What Is the Cost of a Registered Agent in Missouri?
Every Missouri business entity that files with the Secretary of State must budget for two independent expense categories: state filing fees paid directly to the Missouri Secretary of State and commercial service fees paid to a private registered agent provider. Keeping these categories separate is the foundation of an accurate cost projection, because each is governed by different pricing structures and payment triggers.
State filing fees are fixed amounts published in the Missouri Secretary of State Schedule of Fees and Charges. They apply only at the moment a document is filed — at formation, when changing an agent, or when an agent resigns. Missouri does not impose any recurring annual state fee solely for maintaining a registered agent on file.
Commercial service fees are the annual charges paid to a professional registered agent company for providing a physical Missouri address, accepting service of process, and forwarding legal documents. These fees vary by provider and typically range from $49 to $300 per year in Missouri, depending on the scope of services and add-ons included.
Missouri law does not require any entity to hire a commercial registered agent service. Under the Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo) § 351.370, a corporation may appoint any individual resident of Missouri whose business office is identical to the entity’s registered office, or any corporation authorized to transact business in this state. An owner, officer, or member who meets these requirements may serve as the entity’s registered agent at no commercial cost.
Missouri State Filing Fees for Registered Agent Appointments
The registered agent designation in Missouri is not a standalone filing. It is embedded within the entity’s formation document — Articles of Incorporation for a corporation, Articles of Organization for an LLC, or Certificate of Limited Partnership for an LP. The state does not assess a separate line-item fee for the registered agent designation; instead, the agent appointment is included in the same filing fee that creates the entity.
The table below shows formation filing fees by entity type, as published in the Missouri Secretary of State Schedule of Fees and Charges. Each fee includes the cost of designating the entity’s initial registered agent.
| Entity Type | Form | Filing Fee |
| Domestic For-Profit Corporation | Articles of Incorporation (Corp. 41) | $58 minimum (scales with authorized capital) |
| Domestic Nonprofit Corporation | Articles of Incorporation (Corp. 52) | $25 |
| Domestic LLC (online) | Articles of Organization (LLC 1) | $50 |
| Domestic LLC (paper) | Articles of Organization (LLC 1) | $105 |
| Domestic Limited Partnership | Certificate of Limited Partnership (LP 41) | $105 |
| Domestic LLP (2 partners) | Application for Registration (LLP 1) | $55 |
| Domestic LLP (3 partners) | Application for Registration (LLP 1) | $80 |
| Domestic LLP (4+ partners) | Application for Registration (LLP 1) | $105 |
| Domestic LLLP (1 general partner) | Application for Registration (LLLP 1) | $30 |
| Foreign For-Profit Corporation | Application for Certificate of Authority (Corp. 42) | $155 |
| Foreign Nonprofit Corporation | Application for Certificate of Authority (Corp. 73) | $25 |
| Foreign LLC (paper) | Certificate of Registration (LLC 2) | $105 |
| Foreign LLC (online) | Certificate of Registration (LLC 2) | $50 |
| Foreign Limited Partnership | Certificate of Limited Partnership (LP 41) | $105 |
For-profit corporation incorporation fees are calculated on the dollar value of authorized shares: $50 for the first $30,000 of authorized capital, plus $5 for each additional $10,000 (or fraction thereof), plus a $3 certificate-issuance fee and a $5 Technology Trust Fund fee. No-par shares are valued at $1 per share for fee purposes. Detailed instructions appear on the Starting a Business page.
All filings may be paid by check made payable to “Secretary of State” and mailed to Corporations Division, PO Box 778, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Electronic payments via credit card incur a convenience fee of 2% + $0.25 per transaction, and e-check payments incur a flat $0.50 fee, as set forth on the E-Payment Convenience Fees page. These convenience fees are collected by the payment vendor, not by the State of Missouri.
State Filing Fee to Change a Registered Agent
When a Missouri entity replaces its registered agent or updates its registered office address after formation, the entity must file a Statement of Change with the Secretary of State. Under RSMo § 351.375, the corporation’s statement must include the name and address of the current agent, the name and written consent of the successor agent, and a recital that the change was authorized by the board of directors. For LLCs, the parallel requirement appears in RSMo § 347.030.
The table below lists the filing fees for all registered-agent-related actions, drawn from the Schedule of Fees and Charges.
| Action | Form | Filing Fee |
| Change of registered agent and/or office (all entities except LLP) | Statement of Change of Registered Agent (Corp. 59 / LLC 8) | $10 |
| Change of registered agent AND registered office (LLP) | Statement of Change (LLP) | $37 + $7 per additional LLP affected |
| Change of registered office address only (LLP) | Statement of Change (LLP) | $22 + $7 per additional LLP affected |
| Resignation of registered agent (all entities except LLP) | Statement of Resignation | $10 |
| Resignation of registered agent (LLP) | Statement of Resignation (LLP) | $15 |
| Consent to serve as registered agent | Acceptance of Appointment and Consent to Serve as Registered Agent (RAC 1) | — |
The Acceptance of Appointment and Consent to Serve as Registered Agent form (RAC 1) is available on the Fees & Forms page. This form is not filed independently with the Secretary of State; it accompanies or supports a change-of-agent filing or a formation filing. There is no separate state fee for the consent form itself.
Note: When a registered agent resigns from a corporation or LLC, the resignation becomes effective thirty days after the Secretary of State receives the statement or upon appointment of a new agent—whichever occurs first. If the entity fails to appoint a replacement within that window, the Secretary of State may initiate administrative dissolution (for domestic corporations) or cancellation of registration (for other entities).
What Is Included in a Registered Agent Service Fee?
The annual fee charged by a commercial registered agent company covers the professional infrastructure needed to keep the entity in compliance with Missouri’s registered agent requirement. Specific inclusions vary by provider and pricing tier, but most services share a common set of core features.
Core services (generally included at all price levels):
- A physical Missouri street address to serve as the entity’s registered office on file with the Secretary of State.
- Receipt of service of process, legal notices, tax correspondence, and other official documents during normal business hours.
- Same-day or next-day scanning and uploading of received documents to an online client portal.
- Email notification when documents arrive for the entity.
Additional services (included by some providers or at higher tiers):
- Compliance reminders for annual report deadlines and other periodic filings.
- Use of the agent’s address on formation documents to keep the owner’s personal address off the public record.
- Mail forwarding for general business correspondence beyond legal and government mail.
- Pre-populated Missouri state forms are available within the online account.
What is NOT included in a standard registered agent service fee:
- State filing fees — formation fees, change-of-agent fees, and annual report fees are paid separately to the Missouri Secretary of State.
- Preparation or filing of annual registration reports or biennial reports (unless purchased as a separate add-on service).
- Legal advice or legal representation.
- Expedited processing of state filings.
Registered Agent Cost When Forming a New Missouri Business
When a new entity is formed in Missouri, the registered agent is designated within the same formation document — there is no separate registration step and no separate state fee for the agent appointment. The only state cost at formation is the filing fee, which varies by entity type.
The table below shows the total year-one cost of forming a Missouri entity and maintaining a registered agent, which combines the state formation fee and the annual commercial service fee.
| Entity Type | State Formation Fee | Commercial RA (Year 1) | Total Year 1 Cost |
| Domestic For-Profit Corporation | $58+ | $0–$300 | $58–$358+ |
| Domestic Nonprofit Corporation | $25 | $0–$300 | $25–$325 |
| Domestic LLC (online) | $50 | $0–$300 | $50–$350 |
| Domestic LLC (paper) | $105 | $0–$300 | $105–$405 |
| Domestic Limited Partnership | $105 | $0–$300 | $105–$405 |
| Domestic LLP (4+ partners) | $105 | $0–$300 | $105–$405 |
| Foreign For-Profit Corporation | $155 | $0–$300 | $155–$455 |
| Foreign LLC (online) | $50 | $0–$300 | $50–$350 |
The $0 figure in the Commercial RA column reflects entities where an individual Missouri resident — such as an owner, officer, or director — serves as the entity’s own registered agent, eliminating the commercial service fee entirely. The eligibility rules for self-designation are set out in RSMo § 347.030 for LLCs and RSMo § 351.370 for corporations.
Many commercial registered agent providers offer the first year of registered agent service bundled into a formation package. Before purchasing any formation package, confirm whether the quoted price includes the state filing fee, the registered agent service fee for year one, and the renewal price for subsequent years. Some providers advertise introductory rates well below their standard renewal fee, with significant price increases beginning in year two.
Filing a domestic LLC online through the Missouri Online Business Filing System reduces the formation fee from $105 to $50 — a $55 savings that substantially affects the year-one budget.
Cost of Serving as Your Own Registered Agent in Missouri
Under Missouri law, any individual who is a Missouri resident and whose business office is identical with the entity’s registered office may serve as the entity’s registered agent. A corporation authorized to transact business in Missouri may also serve as an agent for another entity. An entity cannot appoint itself, but an individual owner, member, officer, or director who meets the residency and office requirements may accept the role.
Cost of self-designation:
- Commercial service fee: $0.
- State filing fee at formation: Included in the standard formation filing fee. No additional charge for the agent designation.
- State filing fee to update address: A Statement of Change must be filed for $10 (or $37+ for LLPs), per the Schedule of Fees and Charges.
Tradeoffs of self-designation vs. commercial service:
| Factor | Self as Registered Agent | Commercial Service |
| Annual cost | $0 | $49–$300/year |
| Privacy | A personal name and address appear on the public record | The provider’s address appears on the public record |
| Business hours availability | Must be available at the registered office during normal business hours | Provider maintains a staffed office |
| Service of process delivery | Delivered in person at the registered office | Scanned and forwarded electronically |
| Address updates | Must file Statement of Change ($10 fee) each time the address changes | The provider maintains a stable address; no state filing needed |
| Compliance monitoring | The entity must track its own deadlines | The provider sends reminders for annual reports and other filings |
| Eligibility requirement | Must be a Missouri resident individual with a business office at the registered office address | The provider handles all eligibility requirements |
Note: Missouri law requires that a registered office be a physical location where the agent can be served with process. A P.O. Box may appear alongside the street address, but cannot serve as the sole registered office address. A mailing-service location (such as a UPS Store) is not permitted, as stated in the Secretary of State’s FAQ page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Registered Agent Costs in Missouri
Is there a fee to designate a registered agent when forming a Missouri LLC or corporation?
There is no separate state fee for designating a registered agent at formation. The agent appointment is made within the formation document itself — Articles of Organization for an LLC or Articles of Incorporation for a corporation — and the designation is included in the standard formation filing fee. For a domestic LLC filed online, that fee is $50; for a domestic for-profit corporation, the minimum fee is $58 based on authorized capital. All formation fees are listed in the Schedule of Fees and Charges.
How much does it cost to change a registered agent in Missouri?
The filing fee for a Statement of Change of Registered Agent is $10 for corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and nonprofit corporations. For limited liability partnerships, the fee is $37 plus $7 for each additional LLP affected by the same agent change. The change may be filed by mail to the Corporations Division, PO Box 778, Jefferson City, MO 65102, or online through the Missouri Online Business Filing System. Credit card payments incur a 2% convenience fee plus $0.25, per the E-Payment Convenience Fees page.
Can I designate myself as a registered agent to avoid the annual service fee?
Yes. Missouri permits any individual Missouri resident whose business office is identical to the entity’s registered office to serve as the registered agent. This eliminates the annual commercial service fee. The tradeoff is that the individual’s name and physical address become part of the public record filed with the Secretary of State, and the individual must be available at that address during normal business hours to accept legal documents. If the self-designated agent’s address changes, a Statement of Change must be filed for $10, per the Fees & Forms page.
What is the annual cost of Northwest Registered Agent in Missouri?
Northwest Registered Agent charges $125 per year for registered agent service in Missouri. That fee covers a physical Missouri street address as the entity’s registered office, receipt and scanning of all legal documents and service of process, same-day electronic notification, and an online portal for document access. The $125 rate is a fixed annual price with no per-document surcharges. More details are available on the Northwest Registered Agent Missouri page.
Does the registered agent service fee include the state filing fee?
No. The annual fee paid to a commercial registered agent provider and the state filing fees paid to the Missouri Secretary of State are entirely separate charges. The commercial service fee covers the agent’s ongoing availability and document-handling services. State filing fees — such as the $50 LLC formation fee (online) or the $10 change-of-agent fee — must be paid directly to the Secretary of State at the time of each filing, as outlined in the Schedule of Fees and Charges.
Is there a fee to file the consent of registered agent form?
There is no state fee for the consent form. Missouri’s Acceptance of Appointment and Consent to Serve as Registered Agent form (RAC 1) is submitted as a supporting document alongside a formation filing or a change-of-agent filing—it does not carry its own filing fee. The form is available for download on the Fees & Forms page.
Is there a fee for the registered agent to resign?
Yes. The filing fee for a registered agent’s resignation is $10 for all entity types except limited liability partnerships, for which the fee is $15. Under RSMo § 347.030, an LLC’s registered agent resignation takes effect thirty days after the Secretary of State receives the statement or upon appointment of a new agent—whichever occurs first. Resignation fees are published in the Schedule of Fees and Charges.
How does the cost compare for a nonprofit corporation versus a for-profit corporation?
Nonprofit corporations pay lower fees than for-profit corporations for nearly every filing action in Missouri. The table below compares the most common registered-agent-related costs.
| Transaction | For-Profit Corporation | Nonprofit Corporation |
| Formation (Articles of Incorporation) | $58 minimum (scales with authorized capital) | $25 |
| Foreign entity registration | $155 | $25 |
| Change of registered agent | $10 | $10 |
| Resignation of registered agent | $10 | $10 |
| Annual report (paper) | $45 | $15 |
| Annual report (online) | $20 | $10 |
Formation and foreign registration savings are substantial — a nonprofit saves at least $33 on domestic formation and $130 on foreign qualification compared to a for-profit corporation. Agent change and resignation fees are identical. Annual report fees, while not directly related to the registered agent, contribute to the total ongoing compliance cost. Commercial registered agent service fees do not differ based on the entity’s tax status.
Are there any hidden fees associated with registered agent services?
State filing fees are fixed, publicly available, and published on the Missouri Secretary of State’s Fees & Forms page — there are no hidden state charges. On the commercial side, the most common pricing traps include sharply increased renewal rates after a discounted first year, upsell charges for compliance monitoring or mail forwarding presented as essential add-ons, per-document fees for forwarding service-of-process notifications beyond a limited monthly allotment, and formation-package pricing that bundles the agent fee with optional services that inflate the total cost.
Does the cost change if I move my business to a new address in Missouri?
The answer depends on which address changes and whether the entity uses a commercial service.
- Entity’s principal office address only (registered office unchanged): No state filing is required for the registered agent designation, and no fee is triggered. The entity may need to update its annual report, but the registered agent filing is unaffected.
- Registered agent’s address changes: If the agent relocates, the agent may file a Statement of Change reflecting the new address for $10 for most entity types per the General Services & Filings page.
- Replacing the agent entirely: A full change-of-agent filing is required at $10 for most entities, or $37+ for LLPs.
- Using a commercial registered agent service: No state filing is needed because the provider’s address remains stable. The provider handles all address continuity internally at no additional cost to the entity.