Mississippi Professional LLC (PLLC): Which Professions Must Use One and How to Form It

A Mississippi professional limited liability company (PLLC) is an LLC formed to render professional services, and only people licensed in that profession can own it. If you are a licensed professional deciding how to organize your practice, this guide explains what the PLLC rules require, which professions are affected, and what it costs to form one.

Disclaimer: This guide is informational only. It is not legal, tax, or licensing advice. Entity choice and professional licensing rules depend on your situation, so confirm the details with a Mississippi attorney, a certified public accountant (CPA), and the licensing board for your profession before you file.

What a Mississippi PLLC Is

A PLLC is formed under the professional limited liability company rules in Miss. Code 79-29-903. Its Certificate of Formation must state that the company is a professional LLC and name the professional services it will render. A PLLC may render only the services listed in its certificate. If the practice later adds a service line, the certificate generally has to cover it, so talk with your attorney before the practice expands.

Professional services are services that only licensed people may render. Common examples include CPAs, dentists, architects, veterinarians, physicians, and attorneys. The PLLC structure is an option for these professions, but the PLLC rules do not require every licensed professional to use one. Whether you must use one depends on the law or board rule that governs your license.

Which Professions Must Use a PLLC?

There is no single Mississippi list of professions that must form a PLLC. The PLLC rules explain how to form one and who may own one. They do not force anyone into a PLLC unless another law requires it. For that reason, the real answer for your profession comes from your licensing board, not the Secretary of State.

To find out what applies to you:

1. Read your board's statutes and rules on practice entities. Look for any requirement that the practice use a professional entity, any limit on who may own it, and any required name format.
2. Ask the board in writing if the rules are unclear. A written answer is much easier to rely on later than a phone call.
3. Confirm whether your board allows a standard LLC for your license, or only a professional entity.
4. Ask your CPA how the entity will be taxed before you file, since the tax result can change the structure you choose.

Who Can Own and Manage a PLLC

Members of a PLLC must be individuals licensed in the profession the company renders, or qualifying entities as the Act defines them. Check the statute for the current definition of a qualifying entity before you add any owner who is not a licensed individual.

The licensing board's rules still apply to the PLLC and to each member. The PLLC does not license the company or its members to practice. Each professional must still hold a current individual license, and forming the PLLC does not replace it.

Name Requirements

The name of a PLLC must contain one of these: Professional Limited Liability Company, PLLC, or P.L.L.C. The name must also meet the general Mississippi LLC rules. It must be distinguishable on the records of the Secretary of State from any registered or reserved name, including corporations, nonprofits, partnerships, and other LLCs.

If you want to hold a name while you prepare your filing, you can reserve it with the Secretary of State for $25. The reservation lasts 180 days. Search the business records before you choose a name, because a name that is too close to an existing one will be rejected.

How to Form a Mississippi PLLC, Step by Step

1. Confirm the board's position. Get your board's answer on whether a PLLC is required, allowed, or optional for your license before you spend money on filings.
2. Search and choose the name. Use the Secretary of State business search at https://corp.sos.ms.gov/corp/portal/c/page/corpBusinessIdSearch/portal.aspx to confirm the name is available and includes one of the required endings.
3. Reserve the name (optional). A $25 reservation holds the name for 180 days.
4. File the Certificate of Formation online. The Certificate of Formation (Form F0100) costs $50, the same fee as a standard LLC. Confirm on the portal that the filing states the company is a professional LLC and lists the professional services it will render. Online filings paid for are normally approved immediately or within 24 hours. The filing portal is at https://corp.sos.ms.gov/corp/portal/c/page/corpnewfilings/portal.aspx.
5. Appoint a registered agent. Every Mississippi LLC must keep a registered office with a physical Mississippi street address and a registered agent for legal papers. The agent must be a Mississippi resident individual, or an entity authorized to do business in Mississippi whose business office matches the registered office. A commercial agent files a listing statement with the Secretary of State for $100, appears on the state website, and must accept or decline the appointment within 14 days. A noncommercial agent is not registered with the state, but you must have that person's permission before listing them.
6. Get a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). Apply through the Internal Revenue Service before you open a business bank account or hire staff.
7. Obtain your board registration or license for the entity, if required. Your board sets its own fees and forms. Confirm them with the board before you file.
8. Get your local privilege license. Mississippi has no statewide general business license. Each city, town, and village issues its own privilege license under Miss. Code 27-17. Counties license only businesses outside municipalities. Confirm the fee and process with your city clerk or your county if you practice outside city limits.
9. Write an operating agreement. You do not file this with the state, but it is important for a professional LLC. It should cover ownership percentages, how a member's interest is transferred, and what happens if a member loses a license, dies, or retires. Have an attorney draft it.

What It Costs

The table below lists the state fees confirmed so far. Where a fee is set by a board or city, the table says so, and you should confirm the amount with that agency before you budget.

Item	Cost	Where to pay or confirm
Certificate of Formation (PLLC, same fee as LLC)	$50	Mississippi Secretary of State
Name reservation (holds the name 180 days)	$25	Mississippi Secretary of State
Fictitious (assumed) business name, Form F0070	$25	Mississippi Secretary of State, not the county
Commercial registered agent listing statement	$100	Mississippi Secretary of State (commercial agents only)
LLC annual report, Form F0108	$0	Mississippi Secretary of State, due April 15
Board registration or license	Set by the board; check with board	Your licensing board
City privilege license	Set by each city; check with city	Your city clerk or finance office
Sales tax permit	No fee; a bond may be required for applicants with no permanent Mississippi location	Mississippi Department of Revenue

Registering the PLLC with the Secretary of State is a registration, not a license. A PLLC still needs its board's credentials and any local privilege license to operate.

Taxes and Sales Tax

An LLC taxed as a partnership is a pass-through entity. Its income is reported on the members' Mississippi returns. The franchise tax applies to corporations, not to an LLC taxed as a partnership.

If the PLLC elects to be taxed as a corporation, it pays Mississippi corporate income tax and may owe the franchise tax. The franchise tax is set to be repealed effective January 1, 2028, but confirm the current status with the Mississippi Department of Revenue and your CPA before you rely on it.

The Mississippi state sales tax rate is 7%. There is no county add-on, and city levies apply only in Jackson and Tupelo. Most professional services are not sales of taxable goods, but any product sales in the practice may require a sales tax permit. Register with the Department of Revenue if your practice makes taxable sales, and ask your CPA how the rule applies to your billing.

Staying in Good Standing

A PLLC has ongoing obligations that are easy to miss in the first year:

• Annual report. File the LLC annual report (Form F0108) online each year. It is due April 15, you may file it on or after January 1, and it has no fee. Failure to file can lead to administrative dissolution.
• Registered agent. Keep a registered office and agent in place at all times. If your agent changes, update the filing.
• Board renewals. Each licensed member must keep their individual license current. Track renewal dates for every member, not just the company.
• City renewals. Confirm the renewal schedule for your privilege license with your city.
• Ownership changes. If a member leaves, dies, or loses a license, check the board's rules and your operating agreement before transferring any interest.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Filing before checking the board. A PLLC that your board does not recognize can create licensing problems that cost more to fix than the filing ever cost.
• Using a name without the required ending. The name must contain Professional Limited Liability Company, PLLC, or P.L.L.C.
• Listing services too narrowly or too broadly. A PLLC may render only the services in its certificate, so the list has to match the work the practice actually does.
• Admitting an owner who is not qualified. Confirm each member's license before admission.
• Assuming the $50 filing covers everything. The Certificate of Formation creates the company. It does not replace board licenses, privilege licenses, or the annual report.

Official Resources

• Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division: https://www.sos.ms.gov/business-services
• Secretary of State online filing portal: https://corp.sos.ms.gov/corp/portal/c/page/corpnewfilings/portal.aspx
• Business entity search: https://corp.sos.ms.gov/corp/portal/c/page/corpBusinessIdSearch/portal.aspx
• Secretary of State fee schedule (includes the fictitious name fee): https://www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/Business/FeeSchedule.pdf
• Revised LLC Act (source for the name reservation): https://www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/pol_res/llcs/1revisedLLCact.pdf
• Mississippi Department of Revenue: https://www.dor.ms.gov/
• Sales and use tax registration: https://www.dor.ms.gov/business/sales-use-tax/registration-information-sales-and-use-tax-applicants
• Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network: https://www.mississippisbdc.org/

Next Steps

Start with your licensing board. Once you know whether a PLLC is required, allowed, or optional, reserve the name if needed, file the $50 Certificate of Formation, appoint a registered agent, and line up your city privilege license. Before you sign the operating agreement or admit any member, have a Mississippi attorney review the structure and have a CPA confirm the tax treatment. This guide is informational, not legal or tax advice, and the rules above may change.