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Missouri's FAQ is direct about addresses. A registered office has to be a physical place where the agent can be handed papers. The Secretary of State's FAQ says a mail-handling store does not count, and a PO Box only counts next to a street address. Our Missouri business guide covers search and fees. This page covers who can act, where, and how to switch.
Who can serve?
The FAQ names two kinds of agent:
- an individual who is a Missouri resident and whose business office is identical with the entity's registered office
- a corporation authorized to transact business in Missouri, with a business office identical to the registered office
The Corporations Division page adds that LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships registered in Missouri must all keep a registered agent with a Missouri address. The Articles of Organization ask for the agent's name and street address, and note that a PO Box is not allowed unless a street address is also given. See the filing steps on our Missouri LLC page.
What addresses does the state accept?
Think of three cases.
- A street address where the agent works. This is the clean answer.
- A PO Box plus a street address in the same city. Allowed, because the street address is the real registered office.
- A mailbox store. Refused, since the agent's business office has to be the same as the registered office.
If you work from home, check whether you want that address on a public record. Our service of process page explains why papers delivered to an agent matter.
Can you be your own agent?
An owner who lives in Missouri fits the resident test, and the address must be a real office. Weigh the trade-offs in be your own registered agent. Someone who lives out of state needs a Missouri resident or an authorized corporation. See registered agent services for how that option works in general.
How do you change the agent?
Missouri uses a statement of change. The fee schedule lists $10 to change the registered agent, the office address or both, and the same $10 for a resignation of registered agent for all entities other than LLPs. Read the fee schedule before you pay.
Do not wait for the agent to move or quit before you act. The state requires each entity to notify it when the registered agent or the agent's address changes. The new agent's written consent must accompany the filing, so get it first. Pre-clearance of your documents is a separate $55 service if you want the state to review them before you file. File through the state's business portal.
What if the agent resigns or you have none?
Each entity has to tell the state when its agent or the agent's address changes. If an entity lets the agent lapse, the Secretary of State notifies it. A domestic corporation can then be administratively dissolved. For LLCs and other business entities, the lapse can end in cancellation of the registration.
For corporations facing administrative dissolution, the state allows 60 days to fix the problem after written notice. The pages we read give LLCs no separate period, so treat any notice as urgent and file your statement of change straight away.
How do you look up a Missouri agent?
Use the state's business entity search without logging in. Open the entity to see tabs for filings, general information, contacts and copies. The business search has match modes such as Starts With and Exact Match. Our Missouri guide explains them.
If a company is registered in another state and wants to operate here, it registers as a foreign entity and names a Missouri agent. See foreign LLC registration.