Missouri Secretary of State LLC

A Missouri Secretary of State LLC refers to a Limited Liability Company that is formed in the state of Missouri by registering with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Corporations Unit.

Business entity searches in Missouri are conducted on the Secretary of State’s Corporations Unit website. This is a useful tool to find information, file amendments, and ensure that a name may be used for your LLC.

There are three ways to search the database for information you may need. You may search by the name of the business, by the registered agent of the business, or for the availability of a name for a new LLC.

Search by Name

To conduct a search, simply put the name of the business (or as much of it as you know) into the search bar of the website. Indicate that you would like to search by business name.

Do not use any punctuation or suffixes like L.L.C., LLC, or Ltd. Co. on the end of the name.

The search is not case sensitive, so you may use a capital letter or lower-case letters. Enter the first few words of the business name. Of course, if the business has only a one-word name, then you should write only that word.

There are several options you may select for your search.

  • Exact Match
  • All Words
  • Any Word
  • Starting With

In addition, you may want to ensure that you are only searching for active businesses. There is a box to check next to the drop-down bar for the choices above. That box is labeled “Active.” Select that box to ensure the businesses you are searching are active.

When you press enter a list will be displayed. This list will give you the bare essentials of each business:

  • Business Name
  • Business Charter Number
  • Business Type
  • Status
  • Date Created
  • Registered Agent

If you need more information on a business than what is provided in this list, just click on the name or charter number of that business.

Search by Registered Agent

If you wish to search for a company by the name of their registered agent, then you can go back to the Missouri Secretary of State Corporations Unit website. Enter the first and last name of the registered agent into the Business Name field of the search bar. Since you may not know the entire name of the registered agent, there are ways to ensure that you still may find it.

Again, you may select from the choices:

  • Exact Match
  • All Words
  • Any Word
  • Starting With

A list of results will again be generated by your search.

Once you find the registered agent on the list, you may click on the link to get more information.

You will be able to view all of the accessible information on a particular business, order certificates, and perform a few basic functions for filing. This is very helpful information if you don’t know the name of the business but do know the name (or part of the name) of the registered agent in Missouri.

When you are starting a new company, one of the first steps you take is to find a name. It is an important step, and you should consider the name you choose very carefully.

Once you have determined what you would like to name your LLC, then you should go to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Corporations Unit website. There, you can enter your desired name to discover if it’s available or if it is already in use.

If you discover, after conducting this search, that there are names similar to the one that you desire in the database, then you may have to choose another name. If your name is indistinguishable from another name, your application to form an LLC may be rejected by the Secretary of State’s Corporations Unit.

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