Start an LLC in Kansas: Secretary of State Steps and Fees (2026)
Kansas made forming an LLC noticeably cheaper in 2026. Effective February 27, 2026, the Secretary of State cut the Articles of Organization filing fee to $85 online or $90 on paper, down from the old $160 online and $165 paper fees. If a guide you are reading still quotes $160, it is out of date. This page walks through the current process from name search to your first biennial report, with every figure taken from the state's own fee schedule and statutes.
The Kansas LLC Filing Fee in 2026
The official Kansas filing fee for a new LLC is $85 when you file online and $90 when you file by paper. The gap comes from how the total is assembled: a $75 base fee set by regulation, a $10 information and services fee, and a $5 technology fee that applies to paper submissions only. The fee goes to the Kansas Secretary of State whether you file on your own or have us prepare the filing for you.
Articles of Organization (Form DL)
The document that creates a Kansas LLC is the Articles of Organization, governed by K.S.A. 17-7673. The statute puts it plainly: "In order to form a limited liability company, one or more authorized persons must execute articles of organization." Kansas identifies its filings by letter codes rather than numeric form numbers, so the paper version you want is Form DL. Online filers submit the same information through the Secretary of State's business filing system at sos.ks.gov. Professionals forming a professional LLC use Form PDL instead, and a series LLC files Form LAO.
How to Start Your Kansas LLC, Step by Step
Ready to get started?
Get Started- Settle on a compliant name. Your name must include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." and must be distinguishable from every entity already on record with the Kansas Secretary of State. Run the state's business entity search before you print letterhead or buy a domain.
- Appoint a registered agent. Kansas statutes use the term resident agent for the same role: someone with a Kansas street address who accepts lawsuits and official mail for the company. The requirement sits in K.S.A. 17-7925, and the agent's name and address become part of the public record. Our Kansas registered agent page covers the rules in depth.
- Complete and file Form DL. Provide the LLC name, the registered agent's name and Kansas office address, and the signature of an authorized person, then submit online for $85 or mail the paper form with $90. Online submissions are the quicker route since nothing travels by mail.
- Adopt an operating agreement. Kansas never asks you to file this document, but banks ask for it, courts read it in disputes, and without one the default rules of the Kansas LLC act decide questions you would rather decide yourself.
- Request an EIN from the IRS. The federal tax ID is free at IRS.gov and usually issued on the spot. No third party should ever charge you for it.
- Separate the money. Open a dedicated business bank account and keep company funds apart from personal funds. Commingling is the classic way owners undermine their own liability shield.
- Calendar the biennial Information Report. Kansas replaced its annual report with a biennial one in 2024. Your LLC files every other year, by April 15, in years matching the parity of its formation year. The annual requirements page explains the schedule and the $90 online fee.
What Happens After You File
Once the Secretary of State accepts your Articles of Organization, the LLC legally exists. From that point forward, two obligations follow the company for life: keeping a registered agent continuously on file and filing the Information Report every second year. Let either one lapse and the state can forfeit the articles of organization, which suspends the liability protection you formed the company to get.
Where We Fit In
Our formation service is $199. That covers preparing and filing Form DL with the Kansas Secretary of State and includes your first full year of registered agent service at no extra charge; after year one, the agent service renews at $99 per year. The $85 state fee is paid to Kansas on top of the service fee. You can see the complete picture, state fees and service fees side by side, on our Kansas LLC fees page.