Business licenses and permits in Missouri

What applies everywhere in Missouri

15 requirements are set by Missouri itself and apply whichever city you open in. Local permits sit on top of them.

Sources

Every statewide figure above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

1. Missouri Secretary of State — schedule of fees and charges, covering LLC, corporation and nonprofit filingsMissouri Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
2. Missouri Secretary of State form LLC-1 — Articles of Organization, revised January 2025Missouri Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
3. Missouri Department of Natural Resources — permits needed for an auto repair shop, listing only a conditional environmental transporter licenseMissouri Department of Natural Resources · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
4. Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education — starting a child care programme, the licensed versus license-exempt distinctionMissouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
5. Missouri Revised Statutes section 210.211 — the complete list of facilities exempt from child care licensure, including religious exemptionsMissouri General Assembly, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
6. Missouri Revised Statutes section 351.120 — the corporate annual registration report requirementMissouri General Assembly, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
7. Missouri Revised Statutes section 351.122 — the biennial registration report election and feeMissouri General Assembly, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
8. Missouri Revised Statutes chapter 347 — the complete limited liability company statute, containing no annual report provisionMissouri General Assembly, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
9. Missouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners — establishment fee scheduleMissouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
10. 20 CSR 2085-10.010 and 2085-10.050 — cosmetology and barber establishment licensing, on a biennial cycleMissouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
11. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services — Retail Food Safety page and FAQ, stating 'the Department of Health and Senior Services does not issue permits'Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
12. 19 CSR 20-1.025 — the Missouri Food Code, incorporating the FDA Food Code by reference and delegating enforcement to local public health agenciesMissouri Department of Health and Senior Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
13. Jackson County, Missouri — environmental health fees at a glance, a tiered local food permit exampleJackson County, Missouri · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
14. Jackson County, Missouri — food handler permits, an example of a local food handler card requirementJackson County, Missouri · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
15. Missouri Department of Revenue — small business registration checklist, distinguishing local business licenses from state tax registrationMissouri Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
16. Missouri Division of Professional Registration — the complete list of every board it administers, containing no HVAC or mechanical contractor boardMissouri Division of Professional Registration · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
17. Missouri Revised Statutes chapter 341 — plumbers and plumbing, licensed only in cities of 15,000 or more and first-class countiesMissouri General Assembly, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
18. 11 CSR 50-2.050 — the motor vehicle safety inspection station permit fee and one-year termMissouri State Highway Patrol · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
19. Missouri Revised Statutes section 144.083 — the retail sales license, issued at no cost and valid until revoked or surrenderedMissouri General Assembly, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
20. 12 CSR 10-26.021 — the biennial salvage business license fee of $130 per category per locationMissouri Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
21. Missouri Revised Statutes section 301.218 — salvage business licensing, including the rebuilder or body shop categoryMissouri General Assembly, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
22. Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors — fee schedule effective 30 June 2019Missouri Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
23. Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors — FAQ for political subdivisions, explaining the preemption and recognition ruleMissouri Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
24. Missouri Veterinary Medical Board — facility permit fee scheduleMissouri Veterinary Medical Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
25. 20 CSR 2270-5.011 and 2270-5.031 — the veterinary facility permit requirement and its annual 31 March expiryMissouri Veterinary Medical Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04

Which Missouri city are you opening in?

• Jackson County, MOJackson County, Missouri, seat Independence as assigned, issues food permits through Environmental Health, and issues building, commercial trade, zoning, conditional use and on-site wastewater permits through the Public Works Development Division. The Development Division's building and trade permits apply to the unincorporated area of the county. Environmental Health's food permits cover the unincorporated area and the incorporated cities its scope statement lists. Each incorporated city and town in the county runs its own business license and permit regime that stacks on the county's records. Independence states that each business operating or providing a service in Independence is required to have a City Occupation License, and Lee's Summit states that a business license is required to operate any business in Lee's Summit. Neither city's fee is recorded on this page. A business inside any city limit should also check that city's own licensing and permit requirements. The population of 727,362 is the 2024 figure supplied with the assignment and was not re-checked against a Census Bureau table for this build.25 published records
• St. Louis County, MOSt. Louis County, Missouri, seat Clayton, issues county liquor licenses for unincorporated premises through its Department of Revenue, after the state liquor license from the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. Food permits are issued by the Department of Public Health's Environmental Division. Commercial building permits, septic permits and plumbing and mechanical licensing sit with the Department of Transportation and Public Works. The Assessor issues the Merchants and Manufacturers license. Clayton, the county seat, is itself an incorporated municipality. The county's Licensing page states: "We do not issue business licenses. If your business is located in a municipality, please contact them directly for their requirements." The records on this page are county-level only. A business inside an incorporated municipality should also check that municipality's own licensing and permit requirements, which are not described here.12 published records
• St. Charles County, MOSt. Charles County, Missouri, seat St. Charles, runs its business records through three county agencies. The Department of Finance issues the merchant and manufacturer license under Chapter 130 of the County Code. The Department of Public Health's Division of Environmental Health and Protection issues food, mobile food, kratom and recreation facility permits. The Division of Building and Code Enforcement licenses plumbing, electrical, mechanical, pool installation, on-site wastewater installation and on-site wastewater inspection contractors. Under the county food code, the division inspects food establishments in the county except those within the City of St. Peters, which conducts its own inspections. The contractor licenses cover unincorporated St. Charles County and any incorporated area whose governing body has consented to county enforcement. The records on this page are county-level only. A business inside an incorporated city should also check that city's own license and permit requirements, which this page does not describe.11 published records
• Kansas City, MOSpans Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass counties, but the city's own Health Department is the sole food-permitting authority citywide — county health departments serve only areas outside KCMO. Building-permit and contractor-license fees are set in section 18-20 of the city's Building and Rehabilitation Code, which the city's own fee-schedule page names as the complete schedule.9 published records
• Springfield, MOThe Springfield-Greene County Health Department, a joint city-county agency hosted on the city's own domain, runs food-service permitting. Several building-fee documents are stamped 'Effective 07/01/2025' while the city's Tent Permit page already shows FY26-27 figures; re-checked directly, the building-fee documents are still the 07/01/2025 version, notwithstanding a proposed FY26-27 schedule the City's Finance and Administration Committee reviewed in January 2026.8 published records
• St. Louis, MOAn independent city, not part of any county, since separating from St. Louis County in 1876. Its own Department of Health runs food-service permitting. stlouis-mo.gov was unreachable by direct fetch throughout this research — a real, ongoing connection-refused outage — and every fact here was retrieved through a read-proxy instead.8 published records
• Greene County, MOGreene County, Missouri, seat Springfield, issues county merchant licenses through its Collector of Revenue and county liquor licenses through its Clerk, which apply after the state liquor license. Building permits, commercial plan review, onsite wastewater permits and zoning checks are administered by the Resource Management Department and apply to the unincorporated areas of the county. Food permits for Springfield and Greene County are issued by the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, a joint agency whose fees are stated on its own pages. The records on this page are county-level only. A business inside the limits of an incorporated city, Springfield among them, should also check that city's own licensing and permit requirements, which are not described here.7 published records
• Clay County, MOClay County, Missouri, seat Liberty, issues county liquor licenses and amusement and recreation licenses through its Clerk, and business personal property registration and the annual declaration through its Assessor. Building permits, commercial and industrial building permits, home occupation permits and temporary use and sign permits are administered by Planning and Zoning and apply in the unincorporated areas of the county. Food permits, mobile and temporary food permits and food handler credentials come from the County Public Health Center's Environmental Health Protection Section, which covers the county except the Kansas City city limits. Incorporated cities, including the county seat Liberty, run their own business license and permit regimes that stack on the county's records, and a business inside an incorporated city should check that city's requirements as well. The records on this page are county-level only.6 published records

Is there a single Missouri business license?

Who issues permits in Missouri?

• Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations DivisionEntity formation · Corporate annual registration reports3 permits
• Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Environmental Health ServicesStatewide food code minimum standards · Local public health agency coordination2 permits
• Missouri Department of RevenueRetail sales licenses · Business tax registration2 permits
• Missouri Division of Professional RegistrationThe complete roster of state-licensed occupations2 permits
• Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of ChildhoodChild care facility licensing1 permit
• Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau, Dealer Licensing SectionSalvage business licensing · Motor vehicle dealer licensing1 permit
• Missouri Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors, Division of Professional RegistrationStatewide electrical contractor licensing1 permit
• Missouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber ExaminersSalon and barbershop establishment licensing1 permit
• Missouri State Highway Patrol, Motor Vehicle Inspection SectionMotor vehicle safety inspection station permits · Inspector and mechanic permits1 permit
• Missouri Veterinary Medical BoardVeterinary facility permits · Veterinarian and technician licensing1 permit

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