Forming an LLC in Minnesota (2026): 7 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services
Ranked by measured reading, the services for forming an LLC in Minnesota in 2026 are Mainstay Filing ($199), Minnesota Registered Agent.co ($199) and MN Registered Agent.org ($199). Forming the LLC requires 7 procedures and $155 paid to the state, followed by the annual renewal every year.
Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we measure); three-year cost and procedures performed count most.
Highest result
1. Mainstay Filing: best for filing and upkeep on one invoice
Annual $199; renewal $199; state fee extra
Mainstay Filing reads highest, and the reason is that at $199 a year it completes three procedures (filing, registered agent, annual renewal) under one charge.
Three years here cost $200 more than at Minnesota Registered Agent.co, and fewer procedures are left to the owner.
The service handles the annual renewal, and Minnesota bills no fee for it.
What the price performs
Formation filing
Registered agent for the full year
Annual renewal filed on schedule
EIN application included
State fee billed at cost
Measured strengths
$199 yearly, all included
$199 each year
It prepares the EIN application
Measured limits
Minnesota Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less
2. Minnesota Registered Agent.co: best for owners who remain in Minnesota
$199 to open, $99 a year from year two
Minnesota Registered Agent.co follows in second place: the Minnesota formation measures $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renewal reads $99.
The price excludes the annual renewal, which the owner files every year.
3. MN Registered Agent.org: best for a low agent renewal
$199 to open, $99 a year from year two
MN Registered Agent.org follows in third place: the Minnesota formation measures $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renewal reads $99.
The price excludes the annual renewal, which the owner files every year.
Its prices equal Minnesota Registered Agent.co's, so either is acceptable.
Prices are recorded from each company's own site on November 13, 2026. The state fee ($155) is not counted.
Forming an LLC in Minnesota, procedure by procedure
Procedure1
Procedure 1: Fix the company name
Query the business records kept by the Minnesota Secretary of State. They show whether the name is already on the Minnesota register.
TipCheck the matching web domain in the same sitting.
Procedure2
Procedure 2: Appoint a registered agent
A Minnesota LLC must keep a registered office in Minnesota; naming an agent there is optional. 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.
Every Minnesota LLC keeps a registered office at an actual office location in Minnesota; a P.O. box by itself is not accepted.
TipAny ranked service can be engaged for this procedure.
The owner can file for $155 or add $199 for a service. The ranked services appear above.
Procedure4
Procedure 4: Submit the Articles of Organization
The Articles of Organization is the formation instrument. It goes to the Minnesota Secretary of State, and the fee measures $155 (Minn. Stat. sec. 322C.0201).
Procedure 5: Secure an Employer Identification Number
The IRS issues EINs, not Minnesota. Apply after approval and pass the number to the bank. With Mainstay Filing, this procedure is performed for the owner.
Procedure6
Procedure 6: Prepare an operating agreement
An operating agreement is the owners' rulebook. The company retains it; the state does not collect it.
Procedure7
Procedure 7: Keep the LLC active
Recurrence is governed by the annual renewal (no fee, every year, by December 31).
Method for the three-year state row: take the filing fee, add the reports due in years two and three, then add any yearly minimum tax. Service fees stay in their own rows.
Why this order
The deciding criterion was procedures the price performs, worth 28% of the reading.
Minnesota Registered Agent.co costs less, yet the annual renewal stays with the owner.
Common questions
Which fees does Minnesota collect on formation?
$155 goes to the state. Service fees among the ranked services run $199.
Which form creates the LLC?
Procedure 4 explains how to complete the Articles of Organization and where to send it: the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Is a registered agent required?
A Minnesota LLC must keep a registered office in Minnesota; naming an agent there is optional.
What does Minnesota require each year?
File the annual renewal every year, paying no fee; the deadline is December 31.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
Allowed. File alone for $155 and arrange a registered agent as well.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Select Mainstay Filing: observed cost is $199 a year for filing, registered agent service and the annual renewal, with no change at renewal ($199). Then Minnesota Registered Agent.co and MN Registered Agent.org.