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A Missouri business license gives your Limited Liability Company (LLC) permission to operate in a certain location or within a specific industry.
While we can’t walk you through any applicable license applications step-by-step, we do provide helpful resources like:
- information about state licensing rules
- instructions for researching municipal licenses
And if you want to just hire a company to do the research for you, we have a recommendation below.
Missouri Business License Requirements
After you form a Missouri LLC, you may need to obtain a business license or permit.
Your requirements are determined by the industry you are in and where your Missouri Limited Liability Company is located.
Because of the large number of industries and all of the municipalities in Missouri, it’s not possible for us to explain them all. However, you can use the search tools below, call your local municipality, or hire a company for help.
Need to save time? We recommend hiring MyCompanyWorks (for $99) to handle the business license research for you.
How to get a Business License in Missouri
You can obtain a business license in Missouri by applying with the relevant licensing or regulatory agency. The agency you apply with will depend on where your business is located and what business activities it engages in.
The business license application typically requires basic information, such as your LLC name, EIN Number, business address, and contact information. Many also include a questionnaire that asks about your business activity.
There are three main licensing jurisdictions:
- State licensing
- Local licensing, such as county, city, township, etc.
- Federal licensing
Does Missouri Require a Business License?
That depends on where your business is located, and what it does.
There are two types of state-level business licenses:
- a general business license
- and an occupational license
Missouri General Business License
Some states have a general license requirement, which means all businesses operating in those states must have the license, regardless of what they do.
But good news: Missouri doesn’t require a general license to do business in the state.
Meaning, your Missouri LLC doesn’t need a general state business license. But depending on what type of business you run, your LLC might need an occupational license.
Missouri Occupational License
Most states have occupational business license requirements. This means a license or permit may be required depending on what your business does or what your occupation is. For example, if you sell used cars, or run a hair salon, you may need an occupational business license. But a license may not be required for other types of businesses.
The Missouri Division of Professional Registration has a Listing of Professions you should review to help you determine if your Missouri business needs an occupational license or permit, and which agency to contact about applying for the license.
Alternately, review the Division of Professional Registration’s Listing of Boards to see if your industry or occupation needs a business license in Missouri and find the correct board or agency to contact with questions.
If your LLC does agricultural activities (anything to do with plants or animals), check the list of licenses required by the Missouri Department of Agriculture.
You can also contact the Division of Professional Registration with questions about licenses in general.
Note: Missouri business licenses are not issued by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is responsible for business entity administration, for example Limited Liability Company formation.
How much is a Missouri Business License?
Missouri doesn’t have a general business license at the state level, so there are no fees there.
However, your business may need a state-level occupational license or municipal-level license or permit to operate. The filing fee for these licenses will vary depending on where you’re doing business and what industry you’re in. To be honest, we can’t predict your specific Missouri business license cost.
For example, licenses issued by a county that contains a large city are usually more expensive than licenses in less populated, rural counties. And licenses for regulated industries, like child care facilities, are usually more expensive than generic business licenses.
But your LLC might not need a license or permit at all. So your Missouri business license cost could be $0.
See LLC Cost in Missouri to learn about all the possible LLC fees.
Municipal Business License
Municipal business licenses can be issued by the city, town, county, parish, township, borough, etc. We refer to all of these as a “municipality” to keep things simple.
There are two types of municipal business licenses:
- general business license
- industry-specific license
For example, if a municipality has a general business license requirement, all businesses operating in that municipality must have the license, regardless of what they do.
And if a municipality has industry-specific business licenses, a license or permit may be required depending on what your business does. For example, if you operate a food truck, or run a daycare, you may need an industry-specific municipal business license. Or if you’re purchasing or leasing real estate, you may need a zoning permit.
But a license may not be required for other types of businesses, like making wedding invitation templates or offering marketing consulting.
You can contact your municipality to check on their local licensing requirements:
- Missouri Association of Counties: List of Members
- MOSourceLink: Register and License Your Business in Missouri (scroll down for a list of links to city clerk websites)
Missouri Sales Tax License
If you sell products to consumers in Missouri, you may need to collect sales tax and file a Sales and Use Tax Return.
If your business activities are subject to sales and use tax (if you make retail sales), your LLC must register with the Department of Revenue.
Note: This requirement will apply whether you sell products online or in a physical location in Missouri.
You can register for business tax with the Department of Revenue. You can see all Business Tax Registration forms on the Department of Revenue website.
For additional information about the Sales Tax License:
- Missouri Dept. of Revenue: Sales/Use Tax
- Missouri Dept. of Revenue: Starting a New Business
- Missouri Dept. of Revenue: Business Tax Registration FAQs
Tip: Save time by hiring an expert. We recommend using TaxJar. They'll help you register for, collect, and pay sales tax.
Do I need any federal business licenses?
Most businesses in Missouri don’t need a federal business license. However, certain industries do need federal licenses:
| If your business… | Contact this agency about business licenses |
|---|---|
| Transports animals, plants or biotechnology over state lines | Department of Agriculture |
| Imports or exports animal products, wildlife, or products derived from wildlife (including fish) | Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Fishes commercially | Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Broadcasts on radio or TV | Federal Communications Commission |
| Makes alcohol and sells it at a retail store | Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau |
| Makes or sells firearms, ammunition or explosives | Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives |
| Transports cargo by sea | Federal Maritime Commission |
| Transports goods or people by air | Federal Aviation Administration |
Check out the Small Business Administration’s Licenses and Permits page for a full list of industries with federal license requirements.
If your business isn’t one of these special cases, then the only federal requirements are that your LLC get an Missouri EIN Number (aka Federal Employer Identification Number) and that you file taxes.
Missouri Business License FAQs
How much does a business license cost in Missouri?
Missouri doesn’t have a general business license for LLCs, so there are no fees there.
If your business has to get an occupational license or municipal (city or county) permit, the fees are hard to predict. Depending on your LLC’s location, and what type of business or industry you’re in, the fee varies.
And you might not need a business license at all!
Unfortunately, we can’t say what your LLC’s business license costs would be, because it depends on several factors and the cost of Missouri licenses varies.
Is an LLC considered a business license?
No, an LLC is not a business license. They are two completely different things.
An LLC is a type of business structure created by filing a document with the state government.
And a business license is a document that gives a person, or a company, the right to transact business. It doesn’t create an LLC.
Does a Sole Proprietor need a business license in Missouri?
Sometimes a new business owner chooses to operate as a Sole Proprietorship in Missouri instead of an LLC.
Even if you’re just trying out a business idea as a Sole Proprietorship, you may still be subject to license requirements at the state and municipal levels. It just depends on what you will be doing, and where you will be operating your business.
Does the Missouri Secretary of State provide a business license?
No, the Missouri Secretary of State doesn’t handle licensing requirements. Instead, they manage business entity formation and registration. For example, depending on business entity type, business owners file different paperwork with the Secretary of State to create their business entity.
For more information, or to determine if there is a Missouri business license cost for your business, we recommend contacting the Missouri Division of Professional Registration and/or your local government agency. For example, your local county or city government will have information about any local licenses.
How to start an LLC in Missouri
Here are the steps to starting an LLC in Missouri:
- Select a business name for your Missouri LLC
- Choose your Registered Agent
- File the LLC Articles of Organization with the state
- Complete and sign an LLC Operating Agreement
- Get a Tax ID Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Open an LLC bank account
- Check whether you need a business license or tax permits in Missouri
References
Missouri Dept. of Revenue: Sales/Use Tax
Missouri Division of Professional Registration
Missouri Dept. of Revenue: Starting a New Business
Missouri Dept. of Revenue: Small Business Information
MOSourceLink: Register and License Your Business in Missouri
Missouri Division of Professional Registration: Listing of Professions
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.
MISSOURI LLC GUIDE
Follow the lessons below to form your Missouri LLC.
Hey Matt, does Missouri publish the data of the LLC? google etc?
Hi Rod, every state makes LLC information public record. And about what gets indexed in Google has to do more so with how a website is technically structured instead of what info a state would “provide”. So yes, Missouri LLC info could certainly end up online. And it also depends on how you use (give out) your LLC’s info too. Hope that helps.
well that was useless info.
Sorry to let you down. It’s challenging for us to make the business licenses + permit lesson as detailed as our others. Do you have any suggestions for how we can improve?
I would love a walk-through of the Form 2643A (form for LLC) or where to find one… so I know whether I need to check the vendor’s use box, or consumer’s use, do I check anything under corporate tax, etc. The instructions on the state site are rather vague and confusing. :-/
Thank you for all the great info you have here; it has truly been SO helpful!
Hi Amy, you’re very welcome! Unfortunately, we don’t cover tax registration as the process varies quite a bit among businesses. We recommend working with an accountant on tax registration and/or calling the Missouri Department of Revenue for questions on Form 2643A. I apologize that we couldn’t provide more help here. Thank you for your understanding though.
….and that was a useless reply. How about giving a reason why you ungrateful turd.
For anyone just starting a business for the first time, this is an excellent site for getting started. Thanks for the information!
Hey MG, thank you for the kind words :) We certainly appreciate it!