How to search Missouri business entities online
Official Resource
Missouri Official SOS WebsiteMissouri business entity records are searchable at bsd.sos.mo.gov/BusinessEntity/BESearch.aspx, operated by the Missouri Secretary of State's Corporations Unit. The portal requires JavaScript and handles both business entity registration and UCC filing — a tab at the top of the page toggles between the two sections.
Updated August 2026
What the search covers
The database covers domestic and foreign for-profit corporations, close corporations, professional corporations, agricultural cooperatives, mutual associations, LLCs, limited partnerships, LLPs, nonprofit corporations, and fictitious names. The portal is the single system for all of these record types.
Search modes
The Business Name tab offers four match methods, defaulting to Starting With:
- Starting With — starts-with match (the default)
- All Words — every word you enter must appear in the name
- Any Word — at least one of your words appears in the name
- Exact Match — requires the full legal name including corporate designator (Inc., LLC, etc.) and punctuation
Separate tabs cover Registered Agent name, Name Availability, and Charter Number (the Missouri entity ID) searches. Results default to active entities only; unchecking "Only Active Corporations" adds dissolved and revoked records.
Entity detail
Each record has two tabs: General Information and Filings. The General Information tab shows the charter number, status, formation date, registered agent name and address, and officer/director information. The Filings tab lists every document on file with the Secretary of State, with links to document images. Certificates of Good Standing and certified copies can be ordered directly from the record.
Registration reports — corporations only, LLCs are exempt
Missouri LLCs are not required to file any periodic report with the Secretary of State. Corporations (both for-profit and nonprofit) must file an Annual or Biennial Registration Report tied to the entity's individual renewal month, which a filer can change when submitting a current report. Filing online is cheaper: for general business corporations, an annual report is $20 online versus $45 by paper, and a biennial report is $40 online versus $90 by paper; nonprofit corporations pay $10/$15 (annual) or $20/$30 (biennial). Confirm the exact due date for a specific entity on its record detail page.
This guide is informational only and is not affiliated with the Missouri Secretary of State's office. Verify current procedures at the official state website. Last verified: August 2026.