Kansas Articles of Organization: Required Contents, $85 Fee and How to File Online
Kansas Articles of Organization: Required Contents, $85 Fee and How to File Online
The Articles of Organization create a Kansas limited liability company (LLC). You file them with the Kansas Secretary of State on Form DL. The form itself is short: four required items, one signature, and an $85 fee if you file online. Most delays come from the name, the resident agent, or the registered office, so this guide covers each of those in detail, along with the costs and the steps that come after filing.
This article is informational only. It is not legal or tax advice. Talk with a Kansas attorney or certified public accountant (CPA) before you decide how to structure your business.
What Form DL is and what it asks for
Kansas calls the document Articles of Organization, Domestic (Kansas) Limited Liability Company, Form DL (Rev. 2/27/26). Download the current version from the Secretary of State's business services page at sos.ks.gov/business rather than using a copy you saved earlier. The form asks for four things:
- The LLC name
- The resident agent
- The registered office
- The signature of an authorized person
The Form DL instructions do not include a newspaper publication step. Kansas LLCs do not need to run a notice in a newspaper to complete this filing.
1. The LLC name
Under K.S.A. 17-7920, the name must contain one of these endings: L.L.C., L.C., LLC, LC, Limited Liability Company or Limited Company. A name in another language is allowed if it is written in Roman characters. The name cannot include DBA, fictitious, assumed or trade names. For example, "Prairie Feed Company" fails because it lacks an approved ending, while "Prairie Feed LLC" meets the requirement.
Check availability before you file. Run the Secretary of State business entity search and look at the Business Name Availability result. The state compares your name with entities already registered in Kansas. If a similar name is in use, you have two choices: pick a different name, or file a Consent to Use of Similar Business Name (Form CN) under K.S.A. 17-7918 with your articles. A consent only helps if the other business agrees to it, so confirm that before you count on this route.
If you need time to finish the paperwork, you can reserve the name. The reservation costs $35 and holds the name for 120 days. The form is available at sos.ks.gov Form NR.
2. The resident agent
Kansas uses the term resident agent where many states say registered agent. The resident agent must be one of three things:
- An individual
- A business registered in Kansas
- The LLC itself
The resident agent receives legal papers on behalf of the company, so choose someone who will be available at the registered office during normal business hours. If you name yourself or a co-owner, make sure that person understands the responsibility.
3. The registered office
The registered office must be a Kansas street address where the resident agent is regularly present. Include the building number, street, city, state and ZIP code. A post office box is not accepted. If the name or address of the resident agent or the registered office changes later, you must update it with the Secretary of State.
4. The authorized person's signature
An authorized person signs the form. This is the last item on the form, and it is the one people most often forget to check before they submit.
The fee: $85 online, $90 on paper
The Articles of Organization fee is $85 when you file online through the Secretary of State's Business Services portal. A paper filing costs $90. The state does not publish an expedited tier or an extra fee for faster processing on the articles. Online filings process within minutes, so the paper route is the slower and more expensive option for a standard domestic LLC.
The table below lists the Secretary of State fees that come up in this filing. Confirm every amount on the Secretary of State site before you pay, because fees can change.
| Filing or item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization, online (Form DL) | $85 | Processes within minutes; certified copy prints immediately |
| Articles of Organization, paper (Form DL) | $90 | Processed by mail from the Topeka office |
| Name reservation (Form NR) | $35 | Holds the name for 120 days |
| Series LLC filing (Form LAO) | $90 | Paper filing only |
| Information Report (Form ILC) | $90 | Due every two years by April 15 |
How to file online, step by step
- Check the name. Run the business entity search and confirm the name is available and ends in an approved suffix.
- Reserve the name if you need time. Form NR costs $35 and holds the name for 120 days.
- Choose the resident agent and confirm the Kansas street address. Have the full street address ready. A post office box will not work.
- Log in to Business Services. Sign in through the Secretary of State Customer Login and start the Articles of Organization for a domestic Kansas LLC.
- Enter the four required items. Provide the LLC name, the resident agent, the registered office, and the signature of the authorized person.
- Pay the $85 fee.
- Print the certified copy. Online filings process within minutes, and the certified copy can be printed immediately. Save it with your company records, because banks and the state may ask for it.
Paper filing and the exceptions
Paper filing of Form DL costs $90 and is processed by mail from the Topeka office. Use paper only if you cannot file online. Two situations require paper regardless of your preference:
- Series LLC: If your LLC may create series, file Form LAO. This filing is paper only and costs $90.
- Foreign entities: A business formed outside Kansas that wants to operate in Kansas files the Foreign Application on paper instead of Form DL. This guide does not state the fee for that application, so confirm it on the Secretary of State site.
What the articles do not do
Several things people assume are part of this filing are not. Knowing the limits saves a second trip to the state later.
- No state DBA filing. Kansas has no state-level DBA, assumed, fictitious or trade name filing. The Secretary of State's Register a Business page explains that the name reservation form does not register these names. If you operate under a name other than your LLC's legal name, check city and county requirements. You can protect a brand through a Secretary of State trademark or service mark registration.
- No business license. Filing the articles creates the entity. It does not license your business. Kansas has no general statewide business license.
- No franchise tax. Kansas has no LLC franchise tax.
After filing: the biennial Information Report
Kansas does not require an annual report for LLCs. Instead, you file an Information Report, Form ILC, every two years. The fee is $90, and the filing is required. It is due every two years by April 15. An LLC formed in an even year reports in each succeeding even year, and an LLC formed in an odd year reports in each succeeding odd year. For example, an LLC formed in 2026 files its first report in 2028, due by April 15, 2028. A three-month delinquency window follows the due date before the entity faces forfeiture, but do not plan around that window. Put the due date on your calendar the day you receive the certified copy.
Taxes that come with the LLC
The Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) handles state taxes. Registration with KDOR for business taxes is free. The main points for a new LLC are these:
- Default treatment: An LLC is a pass-through entity for Kansas income tax. Members report their share of Kansas income on individual returns. Individual rates are 5.2% on Kansas taxable income up to $23,000 for single filers, or up to $46,000 for married filing jointly, and 5.58% above those amounts.
- Corporate treatment: An LLC taxed as a corporation pays the 3.5% corporate normal tax plus a 3% surtax on Kansas taxable income over $50,000.
- Sales tax: The state sales tax rate is 6.5%. If you sell taxable goods or services, register for a sales tax permit through KDOR business registration.
- City earnings tax: Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri are different cities in different states. Only Kansas City, Missouri has a city earnings tax, so an address in Kansas City, Kansas does not bring that tax with it.
Ask a CPA which tax treatment fits your ownership and goals. The default pass-through treatment is not always the best choice.
Licenses and local rules
Kansas licenses businesses by agency and by trade, not through one general license. Register the LLC with the Secretary of State for the entity, register with KDOR for any tax you owe, and then check whether your trade needs a license. Examples include:
- Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA): food, pesticides and pet animals
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE): child care and home health
- KDOR: liquor, cigarettes and dealers
- Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC): motor carriers, oil and gas
- Attorney General: roofing
- Kansas Real Estate Commission (KREC): real estate
- The cosmetology and barbering boards, among others
Trades such as general contracting, electrical, plumbing and HVAC have no statewide license in Kansas. Cities and counties license them, so check with the city or county where you will work before you bid on a job.
Kansas has 105 counties and 624 cities. Every incorporated place is legally a city, and there are no towns or villages. Your city or county clerk can tell you what local permits apply to your address.
Common problems with this filing
- A name without an approved ending, such as "Prairie Feed Company"
- A DBA, fictitious or trade name used as the LLC name
- A post office box entered as the registered office
- A resident agent who is not an individual, a Kansas-registered business, or the LLC itself
- A similar name already on file with no Form CN attached
When to get professional help
A simple single-owner LLC with a clear name and a Kansas resident agent is straightforward to file. Get help from a Kansas attorney if you have multiple owners, plan to use a series LLC, are forming a foreign entity, or need an operating agreement drafted for your situation. Talk with a CPA about the tax treatment you choose. The Kansas Small Business Development Center can also point you to free advising on the business side of formation.
This guide is informational and is not legal or tax advice. Fees, due dates and forms can change, so confirm current figures with the Kansas Secretary of State at sos.ks.gov/business and with the Kansas Department of Revenue at ksrevenue.gov/business before you file or pay.