In brief
File one document, the Articles of Organization, with the Minnesota Secretary of State. The fee is $155[2]. The filing lists a registered office in Minnesota; naming a registered agent is optional for a Minnesota LLC.
Mainstay Filing does the Minnesota filing for $199 a year; the state's $155 is added at cost[1].
- State filing fee
- $155
- Form
- Articles of Organization
- Filed with
- Minnesota Secretary of State
- Registered Agent required
- Optional; a registered office is required
- Periodic report
- Yearly, $0
- Other states’ fees
- 39 lower, 9 higher
Updated October 29, 2026. State fees from official sources.
6 steps, in order
The order below is the order most filers follow. The state filing is the only step with a Minnesota fee attached.
- Pick a name the state will accept. It has to be distinguishable from names already on the Minnesota register and include an LLC designator. The Minnesota Secretary of State has a name search on its website[3].
- List the registered office. Every Minnesota LLC keeps a registered office at an actual office location in Minnesota; a P.O. box by itself is not accepted.[4] Naming a registered agent is optional for a Minnesota LLC. If one is named: a Minnesota resident, or a corporation or LLC formed in Minnesota or authorized there, with a business office at the registered office.
- File the Articles of Organization. Submit it to the Minnesota Secretary of State with the $155 fee[2].
- Draft the operating agreement. This internal document covers ownership, voting and what happens if a member leaves. It is kept with the company, not filed.
- Apply for an employer identification number. The IRS issues it free; it is needed to open a business bank account or hire.
- Calendar the first Annual Renewal. It is filed every year with the Minnesota Secretary of State - Business Services Division for $0[5]. It is due December 31[6].
New business filings in Minnesota
Minnesota logged 73,825 business applications in 2025 by the Census Bureau's count, 12.66 for every 1,000 residents. From January through Sep 2026 there were 63,322, against 56,168 in the same months of 2025.
An application is a request for an EIN, not a state LLC filing. The Census series counts every legal form, so it measures start-up activity rather than Minnesota LLC formations.
The fee, in context
Minnesota's $155 filing fee is above the 50-state median of $100: 39 states charge less and 9 charge more.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $155 | [2] revisor.mn.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Annual Renewal | $0 every year | [5] sos.mn.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Filing service, Mainstay Filing | $199 a year plus state fees | [1] Mainstay Filing, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Registered agent service (if hired) | $149 a year at Mainstay Filing; $0 to $249 first year elsewhere | 9 other services' published prices, updated October 29, 2026 |
Only the state fee is required. Skipping the optional agent costs nothing in state fees.
| State | LLC filing fee | Periodic report |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $50 | $30 every 2 yrs |
| North Dakota | $135 | $50 yearly |
| South Dakota | $150 | $55 yearly |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $25 yearly |
Same source set as above, one statute or fee schedule per state, verified August 12, 2026.
Having it filed for you, or filing yourself
With Mainstay Filing, the Minnesota filing is prepared and submitted for you. Its price is $199 a year plus the state's $155[1], and that yearly price also covers the registered agent, the EIN application and every Annual Renewal.
Owners can submit the Minnesota filing themselves at sos.mn.gov. The fee is $155 whoever files.
The form and where it goes
Minnesota calls its formation filing the Articles of Organization. The Minnesota Secretary of State accepts it[2].
The statute that governs it reads, in part:
One or more persons may act as organizers to form a limited liability company by signing and filing with the secretary of state articles of organization.
Minn. Stat. sec. 322C.0201 (Minnesota Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act - articles of organization)[2].
Acceptance puts the company on the Minnesota register. Anything listed on the filing, such as the registered agent's address, becomes part of the public record.
Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Minnesota?
The state fee is $155 for the Articles of Organization[2]. After that, the Annual Renewal costs $0 every year.
Do I need a registered agent to form an LLC in Minnesota?
The filing lists a registered office in Minnesota; naming a registered agent is optional for a Minnesota LLC. An owner who lives in Minnesota can be named as registered agent, or the company can list none; the registered office is required either way.
Can a service file the Minnesota LLC for me?
Yes. Mainstay Filing prepares and files Minnesota LLCs for $199 a year plus the $155 state fee[1]. That also covers its registered agent service, the EIN application and the Annual Renewal, at the same price each year.
Who files the formation document in Minnesota?
The Minnesota Secretary of State. Its website: www.sos.mn.gov/.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Minn. Stat. sec. 322C.0201 (Minnesota Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act - articles of organization). www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/322C.0201. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Minnesota Secretary of State. www.sos.mn.gov/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Minn. Stat. sec. 5.36 (registered office/agent for business entities generally) with Minn. Stat. sec. 322C.0201 subd. 2 (agent optional for domestic LLCs). www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/5.36. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Minnesota Secretary of State - Business Services Division: Annual Renewal rules and fee. www.sos.mn.gov/media/1569/llcdomesticforeignrenewal.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Minn. Stat. § 5.34 (annual renewal); Minn. Stat. § 322C.0211; § 322C.0705. www.sos.state.mn.us/business-liens/business-help/annual-renewals/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.