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Founder Primer

LLC paperwork, boiled down for founders.

Primer 3 · Minnesota

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

Best picks for registering an LLC from another state in Minnesota in 2026, in order: Mainstay Filing ($199), Minnesota Registered Agent.co ($199) and MN Registered Agent.org ($199). The primer runs 4 moves: the filing, the $185 fee and what you owe after.
From the Founder Primer desk

The short version

Fee at the state
$185
Source page sos.mn.gov, October 2026
Yearly report
None
Annual renewal
Three-year state cost
$185
Service fees excluded
Move count
4
Listed below

You will know

  • Which LLCs must register
  • The form and the fee
  • What staying registered costs
  • Which services we pick and why

Who we would hire in Minnesota

Cost over three years first, then to-dos cleared, renewal, Minnesota fit and readable pricing (scoring page).

First choice $199 plus the $185 state fee, then $149 a year

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one vendor for both states

We start with Mainstay Filing: $199 over the state fee in any state, first-year agent included.

You pay $100 more than at Minnesota Registered Agent.co across three years and keep less of the paperwork.

Once the free year ends, expect $149 a year for the agent whichever state it covers.

Inside the price
  • Registration filing
  • Registered agent free in year one
  • All fifty states
In its favor
  • First agent year included
  • $199 over Minnesota's fee
  • One price anywhere
Against it
  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above Minnesota Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local option $199 plus the $185 state fee, then $99 a year

2. Minnesota Registered Agent.co: best for one extra state

Number 2 is Minnesota Registered Agent.co, where $199 plus state fees to register; the agent is paid through year one.

Inside the price
  • Registration filing
  • One year of agent service
In its favor
  • $199 to register
  • A year of agent service included
  • $99 a year for the agent after
Against it
  • No help in other states
Visit Minnesota Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local option $199 plus the $185 state fee, then $99 a year

3. MN Registered Agent.org: best for a low agent renewal

Number 3 is MN Registered Agent.org, where $199 plus state fees to register; the agent is paid through year one.

It costs the same as Minnesota Registered Agent.co.

Inside the price
  • Registration filing
  • One year of agent service
In its favor
  • $99 a year for the agent after
  • $199 to register
  • A year of agent service included
Against it
  • No help in other states
Visit MN Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Marks and prices together

# Service First year From year two Three-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199 $149/yr $497 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Minnesota Registered Agent.co $199 $99/yr $397 Visit Minnesota Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 MN Registered Agent.org $199 $99/yr $397 Visit MN Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. The $185 state fee is not in these figures.

The Minnesota registration, in order

  1. Move 1

    Is Minnesota registration needed?

    LLCs from other states file a foreign registration to transact business in Minnesota. The downside of not registering: A claim from an unregistered LLC will not go forward there (Minn. Stat. 322C.0808, subd. 1). Its contracts remain enforceable (Minn. Stat. 322C.0808, subd. 2).

    Where this comes from: Source page revisor.mn.gov, October 2026

  2. Move 2

    Appoint a registered agent in Minnesota

    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.

    Each pick includes the registered agent.

    Where this comes from: Source page revisor.mn.gov, October 2026

  3. Move 3

    Finish and lodge the Foreign Limited Liability Company Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Minnesota

    The registration is the Foreign Limited Liability Company Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Minnesota plus $185, addressed to the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services.

    Where this comes from: Source page sos.mn.gov, October 2026

  4. Move 4

    Stay registered

    File the annual renewal, December 31 and the registration stays alive.

Costs, move by move

What Goes to Total
Filing to register Paid to the state $185
Optional service Your service $199 in the first year
State fees for three years Paid to the state $185

State amounts are Minnesota's official fees (sources below); service prices come from each company's site. Three years of state cost is the filing, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

How the marks came out

To-dos the price takes off you is 38% of the mark, and it is where moved ahead in Minnesota.

With the LLC active in two states, reach settled the order.

What founders ask

What will it cost to register a foreign LLC in Minnesota?

$185 at the state office. Add $199 if you hire a service.

Which form do I file to register?

Foreign LLCs file this form with the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

A claim from an unregistered LLC will not go forward there (Minn. Stat. 322C.0808, subd. 1). Its contracts remain enforceable (Minn. Stat. 322C.0808, subd. 2).

What is due after registering?

The annual renewal keeps the registration alive.

Which services are in this lesson?

We score three: Mainstay Filing ($199), Minnesota Registered Agent.co ($199) and MN Registered Agent.org ($199).

Which service should handle the registration?

Pick Mainstay Filing: service fee $199, plus Minnesota's fee; the agent is $149 a year from year two. Behind it: Minnesota Registered Agent.co and MN Registered Agent.org.

Next primer

Sources, so you can check us

  1. For Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source the primer cites revisor.mn.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  2. For Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source the primer cites revisor.mn.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  3. For Minnesota report due date the primer cites sos.state.mn.us, a page we went back to in August 2026.
  4. For Minn the primer cites revisor.mn.gov, a page we went back to in August 2026.
  5. For Minnesota formation fee: Filing fee, official source the primer cites sos.mn.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  6. For Minnesota registered agent statute the primer cites revisor.mn.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  7. For Minnesota Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms the primer cites sos.mn.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  8. For Foreign LLC certificate of authority form the primer cites sos.mn.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  9. For Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0802, certificate of authority the primer cites revisor.mn.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  10. For Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0803, activities that are not the primer cites revisor.mn.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  11. For Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0808, consequences the primer cites revisor.mn.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  12. The Minnesota service page from Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
  13. The pricing page from Minnesota Registered Agent.co, November 13, 2026
  14. The pricing page from MN Registered Agent.org, November 13, 2026