LLC formation in Kansas: fees, filing steps, and ongoing costs
Data last updated: Apr 21, 2026Where Kansas fits, and where it doesn't
Good fit for Kansas
You live in Kansas and operate your business here, whether that is a Wichita aviation supplier, an Overland Park professional services firm, a Topeka government-adjacent consultancy, or a Lawrence e-commerce shop. You want a domestic LLC that talks to the state every two years instead of every year. You are a Kansas real estate investor holding rentals in a Johnson County or Sedgwick County LLC. You are a Kansas City metro founder deciding between the Kansas and Missouri sides and weighing filing fees; post-2025 Kansas is now roughly at parity on formation cost.
Skip Kansas when
You live in Colorado, Oklahoma, or Nebraska and someone pointed at an old Kansas filing fee chart and said it was cheap. That chart is obsolete either way (the 2025 revision both cut the fee and extended the reporting window), and foreign-qualifying a Kansas LLC in your home state still costs what your home state charges regardless. You run a non-US online business and want one of the classic non-resident LLC states. Kansas does not offer anonymity, does not have a specific non-resident filer program, and does not produce any brand-name benefit over Wyoming or Delaware for that use case.
What a Kansas LLC actually costs
- Formation filing fee Paid once at formation $85
- Commercial registered agent Annual, estimate $100
- Annual report fee Every 2 years, due 04/15 $90
- Year 1 total estimate Formation plus first-year ongoing $230
Registered agent estimate uses a $100 midpoint. Specialist agents start around $50 per year. Full-service formation companies bundle RA for $125 to $200.
Cost across the first three years
How Kansas compares on the basics
How to apply for an LLC in Kansas
- Pick a compliant LLC name
The name must end in "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or an approved abbreviation, and must be distinguishable from every other entity on the Kansas Secretary of State record. Check availability at the Kansas entity search.
- Designate a registered agent
Every Kansas LLC is required to have a registered agent with a physical street address in Kansas. You can serve as your own agent if you live in Kansas, or hire a commercial service for $99 to $249/yr. See the Kansas registered agent guide.
- File Articles of Organization, Domestic Kansas Limited Liability Company (Form DL)
Filing fee is $85. Online filing is available through the state portal. Mail filings are accepted.
- Apply for a federal EIN
Free directly from the IRS in about 15 minutes (see the EIN guide). Required for opening a business bank account, hiring employees, and most formation-service tax workflows.
- Adopt an operating agreement
Kansas does not require an operating agreement by statute, but adopting one is strongly recommended to preserve the liability shield. See the operating agreement pillar for the 12 clauses every agreement should include.
Filing walkthrough
You file Articles of Organization (Form DL) through the Kansas Business Center at sos.ks.gov. Online filings cost $85 and clear in 1 business day. Paper filings run $90 and take about 5 business days. Kansas does not publish an expedited tier for LLC formation, so submitting through the online portal during business hours is the fast path.
Every Kansas LLC needs a resident agent with a Kansas street address for service of process. You can be your own agent if you live here, or hire a commercial resident agent at the usual $50 to $125 annual rate. The Form DL asks for the LLC name, the resident agent, and an effective date, and Kansas does not require you to disclose members or managers in the formation filing itself. There is no publication requirement, so once the Secretary of State approves the filing, the LLC is formed and in good standing.
The 2025 revision restructured the Information Report schedule too. For-profit LLCs now file Form ILC every two years instead of every year, with the report due April 15 of the applicable reporting year. LLCs formed in odd years report in odd years; LLCs formed in even years report in even years. A three-month delinquency window follows April 15, after which the LLC forfeits and pays an $85 penalty on reinstatement.
How Kansas taxes an LLC
Kansas repealed its corporate franchise tax back in 2011 and has not replaced it. LLCs owe no franchise tax, no privilege fee, and no minimum entity-level levy. The only recurring state charge is the biennial Information Report fee.
A default-classification Kansas LLC is a pass-through entity. Members report their share of LLC income on their personal Kansas returns under the state's individual income tax, which tops out at 5.58% under SB 1 (2024). An LLC electing C-corp treatment owes Kansas corporate income tax at a combined top rate of 6.5%, built from a 3.5% normal tax plus a 3% surtax on income above $50,000 under the K-120 instructions.
Statewide sales and use tax is 6.5% under K.S.A. 79-3603. Cities and counties layer additional local sales tax, pushing combined rates past 10% in some jurisdictions. If your LLC sells taxable goods or services, register with the Department of Revenue before the first sale.
Ongoing compliance and costs after year one
Budget $90 every two years for the biennial Information Report through online filing ($110 if you file by paper), plus $50 to $125 per year for a commercial resident agent if you are not serving as your own. Averaged across the two-year cycle, a Kansas LLC pays the Secretary of State around $45 per year, with zero franchise tax layered on top.
Miss the April 15 deadline and you have until mid-July before the LLC forfeits. Reinstatement after forfeiture runs $85 in penalty plus the original report fee, and the Secretary of State mails delinquency notices to the last resident-agent address on file. Keep the resident agent current and put April 15 on the calendar for the reporting year that matches your formation year's even-odd parity.
Common mistakes forming a Kansas LLC
Two patterns show up specifically because of the 2025 revision. First, filers still pay $160 for the Articles of Organization because they are reading a 2023 or 2024 guide. The correct online fee is $85, and the paper fee is $90. If a service quotes you $160, they are outdated. Second, owners keep filing Information Reports every year when the state only wants one every two years. Check your reporting year under the even-odd parity rule (Business Services publishes a lookup) and skip the off-year filing entirely.
State agencies that handle Kansas LLCs
Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services Division
- Website
- sos.ks.gov
- Phone
- (785) 296-4564
- kssos@ks.gov
- Kansas Secretary of State, Docking State Office Building, 915 SW Harrison Street, Topeka, KS 66612
- Office
- Docking State Office Building, 915 SW Harrison Street, Topeka, KS 66612
- Hours
- 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central, Monday to Friday
Kansas Department of Revenue
- Website
- www.ksrevenue.gov
- Phone
- (785) 368-8222
- Kansas Department of Revenue, Scott State Office Building, 120 SE 10th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66612-1103
- Office
- Scott State Office Building, 120 SE 10th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66612
- Hours
- 8:00 AM to 4:45 PM Central, Monday to Friday
Frequently Asked Questions
-
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Kansas in 2026?
The online filing fee is $85, paid once to the Secretary of State when you submit Articles of Organization (Form DL). Paper filings cost $90. This is a significant drop from the pre-2025 $160/$165 schedule; older guides still quoting $160 have not been updated. Plan for another $50 to $125 per year for a commercial resident agent and $90 every two years for the biennial Information Report.
-
Does Kansas have an annual report for LLCs?
Not anymore. Kansas moved LLC reporting from annual to biennial effective with the 2025 statutory revision. For-profit LLCs now file an Information Report (Form ILC) every two years, with the report due April 15. LLCs formed in odd-numbered years report in odd years; LLCs formed in even-numbered years report in even years. The fee is $90 online or $110 by paper.
-
Do Kansas LLCs pay state income tax?
A default-classification Kansas LLC is a pass-through entity and does not owe entity-level income tax. Members report their share of LLC income on their personal Kansas returns under the state's individual income tax, which tops out at 5.58% under SB 1 (2024). An LLC electing C-corp treatment owes Kansas corporate income tax at a top rate of 6.5%, assembled from a 3.5% normal tax and a 3% surtax on income above $50,000.
-
How long does it take to form a Kansas LLC?
Online filings through the Kansas Business Center typically clear in 1 business day. Paper filings mailed to Topeka take around 5 business days. Kansas does not offer an expedited tier for LLC formation, so if you need fast turnaround, file online and submit during business hours. Most filings are approved same-day or next-day through the online portal.
-
Does Kansas require an operating agreement?
No. The Kansas Revised Limited Liability Company Act (K.S.A. 17-76,134) recognizes operating agreements in oral, implied, or written form but does not require one. Default rules in the statute apply when no agreement exists. A written agreement is still strongly advised for any multi-member LLC because it overrides those defaults on management, allocations, distributions, and dissociation.
-
Does Kansas have a franchise tax on LLCs?
No. Kansas repealed its corporate franchise tax in 2011 and does not impose any franchise or privilege tax on LLCs. The biennial Information Report fee ($90 online) is the only recurring state-entity cost. After the 2025 fee cut and the move to biennial reporting, Kansas sits firmly among the cheaper states to maintain an LLC in good standing.
-
Should I form my LLC in Kansas instead of my home state?
Usually no, unless you actually live or operate in Kansas. Forming a Kansas LLC from out of state means you still foreign-qualify in your home state, pay that state's annual fees and income tax, and pay a Kansas resident agent on top. For non-residents looking for a tax-advantaged non-resident structure, Wyoming or Delaware are the usual picks, not Kansas. Kansas is a home-state pick.
-
Does Kansas have a publication requirement for new LLCs?
-
How do I apply for an LLC in Kansas?
Apply for an LLC in Kansas by filing Articles of Organization, Domestic Kansas Limited Liability Company (Form DL) with Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services Division. The filing fee is $85. Online filing is available through the state portal. Approval typically takes 1 business day online. Mail filings take about 5 business days. Before filing, pick a registered agent (see the Kansas registered agent guide) and confirm your business name is available using the state's entity search.
Further reading on LLCs
How much does an LLC cost?
Formation, annual, and hidden fees broken down across all 51 US jurisdictions.
Registered agents for LLCs
What the role is, whether to be your own, and honest comparison of 12 national services.
LLC vs sole proprietorship
Liability, taxes, cost, and when each makes sense. Written for a working owner.
LLC vs S-corp election
When the S-corp tax election actually saves money, with concrete SE-tax math.
Dissolve a Kansas LLC
Step-by-step dissolution: member vote, tax clearance, state filing, IRS closure.
Formation services compared
Bizee, Northwest, ZenBusiness, LegalZoom, and 11 more. Honest price comparison.
Compare Kansas to another state
Side-by-side breakdowns of fees, taxes, approval time, and compliance. Every other US jurisdiction has a dedicated compare page against Kansas.
M
N
Sources
- Filing fee: sos.ks.gov/forms/business_services/DL.pdf · verified April 21, 2026
Kansas SOS Form DL Articles of Organization, Domestic Kansas LLC (Rev. 2/27/26). Fee schedule on the instruction page: Online Articles of Organization $85, Paper Articles of Organization $90. K.S.A. 17-7673 authorizes the fee. This is a reduction from the prior $160/$165 schedule. The 2024 Freenetlaw seed fee of $160 reflects the earlier rate and has been superseded. - Annual report fee: sos.ks.gov/forms/business_services/ILC.pdf · verified April 21, 2026
Kansas SOS Form ILC Information Report, Limited Liability Company or Series (Rev. 1/23/26). Online Information Report $90, Paper Information Report $110. K.S.A. 17-76,139. The Kansas SOS Information Reports page (sos.ks.gov/businesses/information-reports.html) confirms reports are now filed biennially (every two years) by April 15, with businesses matching the even/odd year of formation. - Corporate income tax rate: www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/corpbook2024.pdf · verified April 21, 2026
Kansas Corporate Income Tax Instructions (K-120 booklet, 2024). K-120 Line 29 Normal tax is 3.5% of Kansas taxable income; Line 30 Surtax is 3% of Kansas taxable income in excess of $50,000. Combined top-bracket C-corp rate is 6.5% on income over $50,000. Applies to LLCs electing C-corp treatment. - Sales tax rate: www.ksrevenue.gov/bustaxtypessales.html · verified April 21, 2026
Kansas Department of Revenue Sales (Retailers) page: state retailers' sales tax is 6.5% under K.S.A. 79-3603 (effective July 1, 2015). Cities and counties may add local sales tax, pushing combined rates to 10%+ in some jurisdictions. - Foreign LLC registration fee: sos.ks.gov/forms/business_services/FA.pdf · verified April 21, 2026
Kansas SOS Form FA Application for Registration of a Foreign (non-Kansas) Business (Rev. 3/2/26). Filing fee $115 for all foreign business types including LLCs. Foreign registrations must be filed by paper per the Kansas SOS (sos.ks.gov/businesses/register-a-business.html notes that foreign entities cannot file online). K.S.A. 17-7931. - Business name search: www.sos.ks.gov/eforms/BusinessEntity/Search.aspx · verified April 21, 2026
Kansas SOS Business Entity Search. Name availability should also be checked at sos.ks.gov/eforms/BusinessEntity/NameAvailability.aspx before filing the Form DL. - Operating agreement requirement: www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch17/017_076_0110.html · verified April 21, 2026
Kansas Revised Limited Liability Company Act (K.S.A. 17-76,134) recognizes operating agreements but does not require them to be written or adopted. The statute defines operating agreement broadly to include oral or written agreements, and the act provides default rules when no agreement exists. Kansas is not a required-operating-agreement state.