Missouri: Assumed-Name (DBA) Registration Requirements

Requirements one by one

Who files and when

Missouri uses one statewide registration. Section 417.200 defines a fictitious
name as a name other than the person's true name and says a person may not
transact business under it "without first registering" with the Secretary of
State. Section 417.210.1 then reaches every person, general partnership,
corporation, or other business organization and directs filing "within five
days after" beginning business under the name.

Those two timing phrases appear together in the current Act. Filing before use
complies with both; anyone who has already started has an express five-day
filing direction in § 417.210.1. A partnership or other entity formed to
practice a licensed profession is excluded from being treated as engaged in
business for this section (§ 417.210.6).

Five-year term, renewal window, and ownership changes

A registration remains active for five years (§ 417.210.7). Renewal must be
filed during the six months before expiration, and it continues the registration
for another five years (§ 417.210.9–.10). The Secretary of State says an expired
registration cannot be renewed; the business must make a new registration and
receives a new charter number.

The change rule is much shorter. If the business or an owner's interest ends or
changes, § 417.210.4 calls for cancellation within five days and permits a new
registration. The current form also requires every owner to sign and asks for
exact ownership percentages when an owner may claim not to be jointly and
severally liable.

The current $7 fee has a scheduled sunset

Section 417.220 sets a $2 registration or renewal fee. Section 417.018 currently
adds $5 to every Chapter 417 fee, producing the $7 total shown on Corp. 56 and
the Secretary of State's fee schedule. But § 417.018 says the $5 authority
expires December 31, 2026. Unless a later law extends it, the Chapter 417 fee
will revert to $2 after that date.

What trips people up

• Registration does not reserve the name. Corp. 56 says the filing gives
  "no protection" and does not stop another person or entity from adopting and
  using the same name. Trademark and unfair-competition rights are separate.
• There is no publication step. Chapter 417 requires the Secretary of State
  registration, but no newspaper notice or affidavit of publication.
• The five-day rule also applies to an ownership change. Section 417.210.4
  calls for cancellation within five days when the business or an owner's
  interest ends or changes; a new registration may then be filed.
• Skipping registration is a misdemeanor. Section 417.230 supplies the
  classification, and the Secretary of State says a local prosecuting attorney
  may bring the charge.

Common questions

What information goes in the filing? The fictitious name, physical business
address, and the name and residence or business address of every owner. Exact
ownership interests are mandatory when an owner may claim limited rather than
joint-and-several liability (§ 417.210.3, .5).

Is there a military fee waiver? Yes. Section 417.220.2 waives its fee when
an owner is a Missouri resident serving in the Missouri National Guard or other
active-duty military and provides proof of service.

Statutes and sources

• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 417.200 — fictitious-name definition and pre-registration
  language. Official text (accessed 2026-07-25).
• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 417.210 — covered filers, five-day rules, required
  information, professional-practice exclusion, term, renewal, and expiration.
  Official text (accessed 2026-07-25).
• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 417.220 — $2 fee and military waiver. Official text (accessed 2026-07-25).
• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 417.018 — temporary $5 technology fee and December 31,
  2026 sunset. Official text (accessed 2026-07-25).
• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 417.230 — misdemeanor for operating without registration.
  Official text (accessed 2026-07-25).
• Missouri Secretary of State Corp. 56 and FAQ — current $7 total,
  no-name-protection notice, five-year term, renewal workflow, and prosecution
  guidance. Official form; official FAQ (accessed 2026-07-25).