GUIDE: START A BUSINESS > PART SIX
Register Your Business
Ready to start a business in Missouri? You’ll want to make sure your business is legal. Below, you’ll find the six steps you need to take to make sure you have the registrations, licenses and permits for your new business.
>> Need help? Give us a call at 866-870-6500 or send us your question. We’re here to help you out.
So what’s required and who has to do it?
Let’s get started with your first six steps:
- Decide on your business structure
- Register with the Missouri Secretary of State
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Register for Missouri business taxes
- File paperwork to hire employees
- Check for city and county licenses and permits, and obtain industry licenses
Now let’s break these steps down.
1. Decide on your business structure.
All businesses must determine a legal organization that defines the rights and liabilities of participants in the business’s ownership, control, personal liability, lifespan and financial structure.
There are different forms of business organization:
- Sole proprietorship –The vast majority of small businesses start out as sole proprietorships. These firms are owned by one person, usually the individual who has day-to-day responsibility for running the business.
- Partnership – In this organization, two or more people share ownership of a single business. Like sole proprietorships, the law does not distinguish between the business and its owners.
- Limited liability company (LLC) – An LLC is designed to provide the limited liability features of a corporation and the tax efficiencies and operational flexibility of a partnership.
- Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) – A limited liability partnership provides limited liabilities to the partners where each partner is not responsible or liable for the other partner’s actions of negligence.
- Corporation – A corporation is considered by law to be a unique entity, separate and apart from those who own it. A corporation can be taxed, sued and enter into contractual agreements.
>> Confused? We can walk you through it. Give us a call at 866-870-6500 or send us your question.
2. Register with the Missouri Secretary of State.
Protect your business name by making it legal. To register a business name, contact the Secretary of State for application forms and filing requirements.
Check on the availability of your business name by searching the Secretary of State’s online database. For sole proprietors using a name other than your own, register the name of your business with the Secretary of State by filing a Fictitious Name Registration.
To register a business name for a sole proprietorship or general partnership in Missouri:
- Sole proprietors using their own name do not need to register their business name.
- Check on the availability of your business name by searching the Secretary of State’s online database.
- Sole proprietors using a name other than their own, need to register the name of the business with the Secretary of State by calling (573) 751-4153 or filling out the Fictitious Name Registration form.
- If a partnership is doing business under a name other than the owners’ true names, a fictitious name filing must be made with the Secretary of State and renewed every five years. It is also recommended that a partnership agreement be written.
To register a Corporation, LLC or LLP, contact the Secretary of State’s office for application forms and filing requirements.
- Corporations file articles of incorporation or articles of organization (LLC). This can be done online with the Secretary of State.
3. Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Employers with employees, business partnerships and corporations must obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Even if you are a sole proprietor and don’t have employees, it is still good practice to obtain an EIN. It can be used in place of your personal Social Security Number to protect against identify theft. You may also need it to file government forms and banks often require it when applying for loans.
Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) online.
4. Register for Missouri business taxes.
Now that you have a legal business, it’s time to pay your Missouri business taxes. Contact the Missouri Department of Revenue to complete tax forms based on your business activity including products sold and used in your business. There are tax assistance offices across the state of Missouri providing services for business owners including volunteer-based tax preparation.
You can also register with the Missouri Department of Labor simultaneously if you will have employees.
5. Ready to hire employees?
If you are hiring employees you will definitely need to file for a federal employer identification number or EIN for tax filing and reporting purposes. (Some banking institutions also require an EIN when applying for funding.) You will also need to register with the Missouri Division of Employment Security for unemployment tax purposes. For a deep dive on what to do if you are employing people, read the State of Missouri Employer’s Tax Guide.
You may also need to carry coverage for Workers Compensation Insurance. Check to see if you are required to carry coverage at Missouri Division of Workers Compensation.
6. Check for city/county licenses and permits.
The state may require additional licenses or business registration paperwork to be completed. It is also important to check with your local city clerk office where you intend to do business to determine licensing requirements.
Some professions, occupations or activities require special licenses or certifications. Research industry licenses to find out if your industry has any special requirements. The Missouri SBTDCs also offer a guide to licenses and permits that includes where to find out information on Occupational Licenses. Finally, check with the Missouri Division of Professional Registration.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture maintains information about licenses and permits specific to agriculture.
Tap these organizations to get help with registrations, licenses and permits
These Resource Partners can help you figure out what you need to do to set up your business legally in your town or city. Head over to The Resource Navigator to further filter your search by business industry, zip code/city/distance and/or specific need.
1 Million Cups
24:1 Small Business Network by Beyond Housing
AAIM Employers' Association
Academy of Science - St. Louis
Accelefund
Adrian City Clerk Office
Advanced Training & Technology Center
Advantage Capital Partners
AgrAbility
Agricultural Business and Policy Extension (MU Extension)
Alba City Clerk Office
All Things Missouri
Allen Angel Capital Education Program - University of Missouri-Columbia - College of Business
Alliance Credit Union
Alma City Clerk Office
AltCap
Anderson City Clerk Office
Andrew County Collector
Annapolis City Clerk Office
Annie's Project
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - Columbia
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - Kansas City
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - Missouri State University (MSU)
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - MU Extension Howell County
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - MU Extension St. Louis County
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - St. Louis
Apex Accelerators of Missouri - University of Missouri (MU) Extension
Appleton City Clerk Office
The Appleton City Clerk also works with licensing and permits in Appleton City, MO.
Arcadia City Clerk Office
Arch Grants
Arch Reactor
Arnold City Clerk's Office
Arsenal Capital Management
Artist INC/MAAA
ArtsKC - Regional Arts Council
Ascension Ventures
Ashland City Clerk Office
Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City
Asian American Chamber of Commerce-St. Louis
Assemblies of God Credit Union
Atchison County Development Corporation
Aurora City Clerk Office
Auxvasse City Hall
Ava Department of Development
B12 Capital Partners
Ballwin City Clerk Office
Bates City Clerk Office
Battlefield City Clerk Office
BD Owens Library
Belle City Clerk Office
Bellflower City Clerk Office
Belton City Clerk Office
Belton, MO Chamber of Commerce
Benton City Clerk Office
Benton County Economic Development
Bernie City Clerk Office
Bertrand City Clerk Office
Bethany Area Chamber of Commerce
Bethany City Clerk Office
Better Business Bureau of Greater Kansas City
BioGenerator
BioNexus KC
BioSTL
Birch Tree City Clerk Office
Bismarck City Clerk Office
Black Economic Union of Greater Kansas City
Black Jack City Clerk Office
Blackburn City Clerk Office
Bland City Clerk Office
Court Clerk is responsible for maintaining all court records and payments.
Bloomfield City Clerks Office
Bloomsdale City Clerks Office
Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce
Bodley Group
Bonne Terre City Clerk Office
Boone Electric Cooperative
Boonslick Community Development Corporation
Boonslick Regional Planning Commission
Bootheel Regional Planning & Economic Development Commission
Bourbon City Clerks Office
BRAND of St. Louis
Branson West City Clerks Office
Brashear City Clerks Office
Braymer City Clerks Office
Breckenridge City Clerks Office
Brentwood City Clerks Office
Bridge Space
Bridgeton City Clerks Office
Brookfield Chamber of Commerce
Brookfield Industrial Development Authority
Brookfield Public Library
Brookside Business Association
Browning City Clerks Office
Brownpreneurs
Bucklin City Clerks Office
Buffalo City Clerks Office
Bunker Labs St. Louis
Burlington Junction City Clerks Office
Butler City Clerks Office
Byrnes Mill City Clerks Office
C3 Capital
Cabool City Clerks Office
Cainsville City Clerks Office
Caldwell County
Calhoun City Clerks Office
Callaway Chamber of Commerce
Cameron Area Chamber of Commerce
Cameron City Clerk's Office
Cameron Development Department
Campus Coworking Space
Canton City Clerk Office
Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce
Cape Girardeau Area Magnet
Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
Cape Girardeau Development Services
Capital for Business, Inc.
Capital Innovators
Carthage Chamber of Commerce
Carthage Economic Development Corporation
Catalyst Center for Business
Cedar County Economic Development
Centennial Investors Angel Investor Network
Center for Emerging Technologies (CET)
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation-College of Business-University of Missouri-Columbia
Center for Experiential Learning
Center for Workforce Development - Missouri Western State University
Central Bank of Kansas City
Centralia Chamber of Commerce
Century Bank of the Ozarks
Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship at the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business, Saint Louis University
Charleston Chamber of Commerce and Tourism
Charlotte Street Foundation
Chesterfield Department of Planning
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce
Christian County Library Nixa Branch
Christian County Library Ozark Branch
CIC St. Louis
City of Albany
City of Atlanta
City of Aurora
City of Barnett
City of Bella Villa
City of Berkeley
City of Bethany
City of Blue Springs, Missouri - Economic Growth and Development Division
City of Bolivar
City of Branson, MO Open for Business
City of Brookfield
City of Buckner, Missouri - Administrator/Clerk
City of Centerview
City of Columbia, MO - Business License Division
City of Columbia-Community Development
City of Creve Coeur Green Business Program
City of Excelsior Springs, MO - Community Development Department
City of Ferguson
City of Gladstone, Missouri - Economic Development Department
City of Independence, MO - Community Development Department
• Building inspections
• Historic preservation
• Neighborhood services
• Development services
• Regulated industries
Most importantly, the city works with citizen groups, the city council, the planning commission, the zoning board of adjustment and city administration to ensure quality development throughout the city of Independence.
City of Kirksville
City of Mexico, Missouri
City of Peculiar, Missouri - Economic Development Department
City of Raytown, Office of Economic Development
City of Richmond, MO - Economic Development Department
City of Springfield - Division of Licensing
City of Springfield Economic Development
City of St. Charles Economic Development
City of Sunset Hills
City of Trenton Missouri-Trenton Municipal Utilities
Clarkton City Clerk Office
Clay County Economic Development Council
Claycomo Village City Clerk Office
Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions, St. Louis
Clinton City Clerk Office
Codefi
Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Community Capital Fund
Community Innovation and Action Center
Community Services League
COMO Cooks
Corder City Clerk Office
Country Club Village City Clerk Office
Crowder College Training & Development Solutions (TDS)
Cuba Area Chamber of Commerce
Almost 200 member companies and organizations work together to promote a positive environment to nurture businesses, improve the community, boost tourism, and support families.
Cultivation Capital
Cup of Joe
Daniel Boone Regional Library
Daviess County Missouri
Deepwater City Clerk Office
Determination, Incorporated
Digital Sandbox KC
Dixon City Clerk Office
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Doolittle City Clerk Office
Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Douglas County Public Library
Downtown Community Improvement District
The District is bounded by three colleges and encompasses 50 square blocks, more than 300 individual properties, over 5000 residences, and over 600 businesses, non-profits and government entities.
Downtown Council of Kansas City
Downtown Joplin Alliance
Downtown Marceline
Downtown Marceline is non-government and a 501c3 non profit organization made up of concerned citizens volunteering their time to the revitalization of historic downtown Marceline.
Downtown STL, Inc.
Dundee Venture Capital
Duquesne City Clerk Office
Duree Center for Entrepreneurship
Eagle Private Capital
Economic Development Corporation (EDC) - Jefferson County
Economic Development Corporation (EDC) - Kansas City, MO
In addition, the EDC administers the city's TIF program, LCRA and Enhanced Enterprise/Zone Works program.
EDC Loan Corporation of Kansas City
Edgar Springs City Clerk Office
EdHub Fellowship by EdHub STL
efactory
Eldon Area Chamber of Commerce
Ellsinore City Clerk Office
Empire Market
Enactus
EnCorps Partners
Ennovation Center
The facility offers several distinct business specialties, including a shared commercial kitchen space, bio-safety Level 1 labs, and a business and tech area offering dedicated workspaces, temporary workspaces, offices, conference rooms, office suites and production labs.
Enterprise University
Entrepreneur Quest - Missouri University of Science & Technology
Entrepreneur Quest - University of Missouri-Columbia
Entrepreneur Quest - University of Missouri-Kansas City
Entrepreneur Quest - University of Missouri-St. Louis
Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic and Intellectual Property Clinic at UMKC
Entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property Clinic - Washington University in St. Louis
Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV)
Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic (ELC) - University of Missouri
Entrepreneurship.org
equity²
Evergy Ventures
Excelsior Springs Area Chamber of Commerce
FabLab MCC-Business & Technology
Fair Grove City Clerk
Fairfax City Hall
Farm Service Agency
Farmington Economic Development
Fayette City Clerk
FCS Financial
Firebrand Ventures
Five Elms Capital
Flyover Capital
Francis Institute for Child and Youth Development
Freelance Exchange of Kansas City
Frontier Financial Partners
Fruit Experiment Station - Missouri State University
Galt City Clerk Office
Generating Income For Tomorrow (Kansas City G.I.F.T.)
Gideon City Clerk Office
Gladstone Area Chamber of Commerce
GO CAPS
GotDevKC
Grain Valley Partnership
Grandview Chamber & Economic Development Council
Grant City, City Clerk Office
Great Plains Technology & Manufacturing Cluster
Greater Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce-Economic Development
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
Greater Kansas City LISC
Greater North County Chamber of Commerce
Greater Ozarks Center for Advanced Technologies (GOCAT)
Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater St. Louis Inc. Diverse Business Accelerator
Green Hills Regional Planning Commission
Grind + Growth
Growing Growers Kansas City
Grundy County Missouri
GSA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)
GUILDit
Habitat for Neighborhood Business
HNB strives to restore urban neighborhoods with new and additional business activity, job growth, and business role models.
Hallsville City Clerk Office
Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce
Hammerspace Community Workshop & Makerspace
Hannibal Regional Economic Development Council
Hardin City Clerk Office
Harrisonville Area Chamber of Commerce
Harrisonville City Collector
Harrisonville Economic Development
Hartville City Clerk Office
Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce
Heartland Regional Library System
Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce
Helix Center Biotech Incubator
Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP)
Hermann Area Chamber of Commerce
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis
Hispanic Economic Development Corporation
Holcomb City Clerk Office
Holleway Capital Partners, LLC
Hollister City Clerk Office
Holt County
Holts Summit City Clerks Office
Holy Rosary Credit Union
Houston, MO - Department of Economic Development
Huntsville City Clerk Office
Ignite Entrepreneurial Program
Independence Chamber of Commerce
Independence Economic Development Council
Information Experience Lab - a Usability and User Experience Lab
InnovateHER KC
Innovation Stockyard
Innovation Studio - Powered by UMKC
InSITE Washington University
Intercounty Electric Cooperative Association
International Institute of St. Louis - Small Business
International Trade Council of Greater Kansas City, Inc. (ITC)
Inventor Forge Makerspace
Inventors Center of Kansas City
InvestMidwest
The conference provides an ideal opportunity for entrepreneurs to raise capital and all attendees to make new connections.
IRS
iSelect Fund
ITEN
Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce
Jennings Department of Finance
Job One
Johnson County Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC)
Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce
Joplin Capital Corporation
Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce staff supports and promotes JCC.
Joplin City Clerk Office
Jordan Valley Innovation Center
Joseph Newman Innovation Center
Justine PETERSEN
Our mission is demonstrated by our services, which include credit building and financial education, homeownership preparation and retention, and micro-enterprise lending and training.
Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC)
Kansas City Public Library - Small Business & Entrepreneurship
Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts
Kauffman FastTrac
Kauffman Founders School
Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission
KC BizCare
KC Collective
KC IABC (Kansas City Chapter, International Association of Business Communicators)
KC SmartPort
KC Tech Council
KC Velocity
KCRise Fund
Kearney Area Development Council
Kearney Chamber of Commerce
Kearney City Administrator Office
Kingdom Capital
Kirksville Regional Economic Development, Inc
Kirkwood Public Library
Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments
Laredo City Clerk Office
Lathrop Area Chamber of Commerce
2) Extend and promote the present trade and commerce to foster, develop and support the industry of the region.
LaunchCode
LaunchKC
Laurie City Clerk Office
Leadership Northwest Missouri
A leadership program for community leaders interested in the regional growth of Northwest Missouri through high-quality training and networking opportunities. Participants are selected from the nineteen counties of Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Sullivan and Worth. Classes start in January of each year and meet monthly through June in different locations throughout the region.