Kansas LLC Cost in 2026: $85 Online Filing, $90 Biennial Report and What Changed

The Kansas LLC filing fee is $85 when you file online and $90 on paper. That fee covers the Articles of Organization, the document that forms your company. The only recurring state fee is the biennial Information Report, which costs $90 online or $110 on paper and is due every two years. Add an optional $35 name reservation and any local permits you need, and you have most of the state cost picture for a typical single-owner LLC.

If you have seen $160 online or $165 on paper quoted on other sites, that number is the pre-2026 fee. The Kansas Secretary of State announced fee cuts on May 26, 2026, and the current Articles of Organization form (Form DL, revised February 27, 2026) carries the lower $85 and $90 fees. Older guides and vendor pages have not all caught up.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm every fee on the agency page before you pay it, and talk with a qualified attorney or CPA if you have partners, outside investors, multistate operations or a complicated tax picture.

Kansas LLC Costs at a Glance

Item	Cost	When You Pay
Articles of Organization (Form DL)	$85 online or $90 paper	At formation
Name reservation (Form NR)	$35, holds the name for 120 days	Optional, before formation
Biennial Information Report (Form ILC)	$90 online or $110 paper	Every two years, by April 15
Resident agent	No state fee if you serve as your own agent	Ongoing
Series LLC filing (Form LAO)	$90, paper only	Only if the LLC will create series
Reinstatement (Form RL)	$35 plus $85 penalty plus $110 per missed report	Only if the LLC lapses

The $85 Online Filing Fee

Kansas calls the formation document Articles of Organization, Domestic (Kansas) Limited Liability Company, Form DL. The state charges $85 if you file through the Secretary of State's Business Services online filing portal (Customer Login) and $90 if you mail a paper form. Online filings process within minutes, and you can print the certified copy right away. Paper filings are processed by mail from the Topeka office, so expect a slower turnaround.

The price change matters most when you compare services. A formation service that adds a markup on top of the $85 state fee is charging for its own work, not for a state requirement. Compare what the package includes before you pay for it.

Kansas also has a name rule. Your name must include L.L.C., L.C., LLC, LC, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY or LIMITED COMPANY, under K.S.A. 17-7920. The Secretary of State checks the name against entities already registered. If a similar name is in use, you need a Consent to Use of Similar Business Name (Form CN, under K.S.A. 17-7918) filed with your formation document.

Name Reservation: $35 for 120 Days

If you need time to finish your paperwork, reserve your name on Form NR for $35. The reservation lasts 120 days and cannot be renewed, so reserve only if you can file within that window. The form is at https://www.sos.ks.gov/forms/business_services/NR.pdf. A name reservation does not register a DBA or trade name, which is covered below.

The Biennial Information Report: $90 Online, $110 Paper

Kansas does not charge an annual fee. Every LLC files an Information Report (Form ILC) every two years by April 15. The schedule follows your formation year. An LLC formed in an even year reports in each later even year, and an LLC formed in an odd year reports in each later odd year. An LLC formed in 2026 files its first report by April 15, 2028.

After the due date, a three-month delinquency window follows before the LLC faces forfeiture. Treat that window as a last chance, not a grace period to plan around. Put the report date on your calendar the day you form the company.

Resident Agent: The Kansas Term for Registered Agent

Kansas calls this role the resident agent. The resident agent receives legal papers for the LLC, so the agent must be somewhere it can be regularly present. The resident agent can be an individual, a business registered in Kansas, or the LLC itself. The registered office must be a Kansas street address with building number, street, city, state and zip code. A PO box does not qualify.

Serving as your own resident agent carries no state fee. Commercial agent services set their own prices, and those prices vary, so compare them before you sign up. Update the resident agent or registered office with the state whenever the LLC's name or address changes.

What Kansas Does Not Charge You For

• No annual fee. The recurring state cost is the biennial report.
• No franchise tax. According to the Kansas Department of Revenue, Kansas has had no franchise tax for tax year 2011 and after.
• No state business license. Registering an entity with the Secretary of State is a filing, not a license.
• No state DBA filing. Kansas does not register assumed, fictitious or trade names at the state level. If you operate under a different name, check city and county requirements, and protect a brand through the Secretary of State trademark and service mark registration if you need that protection.
• No newspaper publication step. The Articles of Organization instructions do not require one.

Kansas also has no general statewide business license. You still register for the taxes that apply to you. KDOR business tax registration is free. Kansas's state sales tax rate is 6.5%, and if you sell taxable goods you obtain a sales tax permit through https://www.ksrevenue.gov/busregistration.html.

Tax Rates to Know (Not Tax Advice)

By default, Kansas treats an LLC as a pass-through entity, so members report Kansas income on their individual returns. The personal income tax rate is 5.2% on Kansas taxable income up to $23,000 for single filers or $46,000 for married filing jointly, and 5.58% above those thresholds. An LLC taxed as a corporation pays the 3.5% corporate normal tax plus a 3% surtax on Kansas taxable income over $50,000. These are the rates, not an estimate of what you owe. Your CPA can model which structure fits your numbers.

Series LLC Filings

If your LLC will create series, the filing costs more. The series filing (Form LAO) costs $90 and can only be filed on paper. Each series certificate of designation (Form LCD) costs $35. Series LLCs are a specialized structure, so confirm the setup with an attorney before you file.

What a Lapsed LLC Costs to Fix

A missed report is the most expensive mistake in this guide. Reinstatement on Form RL costs $35, plus an $85 penalty, plus $110 for each missed report. One missed report puts $230 in reinstatement charges on the table before any agent fee. A report filed on time online costs $90. Confirm the exact amounts on Form RL before you file.

Local Costs: Cities, Counties and Trade Licenses

Kansas has 105 counties and 624 cities, and every incorporated place is legally a city. The state fee does not cover local permits. Trade licenses come from state agencies, local governments, or both, depending on the trade. Examples of agency licensing include:

• KDA for food, pesticides and pet animals
• KDHE for child care and home health
• KDOR for liquor, cigarettes and dealers
• KCC for motor carriers and oil and gas
• The Attorney General for roofing
• KREC for real estate, and the cosmetology and barbering boards for those trades

Kansas has no statewide general contractor, electrician, plumber or HVAC license. Cities and counties license those trades, so the fee and rules depend on where you work. Confirm the fee with the agency or local office that covers your trade, because this guide does not list those amounts.

Location also matters for a name that sounds like a big-city address. Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri are different cities in different states. Only Kansas City, Missouri has a city earnings tax. Check the rules for the city where you actually operate.

Step by Step: Filing Your Kansas LLC

1. Search the Secretary of State business database at https://www.sos.ks.gov/eforms/BusinessEntity/Search.aspx to confirm your name is available and includes an LLC ending.
2. Reserve the name on Form NR for $35 if you need time, and file within 120 days.
3. Choose your resident agent: yourself, a Kansas-registered business, or a commercial service, with a Kansas street address and no PO box.
4. File Form DL through the online portal at https://www.sos.ks.gov/eforms/user_login.aspx?frm=BS for $85, and print your certified copy.
5. Register for any state taxes that apply through KDOR, which is free, at https://www.ksrevenue.gov/business.html.
6. Get any city, county or trade permits your business requires.
7. Calendar your Information Report for April 15 of the correct even or odd year, and file it online for $90.

Common Mistakes That Raise the Cost

• Paying a vendor the pre-2026 $160 or $165 fee when the state fee is $85 or $90.
• Filing on paper when online filing saves $5 on the Articles and $20 on the report.
• Missing the April 15 report deadline in your filing cycle, which triggers reinstatement charges.
• Choosing a name without a required LLC ending, or using a name similar to an existing entity without a Form CN consent.
• Using a PO box as the registered office.

What It Costs in Total

For a basic online filing, the required state fees across the first two years look like this:

1. Articles of Organization, filed online: $85
2. First Information Report, filed online two years later: $90

That totals $175 in required state fees. Add the optional $35 name reservation and the total is $210. A commercial resident agent, trade licenses and city or county permits come on top of that, and they vary by service provider, trade and location.

Where to Check and Get Help

• Kansas Secretary of State business services: https://sos.ks.gov/business/business.html
• Kansas Department of Revenue business information: https://www.ksrevenue.gov/business.html
• Free counseling: the Kansas Small Business Development Center at https://www.kansassbdc.net/

The Secretary of State and KDOR pages are the sources to confirm current fees before you pay. If a vendor's price conflicts with those pages, follow the state page and ask the vendor to explain the difference.

Bottom Line

Budget $85 to file, $90 for the first report two years later, and $35 if you reserve a name. Use the state's online portal, put the report date on your calendar at formation, and compare any service fee against the $85 state fee. For a plain single-owner LLC, the state cost is small. The expensive mistakes are a missed report and a lapse, so plan for those first.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Consult a qualified attorney or CPA for decisions about your specific business.