. Maya: What if the name is in use? Dan: Then you file a consent, which is Form CN. Maya: Can I hold a name before I file? Dan: Yes. A reservation lasts 120 days, and it isn't renewable. [1:04] Step 2: Name a resident agent Maya: You said resident agent. Is that different from a registered agent? Dan: Same job. Kansas just calls it a resident agent. Maya: Who can do it? Dan: A Kansas resident, a business registered in Kansas, or the LLC itself. It needs a Kansas street address. Maya: The LLC itself? That's unusual. Dan: In Kansas it's allowed. But a P.O. box isn't accepted for the address. Maya: Is the agent's information private? Dan: No. It's public record, which is why many owners use a commercial agent. Changing agents later costs $30 online. [1:39] Step 3: File the Articles of Organization Maya: Where do I file? Dan: On the Secretary of State's website, using Form DL. It's $85 online. Maya: How is that different from filing on paper? Dan: Paper costs $90. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: Good to meet you, Maya. Now, the form itself is short: the name, the resident agent, the registered office, and a signature. Maya: And how long until it's approved? Dan: Filed online, it's processed within minutes. You can print your certified copy right away. Maya: So no expedite fee? Dan: No. There's nothing to pay extra, because online already takes minutes. [2:18] Step 4: Write an operating agreement Maya: Does the state want a copy? Dan: No. It isn't filed with the Secretary of State, and there's no state fee. Keep it with your records. Maya: What if I never write one down? Dan: Kansas law says an agreement can be written, oral, or implied. So put yours in writing. Maya: What goes in it? Dan: Who owns what, how profits are split, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves. [2:41] Step 5: Get a free EIN Maya: What about the federal side? Dan: Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, after the state files your Articles. Maya: How fast is it? Dan: If the online application is approved, the number is issued right away. Have the Social Security number or ITIN of the person in charge ready. Maya: And the beneficial ownership report? Dan: You can skip it. FinCEN no longer requires it from U.S. companies. [3:08] Step 6: File the information report Maya: What does Kansas want from me after I'm formed? Dan: An information report, every two years, by April 15. Maya: Which years? Dan: If you formed in an even year, you file in even years. Formed in an odd year, you file in odd years. Maya: So not annually. Dan: Right. It's $90 online, or $110 on paper. Maya: What does it list? Dan: Every member who owns 5% or more. Maya: And if I miss it? Dan: Miss it by three months, and the LLC forfeits until it files the past reports and is reinstated. [3:46] What it costs Maya: Give me the do-it-yourself number. Dan: $85 to form online. Then $90 every two years for the information report. Maya: And the EIN? Dan: Free. Maya: Anything else I might pay for? Dan: Changing your resident agent online, at $30. That's only if you switch. Maya: So the first year? Dan: $85. The first $90 report comes at your next two-year mark. [4:13] Paper or online Maya: Let me compare the two ways of filing. Start with the Articles. Dan: $85 online, $90 on paper. Maya: And the information report? Dan: $90 online, $110 on paper. Maya: So paper costs more both times. Dan: Yes, $5 more on the Articles and $20 more on the report. And online is processed within minutes. [4:38] Picking your resident agent Maya: Could I be my own agent? Dan: If you're a Kansas resident, yes, at a Kansas street address. Maya: Could the LLC do it? Dan: In Kansas, yes. It's one of the three choices. Maya: And the third? Dan: A business registered in Kansas. That's the commercial agent route. Maya: What's the catch with doing it yourself? Dan: The details are public record. A P.O. box won't do for the address, so it has to be a real street address. Maya: And switching later? Dan: $30 online. [5:07] What the form needs Maya: Walk me through Form DL, line by line. Dan: The name, the resident agent, the registered office, and a signature. Maya: That's it? Dan: That's the whole form. It's short. Maya: So the thinking happens before you file. Dan: Right. Settle the name and the agent first, and the filing takes minutes. [5:27] Why the report matters Maya: Let me press on the information report. It only comes every two years. Dan: That's the good news. But the deadline is firm, April 15. Maya: What happens at three months late? Dan: The LLC forfeits. Maya: What does that mean in practice? Dan: Until it's reinstated, it can't do other filings. Maya: And the way back? Dan: A filing fee, a penalty, and the back reports. Maya: So the $90 on time is the easier path. Dan: By a wide margin. [5:57] First-year checklist Maya: Give me the order of operations. Dan: Search the name. Choose your resident agent. File Form DL online for $85. Then get your EIN and write your operating agreement. Maya: And the calendar? Dan: The $90 information report, by April 15, every two years, in the same even or odd years as your formation. [6:21] The 2 best ways to file in Kansas Maya: What if I'd rather have someone else file? Dan: Here are the two best ways to file in Kansas. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $85 state fee, checkout comes to $284. Maya: What does that include? Dan: Your Articles filed, your EIN application, and your resident agent every year. It renews at the same $199. Maya: And the information report? Dan: Mainstay files it by April 15, every other year. You pay only the $90 state fee. Maya: Number two? Dan: KS Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee, also $284 at checkout. Your first year of agent service is free, then it's $99 a year. Maya: How do I choose? Dan: Kansas's report only comes every two years. So if you'll file it yourself, number two costs less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone. The $90 state fee is the same either way. [7:29] Three years of service fees Maya: Give me the three-year view. Dan: Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two is $199 in year one, then $99 in each of the next two years, for $397. Maya: A $200 gap. Dan: Yes, and with Mainstay that gap pays for the information report being filed on time. [7:53] Recap Maya: Can I hear it one more time? Dan: Choose a name with LLC in it, name a resident agent at a Kansas street address, file Form DL online for $85, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and file your $90 information report every two years. Maya: The links to both services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Kansas LLC.