Mississippi lesson 3 of 6
File the Certificate of Formation
The document that creates a Mississippi LLC is the Certificate of Formation, filed entirely online with the Secretary of State's Business Services Division for a $50 fee.
What the filing asks for
The Certificate of Formation covers the LLC's name, its registered agent's name, Mississippi street address and email, the principal office address, and whether the LLC will be member-managed or manager-managed. A general purpose clause is normally sufficient without listing every planned activity.
- Members do not need to be listed individually if the LLC will be manager-managed
- The person filing the Certificate does not need to be an owner
- Mississippi's online system generates the filed Certificate and entity number immediately on acceptance
Filing route and processing time
Mississippi files LLC formation exclusively online; the Secretary of State's Business Services Division no longer accepts in-person or walk-in filings for business documents. Because the filing is electronic and there is no paper backlog to work through, approval is typically fast once the online application is submitted and the $50 fee is paid.
After approval
Save your filed Certificate of Formation and entity number, since Department of Revenue registration and your bank will both reference it. Mississippi does not require an operating agreement to be filed with the state, but adopting one internally is what actually governs ownership, voting and distributions instead of relying on the default rules in the Revised Mississippi Limited Liability Company Act.
Key takeaways
- The Certificate of Formation costs $50, filed online with the Secretary of State.
- Mississippi processes LLC filings entirely online, with no in-person option.
- An operating agreement is not filed with the state but is worth adopting internally.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to live in Mississippi to form a Mississippi LLC?
No. There is no residency requirement for members or managers. Only the registered agent must meet Mississippi's address requirements.
Can I file a Mississippi Certificate of Formation on paper?
No. The Secretary of State's Business Services Division processes LLC formation entirely online and no longer accepts in-person or walk-in business filings.
Official sources
Or let us file your Mississippi LLC for you
Everything above is yours to use for free. If you would rather hand it over, we prepare and file the Certificate of Formation, act as your registered agent, and track your ongoing deadlines.
Last reviewed: September 2026 - reviewed by Gullia Filing Legal & Formation Team