Missouri Registered Agent: Requirements & Rules (2026)

Q: Can I be my own registered agent in Missouri?

Yes. You can serve as your own registered agent if you are a Missouri resident or your LLC has a physical Missouri street address and you are available during business hours to receive service of process. There is no separate fee to name yourself.

Q: Can a registered agent use a P.O. box in Missouri?

No. The registered office must be a physical Missouri street address. Form LLC-1 states a P.O. box may not be used unless a street address is also provided. The address is public record where process is served.

Q: How much does it cost to change a registered agent in Missouri?

The Missouri Secretary of State charges $10 to file a change of registered agent or registered office. You submit the change form and pay the fee; the new agent must be willing to accept service of process.

Q: What happens if a Missouri LLC has no registered agent?

Under section 347.033 RSMo, if the LLC fails to maintain an agent and no authorized person or organizer can be found with reasonable diligence, the Secretary of State becomes the agent for service of process, so you can be sued without direct notice.

Fact-checked by the LegalGlass editorial team against primary sources · Published Aug 6, 2026 · Last updated Aug 6, 2026

Every Missouri LLC must appoint and continuously maintain a registered agent with a physical Missouri street address under section 347.030 RSMo. You name the initial agent in Article 3 of Form LLC-1, can act as your own agent for free, and pay $10 to change agents with the Missouri Secretary of State.

Quick Answer

Required?: Yes - for every Missouri LLC (§ 347.030 RSMo)
Who qualifies: A Missouri resident or entity with a physical Missouri street address
Registered office: Physical street address - no P.O. box alone
Where named: Article 3 of Form LLC-1 (Articles of Organization)
Change fee: $10 with the Secretary of State
Cost to self-serve: $0

What a Missouri Registered Agent Is

A registered agent is the person or entity your LLC designates to receive service of process (lawsuit papers), tax notices, and official correspondence from the state. The physical location where the agent is available is the registered office. Section 347.033 RSMo makes the registered agent the party "upon whom any process, notice or demand required or permitted by law to be served upon the limited liability company may be served." The point is to give the public, courts, and the state a reliable, in-state contact for your business. For the concept generally, see the national registered agent overview.

Is a Registered Agent Required in Missouri?

Yes. Section 347.030 RSMo requires every limited liability company to appoint and continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in Missouri. You cannot form or keep an LLC in good standing without one. You name the initial agent directly on Form LLC-1, the Articles of Organization, in Article 3, which asks for the name and Missouri address of the registered agent. The requirement is continuous - if your agent resigns or moves, you must promptly appoint a replacement. See the formation walkthrough at how to form an LLC in Missouri.

Who Can Be a Registered Agent in Missouri

A Missouri registered agent must have a physical presence in the state. In practice, the agent is one of the following:

An individual who resides in Missouri and has a Missouri street address.
A domestic entity with a Missouri business office.
A foreign entity authorized to transact business in Missouri that maintains an office in the state.
A commercial registered agent service that offers a Missouri address.

The registered office must be a physical Missouri street address. Form LLC-1 is explicit that a P.O. box may not be used as the agent's address unless a street address is also provided, because a process server has to physically reach the agent. The agent should be reliably available during normal business hours.

Can You Be Your Own Registered Agent?

Yes. If you are a Missouri resident (or your LLC has a Missouri street address you staff during business hours), you can serve as your own registered agent at no extra cost. Many single-member LLCs do exactly this. The trade-offs:

Privacy. Your registered office address becomes public record and can attract solicitations.
Availability. You must be present at that address during business hours; if you travel or work off-site, you may miss a process server.
Being served in front of others. Lawsuit papers may be delivered at your home or storefront.

A commercial registered agent service solves privacy and availability for an annual fee set by the provider. LegalGlass is a neutral reference and does not sell or recommend any registered agent service.

Commercial Agent vs. Serving Yourself

The practical choice for most Missouri LLCs is between naming yourself (or a member) and hiring a commercial registered agent. Serving yourself costs nothing and keeps the role in-house, but it ties you to being at the registered office during business hours and puts your address into the public record. A commercial agent keeps your home address off the public filing, forwards and often scans service of process, and gives you a stable address that does not change when you move or relocate the business - which matters because a change of registered office otherwise requires a filing. The trade-off is the annual service fee, which the provider sets, and remembering to renew it so coverage never lapses.

Whichever you choose, the legal standard is the same: the agent must have a physical Missouri street address and be reliably available to accept service of process. Missouri does not treat a commercial agent differently from an individual agent for the purposes of section 347.030 RSMo; the statute simply requires that an agent and office exist and be maintained without a gap. If you are forming in Missouri while living out of state, a commercial agent is often the simplest way to satisfy the in-state address requirement. See do I need a registered agent for how this requirement works across states.

How to Change Your Missouri Registered Agent

To change your registered agent or registered office, file the change with the Missouri Secretary of State and pay the $10 fee listed on the Schedule of Fees and Charges. The change takes effect when the Secretary of State files it. Keep the appointment current: an agent who has moved or resigned no longer satisfies section 347.030 RSMo.

Action	Fee (2026)	Agency
Name registered agent on formation (Form LLC-1)	Included in filing fee	Secretary of State
Change of registered agent / registered office	$10	Secretary of State
Resignation of registered agent	$10	Secretary of State
Serve as your own agent	$0	-

What Happens If You Don't Maintain One

Failing to keep a registered agent has a specific statutory consequence in Missouri. Under section 347.033 RSMo, if the LLC fails to maintain a registered agent, and neither an authorized person nor an organizer can be found after reasonable diligence, the Secretary of State becomes the agent for service of process for the LLC. The Secretary then forwards any served documents to the organizer's last known address. In plain terms: a lawsuit can proceed against your LLC even though the papers never reached you directly, which can lead to a default judgment.

Because Missouri LLCs file no annual report, the registered agent is one of the few ongoing compliance items with the Secretary of State - making it the single most important record to keep accurate. Review it whenever you move.

Registered Agent vs. Other Roles

Do not confuse the registered agent with other business contacts. The registered agent handles legal and state notices only. It is not necessarily the same as your EIN responsible party (the person the IRS lists for tax identification), your organizer (who signs Form LLC-1 and need not be an owner), or your principal office. A single person can hold several of these roles, but they are legally distinct. For tax registration, you deal with the Missouri Department of Revenue, not the registered agent - see Missouri LLC taxes and filing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a Missouri LLC need a registered agent?

Yes. Section 347.030 RSMo requires every Missouri LLC to appoint and continuously maintain a registered agent and registered office. You name the initial agent in Article 3 of Form LLC-1.

Can I be my own registered agent in Missouri?

Yes, if you are a Missouri resident or have a physical Missouri street address and are available during business hours. There is no separate fee to name yourself on Form LLC-1.

Can a registered agent use a P.O. box in Missouri?

No. The registered office must be a physical street address. Form LLC-1 states a P.O. box may not be used unless a street address is also provided.

How much does it cost to change a registered agent in Missouri?

$10 to file the change with the Missouri Secretary of State. The new agent must be willing to accept service of process at a Missouri street address.

What happens if a Missouri LLC has no registered agent?

Under section 347.033 RSMo, the Secretary of State becomes the agent for service of process if no agent, authorized person, or organizer can be found, so your LLC can be sued without direct notice.

Sources

Missouri Revised Statutes - § 347.030 RSMo, Registered agent and registered office required, changes, resignation.
Missouri Revised Statutes - § 347.033 RSMo, Service of process on registered agent; Secretary of State as agent.
Missouri Revised Statutes - § 347.039 RSMo, Articles of organization, contents (agent named).
Missouri Secretary of State - Form LLC-1, Articles of Organization (PDF) (Article 3 registered agent; street address, no P.O. box alone).
Missouri Secretary of State - Schedule of Fees and Charges (PDF) ($10 change of registered agent / office; $10 resignation of registered agent).
Missouri Secretary of State - Start a Business (registered agent named at formation).
Missouri Secretary of State - Business Services online filing and search.
Missouri Department of Revenue - Register a Business (tax registration is separate from the registered agent).
Missouri Revised Statutes - § 347.081 RSMo, Operating agreement.
IRS - Get an Employer Identification Number (responsible party is distinct from registered agent).
Legal Information Institute (Cornell) - Service of process.
Legal Information Institute (Cornell) - Registered agent.

LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not a law firm or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney. Laws and fees change; verify current requirements with the Missouri Secretary of State before acting.