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Missouri

Missouri Business Search

Written byRegistryWise Editorial TeamFact-checked against the Missouri Secretary of State · How we research

The short answer

Missouri businesses are searched for free on the Secretary of State's Business Entity Search by business name, registered agent, name availability, or charter number, and images of filed documents can be viewed online. Missouri LLCs don't file an annual report, but they must keep a registered agent.

On this page
  1. LLC lookup, step by step
  2. What the status means
  3. Agent, filings, owners
  4. Your Charter No.
  5. Is the name available?
  6. DBA and UCC search
  7. Fees and deadlines
  8. Questions
  9. Sources

Missouri at a glance

Who runs it
Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division
Business Entity Search
Cost to search
Free
Searching and viewing filed document images are free. A Certificate of Good Standing is $10.
Account needed
No
Search without signing up
Search by
Business Name, Registered Agent
and 2 more

State fees

  • Form an LLC$50$50 online, $105 on paper.Articles of Organization (LLC 1)Official source
  • Annual reportNoneNot required in MissouriOfficial source
  • Certificate of Good Standing$10Online certificates carry a verification number.Proof the business is currentOfficial source
  • Change registered agent$10Change of Registered Agent, Office Address, or both.Every LLC must have oneOfficial source

An LLC lookup in Missouri is the same search as a business search. The Business Entity Search, kept by the Missouri Secretary of State, lists LLCs alongside corporations and other registered businesses. You can search by business Name, registered Agent, name Availability or charter No.. It's free, and you don't need an account.

The Business Entity Search search page, with the name box marked 1 and the search button marked 2.
The Business Entity Search as we found it on November 8, 2026. We marked where to type (1) and what to click (2). The state may change its layout.
  1. Open the Business Entity Search and choose Business Name, Registered Agent, Name Availability, or Charter No.
  2. For a name search, pick "Starting With", "All Words", "Any Word" or "Exact Match". Tick or untick "Only Active Corporations".
  3. Click the entity to open its details. The tabs are General Information, Filings, and Principal Office Address.
  4. On the Filings tab, open any filed document to view its image.
  5. Click "ORDER COPIES/CERTIFICATES" for certified copies or a Certificate of Good Standing ($10).

Good to know in Missouri: Missouri LLCs file no annual report, so the record won't show yearly reports or a list of managers. The charter number tells you the type: domestic LLCs start with LC and foreign LLCs with FL. The search is particular about spacing and punctuation. Use the fewest words you can, and leave off endings like "LLC" unless you choose Exact Match.

What the search shows you

  • Name, type, and charter number
  • Domesticity (Domestic or Foreign) and home state
  • Registered agent, with a link to the agent's record
  • Status (for example "Active" or "Term/Cancel")
  • Date formed and duration
  • Filed documents with type, date filed, and effective date
  • Principal office and registered office addresses

What the status words mean

Missouri uses its own words for a company's status, and they don't always mean the same thing as in other states. Here's what you'll see on the Business Entity Search, in the state's own wording.

StatusWhat it means
ActiveShown on the record for an entity currently registered with the Secretary of State. The search doesn't define it further.
Term/CancelShown for an entity that has ended its registration. The search doesn't define it. On the LLC record we checked, it followed a Notice of Winding Up and Articles of Termination, the two documents Missouri requires to terminate an LLC.
Administratively dissolvedThe Secretary of State dissolved the entity, for example for failing to keep a registered agent. An LLC reinstates by requesting a rescission packet online and filing the Application for Reinstatement (CORP 50AD).

For how these compare across states, see what business entity status means.

Finding the registered agent, filing history and owners

Registered Agent

Shown on the details page with a link to the agent's own record. The agent must be a Missouri resident or a corporation authorized in Missouri, and its business office must be the same as the registered office.

Filing history

The Filings tab lists each filed document with its type, date filed, and effective date, and the images can be reviewed online.

Owners, managers and officers

Missouri LLCs file no annual report, so there's no yearly list of members or managers. The Articles of Organization are signed by an organizer, who doesn't have to be a member or manager. If the state record doesn't name anyone, our guide on how to find the owner of an LLC covers where else to look.

Finding a Missouri Charter No.

Missouri gives every business on its register a Charter No.. It's the quickest way to pin down the right company when names are alike.

What it looks like
Letters followed by digits. Domestic LLCs look like LC1041362 and foreign LLCs like FL001713124.
Where to find yours
On the entity's details page in the Business Entity Search, and on the front of reminder notices from the Secretary of State.
Search by it
Yes. The Business Entity Search accepts it.

It's easy to mix it up with these, which come from other offices:

  • State taxpayer identification number (Missouri Department of Revenue). A separate state tax number, not the charter number. The federal EIN comes from the IRS.

Your federal EIN is a different number again. See which business number a form is asking for.

Checking whether a business name is available in Missouri

  1. Use the "Name Availability" search option before you file.
  2. For an Exact Match search, include the ending (LLC, Inc.) and punctuation. For other searches, leave them off.
  3. Reserve a name for 60 days for $25. You can renew twice, for 180 days in total, and then you can't reserve that name again.

A clear result on the state search isn't a trademark clearance. If the name matters to you, also search the USPTO trademark database and check the domain. More in our business name search guide.

DBA and UCC search in Missouri

DBAs and assumed names

What it's called
Fictitious Name
Where they're filed
Anyone doing business under a name other than their true name, including an LLC, must register the fictitious name with the Secretary of State. Each registration gets its own charter number in the same online system.
State fee
$7. Creation, renewal, correction or amendment.
How long it lasts
5 years. Renew in the six months before it expires, because an expired registration can't be renewed.

A fictitious name gives no exclusive right to the name, and any number of businesses can register the same one.

UCC liens

Lenders file UCC financing statements with the Missouri Secretary of State, UCC Division. The online search is paid and needs an account. Our Missouri UCC search guide has the steps and fees.

Missouri fees and deadlines

These are the state's own fees, before any service charges. Each row links to the official page we took it from.

Form an LLC

$50
  • Articles of Organization (LLC 1).
  • The Secretary of State doesn't post a processing time on the pages we checked. By statute, the effective date is the day the office endorses the document, which in most cases is the day it's received and first reviewed.
File online Fee source

Annual report

None
  • Missouri LLCs don't file an annual report with the Secretary of State.
  • Missouri corporations do file annual registration reports. LLCs must still keep a registered agent and registered office on file.
Official page Fee source

Change your registered agent

$10
  • Every Missouri LLC must have one.
  • Change of Registered Agent, Office Address, or both.
Fee source

Certificate of Good Standing

$10
  • Proof the company exists and is current, from the Missouri Secretary of State.
  • Online certificates carry a verification number.
Order one Fee source

96,509 new business applications were filed in Missouri from January to September 2026, up 30.3% on last year, according to the Census Bureau. See every state.

Starting a business in Missouri?

A lot of people search the Business Entity Search to see if a name is taken before they file. If that's you, here's the order to do things in.

  1. 1Check the name is free in MissouriTakes two minutes, steps on this page
  2. 2File your LLC with the stateArticles of Organization, $50 state fee
  3. 3Or let a service file it for youCompared on what you pay in year two

Step 3 goes to our comparison page, which has sponsored links. We earn a commission if you buy, and it doesn't change our rankings. How that works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I look up an LLC in Missouri?

Search the Business Entity Search, the official database kept by the Missouri Secretary of State. You can search by business Name, registered Agent, name Availability or charter No.. It's free, and you don't need an account. Open the matching record to see the LLC's status, registered agent and filing history.

Is the Missouri business entity search free?

Yes. Searching and viewing images of filed documents are free. A Certificate of Good Standing is $10.

Do Missouri LLCs file an annual report?

No. The Secretary of State's FAQ says plainly that LLCs don't file one. They do need to keep a registered agent.

Can I find out who owns a Missouri LLC?

Usually not from the Secretary of State. The record shows the registered agent and office addresses, and the Articles of Organization show the organizer, who doesn't have to be an owner.

What does "Term/Cancel" mean on a Missouri record?

The entity has ended its registration. For an LLC, that usually means it filed a Notice of Winding Up followed by Articles of Termination, which you can see on the Filings tab.

Sources

We take every fee, deadline and rule on this page from these pages and nowhere else. Rules change, so open the source before you pay anything.

  1. 1.Business Entity SearchChecked November 8, 2026
  2. 2.Online business filing portalChecked November 8, 2026
  3. 3.Example record for a foreign LLC (status Active)Checked November 8, 2026
  4. 4.Example record for a terminated domestic LLC (status Term/Cancel)Checked November 8, 2026
  5. 5.Secretary of State: business FAQChecked November 8, 2026
  6. 6.Schedule of Fees and Charges (PDF, dated June 30, 2015)Checked November 8, 2026
  7. 7.Secretary of State: Fees & FormsChecked November 8, 2026
  8. 8.Secretary of State: General Services & FilingsChecked November 8, 2026
  9. 9.Secretary of State: Entity ReinstatementChecked November 8, 2026
  10. 10.Fictitious Name Registration FAQChecked November 8, 2026
  11. 11.UCC Fee ScheduleChecked November 8, 2026
  12. 12.UCC Online PortalChecked November 8, 2026

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