LLC Cost in Kansas (2025): Filing Fees, Biennial Report, Taxes & Budget

LLC cost in Kansas in 2025 comes down to a few core state fees plus optional extras you can choose to add, or skip. Instead of hunting through state websites, this guide collects everything in one place so you can quickly see what you’ll owe to form your LLC and keep it compliant over time. We’ll walk through Kansas LLC formation fees, the biennial Information Report, taxes, penalties for missing deadlines, and the most common “nice-to-have” extras like registered agents or certificates. By the end, you’ll know the true LLC cost in Kansas and how to budget without unpleasant surprises.

Kansas LLC Total Cost Summary

Here’s the quick math for starting and maintaining an LLC in Kansas. You’ll pay a one-time state filing fee to form the company, then a biennial Information Report to keep it in good standing. Everything else (EIN, most tax registrations) is free, with optional add-ons depending on your needs.

Kansas LLC costs at a glance (2025)

Why the biennial fee looks “high”: state law sets a base of $80 and allows additional amounts by regulation, current total is $100 online or $110 paper for LLCs.

One-time State Fees to Form a Kansas LLC

Here’s what you’ll actually pay at formation in Kansas, no surprises. Your core state cost is the Articles of Organization filing. Everything else below is optional or situational (like registered agent service, name holds, or series filings). I’ve included current 2025 fees straight from the Kansas Secretary of State and state law. For a step-by-step checklist that walks through the filing process itself, see our Kansas LLC formation guide.

Articles of Organization – $160 online / $165 paper

Filing your Articles creates the LLC in Kansas. If you file online, the fee is $160; by paper, $165. Online filings are processed within minutes and you can immediately print a certified copy from the SOS portal. In some states this foundational filing is called a “Certificate of Organization” rather than Articles of Organization (if you’re comparing terminology across states, see our Certificate of Organization explainer for the big-picture concept).

Registered Agent – (often $100–$150/yr)

Kansas law requires every LLC to maintain a resident/registered agent with a Kansas street address (no P.O. boxes). You can be your own agent, appoint an individual, or hire a commercial provider. Market pricing generally runs about $100–$150 per year among national services.
Law basis: “Every covered entity shall have and maintain in this state a resident agent.” (K.S.A. 17-7925).

Name Reservation (optional) – $30 online / $35 paper

Only use this if you’re not ready to file yet. A Kansas name reservation holds your LLC name for 120 days and costs $30 online or $35 by mail. If you’re ready to file now, skip this fee, filing the Articles secures the name automatically. Before you pay, run a quick Kansas business search to confirm the name is actually available.

Series LLC Filings (only if using series) – LAO + Certificate of Designation

Kansas allows LLCs that may create series. If you want that option, form with the LAO paper form ($165) instead of the standard Articles, then file a Certificate of Designation (LCD) ($35 per series, paper) for each series you actually establish. (These are separate filings and fees.)

Certified Copies & Certificate of Good Standing (optional)

Banks and partners sometimes ask for these. Under current Kansas law, each certified copy is $7.50 and each Certificate of Good Standing is $7.50; non-certified copies are $20 per instrument. You can order them from the SOS when needed.

DBA / Assumed Name

Kansas does not register DBAs (assumed/fictitious/trade names) at the state level. If you plan to use a DBA, check your county/city requirements, local governments decide whether any registration is required.

Ongoing Kansas LLC Costs

Once your LLC in Kansas is formed, the only state-mandated recurring cost is the Information (biennial) Report. Beyond that, you may see private registered agent service renewals, local/industry licenses, and normal tax compliance expenses (e.g., sales tax, employer withholding, unemployment). I’ve summarized each item below with current 2025 details and official sources.

Biennial Information Report – $100 online / $110 paper

Kansas replaced the annual report with a biennial Information Report. The filing fee is $100 online or $110 by paper, and you can file directly through the Secretary of State’s portal. If you’re new to the concept of LLC reports in general, our LLC annual report guide shows how these filings work in other states and why Kansas’ biennial version matters.

Due Date Rules

You file every two years on the same parity as your formation year (formed in 2025 → file in odd years). For-profit entities are due April 15 of the applicable filing year; nonprofits are due June 15.

Registered Agent Renewal

Kansas law requires an in-state resident/registered agent; many owners keep a commercial agent for privacy and mail handling. Typical national pricing clusters around $100–$150/year (e.g., Harbor Compliance promo $99 first year, then $149; Northwest $125), with some providers at $200/year. You can also act as your own agent at $0 if you maintain a Kansas street address and business-hours availability.

If you’d rather bundle formation and support, you can compare Kansas LLC services that include registered agent and filing help.

Licenses & Permits

Kansas does not issue a single statewide “general” business license. Instead, licenses are industry-specific (at state boards) and/or local (city/county). Start at Kansas Business One Stop to check requirements, and then confirm with your city/county (e.g., Kansas City, KS publishes its own rules).
If you want to sanity-check what other states charge, our nationwide business license cost by state breakdown shows typical fee ranges.

State Tax Accounts that Can Add Costs

• Sales tax permit: Registration with the Kansas Department of Revenue is online and no-fee; ongoing cost is the tax you collect/remit. (Card payments can carry a portal convenience fee, while ACH is free.)
• Employer withholding: Employers must register with KDOR for a withholding account (no registration fee). Payments can be made through the KDOR portal; third-party card processors may charge fees.
• Unemployment insurance (SUI): Register with the Kansas Department of Labor. For 2025, the taxable wage base is $14,000; new non-construction employers start at 1.75% and new construction at 5.55%. (You’ll receive your exact rate from KDOL.)

Once payroll and HR admin start to feel heavy, you can compare Kansas-focused PEO options alongside our broader roundup of the best PEO services for small businesses.

Foreign (out-of-state) LLC Costs to Operate in Kansas

If your company was formed in another state but will do business here, you’ll register as a foreign LLC. Kansas handles foreign registrations by paper (mail, in-person, or fax). The base state fee is set on the Secretary of State’s “FA” application, with the same biennial reporting rules that domestic LLCs follow.

Application for Registration (foreign LLC) – $165

Kansas’ official fee for a foreign LLC Application for Registration is $165 (form FA). If you choose to fax-file, expect an additional processing charge (commonly +$20) noted by multiple Kansas filing providers; confirm the exact add-on with the Secretary of State before faxing.

Certificate of Good Standing from Home State

Kansas’ FA form doesn’t ask you to attach a home-state certificate; instead, you sign under penalty of perjury that your company “exists in good standing” where it was formed (see page 2/2 of FA). That said, banks, vendors, or landlords often request a recent certificate from your formation state (prices vary by state). For reference, the Kansas fee for its own certificate of good standing is $7.50 by statute.

Biennial Information Report

Foreign LLCs file the Information Report on the same every-two-years cycle, with the same fees as domestic LLCs: $100 online or $110 paper. Filing parity is determined by the year you registered in Kansas (even-year filers report in even years; odd-year filers in odd years), and for-profit entities are due April 15.

Kansas LLC Timing & Processing (Cost-Relevant Details)

Speed affects cost (postage, rush handling, downtime). Here’s how Kansas processes the main filing methods and what that means for your timeline and documents.

Online Filings

The Secretary of State’s portal processes many formations within minutes, and file-stamped/ certified copies can be printed right away for certain entity types (e.g., corporations). Regardless of entity type, Kansas also lets you view and print file-stamped copies of filed documents online at no cost.

For typical approval timelines and common bottlenecks, you can check our Kansas LLC processing time guide.

Paper Filings

Paper (mail or walk-in) is available, but the state doesn’t publish a paid “expedite service” for paper submissions. If timing is critical, Kansas accepts fax filings for many business forms with an extra processing fee noted by filing providers (commonly +$20); verify current details with the SOS before you fax.

What Changes if You Choose a Series LLC

Choosing a Series LLC adds filings:

• Form your company with the LAO (Articles of Organization, LLC That May Create Series).
• Then file an LCD (Certificate of Designation) for each series you actually create (additional documents/fees per series).
• Ongoing: each LLC or series files the biennial Information Report under the same April 15 parity schedule (even/odd by formation year).

Kansas LLC Cost Risks, Penalties & How to Avoid Them

Kansas keeps compliance simple: file one Information Report every two years and you’re fine. The main financial risks come from missing that report (which can trigger forfeiture), paying reinstatement penalties, and getting tricked by misleading mailers that look “official.” Here’s how the rules work, and how to steer clear of unnecessary costs.

Biennial Report Delinquency Window and Forfeiture

If you miss your Information Report due date, Kansas gives you a three-month delinquency window to file late. After that window closes, the state forfeits your business, meaning you can’t file other documents until you’re back in good standing. For-profit entities file on April 15 of their odd/even cycle (based on formation year).

Reinstatement & One-time Penalty

To return to good standing, you’ll submit a Certificate of Reinstatement (Form RL) with all past-due reports and fees (up to the last 10 years). The state charges: $35 reinstatement filing fee + a one-time $85 penalty + $110 for each missed Information Report (when submitted with RL). The RL instructions include a fee table showing totals for 1–5 past-due reports.
Statute confirms that reinstatement requires payment of the reinstatement fee plus all past-due report fees and any penalties.

Scam Warnings

Kansas SOS warns about business filing scammers who send official-looking mail or emails offering to “file your report” or sell unnecessary “certificates.” Always file directly with the Secretary of State.
For broader red flags (government-impersonation, “compliance poster” sales, urgent payment demands), the FTC’s small-business scam guide is an excellent checklist to prevent losses.

Kansas LLC Budget Scenarios

Not sure what to budget beyond the state filing? These realistic, apples-to-apples scenarios show the cash you’ll actually lay out in Year 1, and what to expect when the biennial report comes due.

Bare-bones DIY (online)

For founders who will be their own agent and file everything online.

• Year 1: Articles of Organization (online) – $160. EIN $0 with IRS.
• Next compliance hit: Information Report (online) – $100 in your odd/even year. (No payment again until that cycle.)

Typical Setup with Commercial Registered Agent

Add privacy and mail-handling by hiring a Kansas registered agent service.

• Year 1: Articles $160 + registered agent ~ $100–$150/yr (e.g., Northwest $125, Harbor Compliance $99 first year → $149 renewal).
• On your report year: Information Report $100 online + agent renewal at your provider’s rate.

For side-by-side picks and pricing, check our guide to the best Kansas registered agents.

Add-ons Many Owners Actually Buy

• Certificate of Good Standing: $7.50 (per statute); banks sometimes ask for it. Certified copy: $7.50; non-certified copy $20. Buy only when requested.
• Local/industry license: Kansas has no statewide “general” license; check your city/county and boards for exact costs (if you’re in a licensed profession and your board requires a professional limited liability company, our LLC vs PLLC comparison explains how that structure differs and what it can cost).
• Domain & website: Typical small-site starter budget $12–$20/yr domain + $5–$20/mo hosting (market averages; provider-dependent).

Avoid avoidable costs: file your report on time (or you’ll face $35 reinstatement + $85 penalty + $110 per missed report if you forfeit). Set calendar reminders the month before your April 15 odd/even year.

FAQs: Kansas LLC costs

Below are straight answers to the most–asked questions about LLC cost in Kansas: formation fees, the biennial report, taxes, licensing, and timing. Each answer is direct and then expanded, so you can budget Kansas LLC costs confidently without keyword fluff. If you’re mostly wondering how an LLC can help you at tax time, our LLC tax benefits guide walks through common savings and when they realistically apply.