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Landscape in Kansas

Kansas LLC guide

How to start an LLC in Kansas

Kansas charges $85 to file the Articles of Organization. Here's every step, fee and deadline, straight from the Kansas Secretary of State.

Last verified 2026-11-01 against official Kansas sources

Filing fee
$85
Biennial Information Report
$90
First-year gov. cost
$85
Publication
Not required

The steps, in order

  1. Pick a name Kansas will accept

    Must contain Limited Liability Company, LLC, or L.L.C.

    Search existing Kansas business names before you commit. Kansas naming rules in detail.

  2. Appoint a registered agent

    Termed Resident Agent. Must have physical Kansas street address (no P.O. box) and be available during normal business hours.

    You can serve as your own agent, but your address will be public. Compare Kansas registered agent options.

  3. File the Articles of Organization

    Submit it to the Kansas Secretary of State through the official filing portal and pay $85. $85 online. Paper filings cost $90 due to a $5 technology surcharge.

    Processing: online Instantly upon payment clearing; by mail Standard processing. Expedite: No standard published expedite fees due to immediacy of online system.

  4. Write an operating agreement

    Recommended but not legally required by statute.

  5. Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is free from IRS.gov. You'll need it for a business bank account and, if you hire, for payroll.

  6. Stay in good standing

    File the Biennial Information Report ($90), due April 15th every two years. 90-day grace period, one-time $85 penalty for late foreign reports Kansas report deadlines.

Every Kansas LLC fee

Kansas government fees for LLCs. Source: Kansas Secretary of State, checked November 1, 2026.
FilingState feeNotes
Articles of Organization$85$85 online. Paper filings cost $90 due to a $5 technology surcharge.
Biennial Information Report$90biennial, April 15th every two years
Name reservation (optional)$30120 days
Change of registered agent$30$30 online or $35 by mail
Amendment$30
Certificate of good standing$5
Foreign Application$115For LLCs formed in another state
Certificate of Cancellation$35
DBA / assumed nameN/Anone

How Kansas compares nationally

  • Kansas's filing fee of $85 is the 13th lowest of 51 jurisdictions (median $104).
  • Kansas's first-year government cost of $85 is the 12th lowest of 51 jurisdictions (median $125).
  • Kansas's yearly cost after that of $45 is the 25th lowest of 51 jurisdictions (median $45).

See every state side by side in our LLC cost by state table.

File it yourself or use a service?

Filing directly with the Kansas Secretary of State costs $85 and nothing else, but you'll need a registered agent with a Kansas street address, and that address goes on the public record. A formation service files for you and acts as your agent. Here's what that adds over three years, before Kansas's own fees:

Service fees for formation plus three years of registered agent service. Prices from each provider's site, checked November 1, 2026.
RouteYear one with Kansas fee3-year service fees
File yourself, be your own agent$85$0
Northwest$124$289
Bizee Basic$85$298

Bizee vs Northwest, compared · All LLC services ranked

State taxes to plan for

No franchise tax or minimum entity tax. Pass-through income taxed at personal rates ranging from 5.20% to 5.58%.

What's different about Kansas

  • Massive fee reduction implemented in 2026
  • Total lack of a DBA registration system, forcing legal name amendments
  • Uses term Resident Agent instead of Registered Agent

More Kansas LLC guides

Kansas LLC questions

How much does it cost to form an LLC in Kansas?

The Kansas Secretary of State charges $85 to file the Articles of Organization. Counting mandatory first-year items, expect about $85 in government fees (Online formation fee).

How long does it take to form an LLC in Kansas?

Online: Instantly upon payment clearing. By mail: Standard processing. Expedited: No standard published expedite fees due to immediacy of online system.

Does a Kansas LLC have to file an annual report?

Yes. Kansas requires the Biennial Information Report, which costs $90, filed biennial. Due: April 15th every two years. 90-day grace period, one-time $85 penalty for late foreign reports

Can I be my own registered agent in Kansas?

Yes. Termed Resident Agent. Must have physical Kansas street address (no P.O. box) and be available during normal business hours. Your agent's address becomes public record.

Does Kansas require publishing a notice for a new LLC?

No. Kansas has no newspaper publication requirement for LLCs, based on our latest check.

Is an operating agreement required in Kansas?

Recommended but not legally required by statute.

What taxes does a Kansas LLC pay to the state?

No franchise tax or minimum entity tax. Pass-through income taxed at personal rates ranging from 5.20% to 5.58%.

Sources and verification

Last checked against official state sources on . States change fees with little notice, so confirm on the filing portal before you pay. How we verify.

Nearby states