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Formation Explained

LLC rules, unpacked for first-time owners.

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  2. Starting an LLC in each state
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The explanation · Minnesota

3 Best LLC Services in Minnesota (2026) and Why

Our 2026 ranking for Minnesota puts MN Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Minnesota Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. The state asks $155 to file no matter who submits it, and the services add $397 to $597 over three years.
Formation Explained editorial team

In brief

Formation fee
$155, a single payment
Upkeep each year
Free report
Registered agent
Special case, explained below
Our picks in order
MN Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing then Minnesota Registered Agent.co

The Minnesota shortlist

The order comes from our method: three-year cost first, then how much work the price covers.
1 Number one

1. MN Registered Agent.org: best for a modest first-year bill

$199 to form, then $99 a year

MN Registered Agent.org comes out on top: it charges $199 to form the LLC, with the agent included in year one, then $99 a year.

A lower three-year total than Mainstay Filing gives it the lead for a company that stays put.

Handling the annual renewal stays with you.

Includes

  • Your Minnesota formation filing
  • No agent charge in year one

Points in its favor

  • First-year agent in the price
  • The agent renews at $99
  • $199 to get started

Where it falls short

  • Annual renewal is your responsibility
  • The EIN add-on is $99
2 Covers all states

2. Mainstay Filing: best for knowing the yearly bill in advance

$199 a year, renewing at $199

Mainstay Filing takes the second slot: you pay $199 a year and get the formation, the registered agent and the annual renewal taken care of.

Three years cost $200 more here than at MN Registered Agent.org.

The annual renewal, which carries no state fee, is filed for you too.

Includes

  • Formation handled for you
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual renewal filed by Mainstay
  • The EIN application
  • No markup on the state fee

Points in its favor

  • Costs $199 when it renews
  • Includes the EIN application
  • $199 annually for everything listed

Where it falls short

  • MN Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less each year
3 Minnesota specialist

3. Minnesota Registered Agent.co: best for one-state companies

$199 to form, then $99 a year

Minnesota Registered Agent.co ranks third. In short, it charges $199 to form the LLC, with the agent included in year one, then $99 a year.

Handling the annual renewal stays with you.

It charges exactly what MN Registered Agent.org charges; either would serve you well.

Includes

  • Your Minnesota formation filing
  • No agent charge in year one

Points in its favor

  • $199 to get started
  • The agent renews at $99
  • First-year agent in the price

Where it falls short

  • Annual renewal is your responsibility
  • The EIN add-on is $99

Compare prices

#PickFirst-year priceEach year afterOver three yearsIncluded in the price
1 MN Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397Your Minnesota formation filing; no agent charge in year one Go to MN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597formation handled for you; registered agent for the whole year; Annual renewal filed by Mainstay Go to Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Minnesota Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397Your Minnesota formation filing; no agent charge in year one Go to Minnesota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's listed prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are added on top and are the same for all picks.

What owners want to know

What is the full cost to form one?

$155 goes to the state, and $199 more if you hire a service in year one.

Add the state's three years of fees, from filing onward, and you reach $155. revisor.mn.gov · verified October 2026

Where does the formation paperwork go?

A single filing forms the LLC: the Articles of Organization, sent to the Minnesota Secretary of State.

Read the law: Minn. Stat. sec. 322C.0201. revisor.mn.gov · verified October 2026

Does the LLC need 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.

revisor.mn.gov · verified October 2026

What do I owe after the LLC is formed?

What recurs is the annual renewal: annual, free. In the state's words it falls due December 31, so keep an eye on it.

revisor.mn.gov · verified October 2026

Am I allowed to file on my own?

Yes, and the cost is then the state's $155 over three years.

The trade is $397 to $597 over three years in exchange for not filing every form yourself.

What put number one on top?

MN Registered Agent.org leads on what three years cost, a criterion that carries 34% of the weight.

What three years cost carries 34% and how much work the price handles carries 28%. Three smaller criteria decide close calls.

At $397 for three years, MN Registered Agent.org undercuts Mainstay Filing by $200.

Our scoring explained

Minnesota requirements checklist

ItemDetailOfficial source
State charge to form$155revisor.mn.gov · verified October 2026
Registered agentSpecial case, explained belowrevisor.mn.gov · verified October 2026
Annual renewalNo feerevisor.mn.gov · verified October 2026
What the state collects in three years$155Our total of the rows above
Three-year state total = the filing + reports in years two and three + minimum tax where there is one. Variable costs stay out.

Additional questions

What about getting an EIN?

Applying for an EIN costs $99 with MN Registered Agent.org or $99 with Minnesota Registered Agent.co, and nothing extra with Mainstay Filing.

How much is each one after three years?

Over three years: MN Registered Agent.org ($397), Mainstay Filing ($597), Minnesota Registered Agent.co ($397), with state fees on top.

How do you know these fees?

Minnesota's official documents supply the state fees, and the companies' price pages supply the service fees.

Is hiring anyone mandatory?

It is optional, and the state charges the same either way.

Yearly state charges?

What recurs is the annual renewal: annual, free. In the state's words it falls due December 31, so keep an eye on it.

Which LLC service do you recommend in Minnesota?

MN Registered Agent.org ranks first on what three years cost, ahead of Mainstay Filing and Minnesota Registered Agent.co.

Documents and pricing pages behind this page

  1. Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing via revisor.mn.gov, as of October 2026
  2. Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing via revisor.mn.gov, as of October 2026
  3. Minnesota report due date via sos.state.mn.us, as of August 2026
  4. Minn via revisor.mn.gov, as of August 2026
  5. Minnesota formation fee: Filing fee via sos.mn.gov, as of October 2026
  6. Minnesota registered agent statute via revisor.mn.gov, as of October 2026
  7. Prices taken from the MN Registered Agent.org pricing page on November 13, 2026
  8. Prices taken from the Mainstay Filing Minnesota service page on November 13, 2026
  9. Prices taken from the Minnesota Registered Agent.co pricing page on November 13, 2026