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LLC 101 Guide

Course unit 3 · Minnesota

Foreign LLC Registration in Minnesota (2026): 4 Tasks and the 3 Best Services

Ranked for 2026, the services worth hiring for registering an out-of-state LLC in Minnesota are Mainstay Filing ($199), MN Registered Agent.org ($199) and Minnesota Registered Agent.co ($199). Registering takes 4 tasks and a $185 state fee.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Need-to-know facts

Cost to register
$185
Look it up at sos.mn.gov; our reading dates from October 2026
Recurring report
None
Annual renewal
State fees over three years
$185
Registration, reports and any minimum tax
Task count
4
One by one

What this unit teaches

  • When registration is required
  • The form and the fee
  • Staying in good standing
  • How the picks stack up

Services we recommend in Minnesota

What counts most: three-year cost and how many assignments the price finishes. How we grade lists all five criteria.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies adding a second state

Our first pick$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

In Minnesota, Mainstay Filing leads the class: it files the Minnesota registration for $199 plus the state's fee, and the first agent year costs nothing.

MN Registered Agent.org is $100 lower across three years; this service still ranks higher because it does more of the work.

After the free first year, the agent costs $149 a year in any state.

What the price covers

  • Registration prepared and sent
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • The same price in each state

What works

  • $199 to register
  • One price anywhere
  • Registered agent is free in year one

What to weigh

  • Renewal $50 above MN Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. MN Registered Agent.org: best for a small yearly agent fee

Minnesota specialist$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

MN Registered Agent.org is a solid second-place option: $199 over the state fee to register, then $99 yearly.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • A free first agent year
  • Then $99 per year
  • $199 and the state fee

What to weigh

  • No help in other states
Visit MN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Minnesota Registered Agent.co: best for a local filer

Minnesota specialist$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Minnesota Registered Agent.co is a solid third-place option: $199 over the state fee to register, then $99 yearly.

It lists the same prices as MN Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 and the state fee
  • A free first agent year
  • Then $99 per year

What to weigh

  • No help in other states
Visit Minnesota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

A comparison of the services

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2MN Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit MN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Minnesota Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Minnesota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. None of the rows includes the $185 state fee.

The unit, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Does the rule apply to you?

    If your LLC came from elsewhere and operates in Minnesota, foreign registration is how it gets permission. Doing business without registering means: An LLC that has not registered cannot be a plaintiff in Minnesota (Minn. Stat. 322C.0808, subd. 1). The agreements are not voided (Minn. Stat. 322C.0808, subd. 2).

    Source: Look it up at revisor.mn.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Appoint the Minnesota registered agent

    A Minnesota LLC must keep a registered office in Minnesota; naming an agent there is optional. Every Minnesota LLC keeps a registered office at an actual office location in Minnesota; a P.O. box by itself is not accepted.

    Our recommendations cover this role.

    Source: Look it up at revisor.mn.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Work through the Foreign Limited Liability Company Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Minnesota

    To register, send the Foreign Limited Liability Company Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Minnesota to the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services with $185.

    Source: Look it up at sos.mn.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  4. Task 4

    What comes after

    You keep the registration going by filing the annual renewal, December 31.

Costs, task by task

TaskReceiverPrice
Registration feeState office$185
Service fees (optional)The service$199 in year one
State fees for the first three yearsState office$185
State amounts come from Minnesota's official fee schedules (see the sources below); service prices come from each company's site. The three-year state total adds the filing, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why the list runs this way

pulled ahead of on assignments the price completes, a criterion worth 31%.

Because the LLC is active in two states, reach settled the order.

Minnesota questions

What does an LLC from another state pay Minnesota to register?

$185 for the filing. The services here charge $199 on top.

Which form do I file to register?

The Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services receives this form from foreign LLCs.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

An LLC that has not registered cannot be a plaintiff in Minnesota (Minn. Stat. 322C.0808, subd. 1). The agreements are not voided (Minn. Stat. 322C.0808, subd. 2).

What is due after registering?

Task 4 covers it: the annual renewal.

Which services are in this lesson?

Mainstay Filing, MN Registered Agent.org and Minnesota Registered Agent.co are the picks; the table above has their prices.

Which service should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing, because $199 beyond the state fee in any state, with year one of the agent included. After it come MN Registered Agent.org and Minnesota Registered Agent.co.

Reading list and sources

  1. Hand-in notes for Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source. Each statement rests on revisor.mn.gov, last opened October 2026.
  2. Hand-in notes for Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source. Each statement rests on revisor.mn.gov, last opened October 2026.
  3. Hand-in notes for Minnesota report due date. Each statement rests on sos.state.mn.us, last opened August 2026.
  4. Hand-in notes for Minn. Each statement rests on revisor.mn.gov, last opened August 2026.
  5. Hand-in notes for Minnesota formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Each statement rests on sos.mn.gov, last opened October 2026.
  6. Hand-in notes for Minnesota registered agent statute. Each statement rests on revisor.mn.gov, last opened October 2026.
  7. Hand-in notes for Minnesota Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms. Each statement rests on sos.mn.gov, last opened October 2026.
  8. Hand-in notes for Foreign LLC certificate of authority form. Each statement rests on sos.mn.gov, last opened October 2026.
  9. Hand-in notes for Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0802, certificate of authority. Each statement rests on revisor.mn.gov, last opened October 2026.
  10. Hand-in notes for Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0803, activities that are not. Each statement rests on revisor.mn.gov, last opened October 2026.
  11. Hand-in notes for Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0808, consequences. Each statement rests on revisor.mn.gov, last opened October 2026.
  12. Minnesota service page of Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
  13. pricing page of MN Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026
  14. pricing page of Minnesota Registered Agent.co, taken on November 13, 2026