How to Start an LLC in Minnesota (2026)
Minnesota sets the LLC filing fee at $135. Every price above that is speed. Pay $155 online or at the counter and $20 of it buys expedited handling.
In This Article
- Overview
- Quick Facts
- Introduction
- Choose a Name for Your Minnesota LLC
- Set Up a Registered Office in Minnesota
- File Your Articles of Organization with Minnesota
- Get an EIN from the IRS
- Create an Operating Agreement for Your LLC
- Open a Business Bank Account
- Federal BOI Reporting
- Top 3 LLC Services
- FAQ
- Next Steps
What You'll Learn in This Guide
This guide walks you through every step to legally form a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in Minnesota, from picking a name to staying compliant year after year. We've kept it practical, current, and free of unnecessary fluff.
Note
Minnesota LLC formation costs $155 in state fees. Most founders complete the process in 2 to 5 business days, either DIY or through a formation service starting at $0.
Minnesota LLC: Quick Facts
Last Verified: Aug 2026- Filing Fee (Online)
- $155
- Processing Time
- 2 to 5 business days
- Expedited Available
- Yes (Same day at the customer…*
- Annual Renewal
- $0 (annual)**
- State Income Tax
- Yes
- Sales Tax Rate
- 6.875%
- Filed With
- Minnesota Secretary of State
- Last Verified
- August 15, 2026
* Expedited Available: Yes (Same day at the customer counter by appointment, 2 to 5 business days online / $20)
** Annual Renewal: $0, due December 31 each year, beginning in the calendar year following formation.
What You Need to Know About Forming an LLC in Minnesota
An LLC walls off what you own. If the business is sued or cannot pay its debts, your house, car and savings sit on the other side of that wall. That is the point of forming one.
Three things make Minnesota unusual. The annual renewal is free. Most states charge $50 to $300 a year. The state does not make you name a registered agent, only a registered office, which is just a street address here. And the fee splits by route, $135 by mail or $155 online, because the state folds speed into the price.
The privacy claim needs a fix. Members and managers never go on the articles. Ownership does stay off the formation record. But the name and street address of each organizer must go on, under Minn. Stat. 322C.0201. So whoever signs is public. And the free annual renewal has to name your manager and a business address, under Minn. Stat. 5.34. Minnesota anonymity lasts about a year.
The steps are ordinary. Pick a name, set a registered office, file the articles, get an EIN, write an operating agreement and open a bank account.
Minnesota does not sell expedited filing as an add on. It prices speed into the route. The premium is the same $20 whether you are forming the company or changing an address. That is why the filing fee looks like two numbers depending on which guide you read.
Choose a Name for Your Minnesota LLC
Your name is how the state tells your business apart. Minnesota has rules you must meet before you file.
Your name must be different from every business already on file. The state has a free search tool. A few formatting rules apply too.
Search available names →Minnesota LLC Naming Requirements
Found a name but not ready to file? Minnesota holds it for 12 months. Reserving costs $35 by mail or $55 online. Same $20 gap, again.
Pro Tip
Search the state business database before you fall for a name. It is free and takes 30 seconds.
Set Up a Registered Office in Minnesota
Minnesota needs an address where legal papers can reach you. Naming a registered agent is optional, which is rare.
Your registered office must be a street address in Minnesota. A P.O. box will not do. It is where the state writes to you, and where a lawsuit notice is served. You do not have to name an agent on top of it. Plenty of founders hire one anyway, to keep a home address off the record.
Your Options for a Registered Office
- Use your own Minnesota street address, free, but it becomes public
- Use a friend or relative address in Minnesota, if they are there in work hours
- Hire a registered agent service, about $50 to $300 a year, and your home stays private
State Specific
Minnesota is one of very few states where the agent is optional. Minn. Stat. 322C.0113 says every LLC shall have a registered office and may have a registered agent. The address is the rule. The agent is a choice.
File Your Articles of Organization with Minnesota
This is the step that creates your LLC. You send your articles to the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Your articles tell the state three things. The LLC name, the registered office address, and the name and street address of each organizer. Minn. Stat. 322C.0201 sets that list, and members and managers are not on it. You can file online, mail the form in, or book a counter appointment in Saint Paul.
File Online
File by Mail
Filing by mail? Send the signed articles and a $135 check to the Business Services office in Saint Paul. Check the registered office address before it goes.
Pro Tip
Members and managers stay off the articles. The name and street address of each organizer do not. If you want your own name off that record, somebody else has to organize the company.
Recommended: Northwest Registered Agent
$39 + state fee. Includes registered agent, business address, domain, website, email, and phone. No upsells.
Get an EIN from the IRS
An EIN is a federal tax ID number for your LLC. You need it to open a bank account, hire employees, and file taxes.
Apply on the IRS website. It is free and takes about 10 minutes, and the number comes back at once. Get one even as a solo owner with no staff, because banks ask for it.
Apply for your EIN on IRS.gov →Create an Operating Agreement for Your LLC
An operating agreement sets out who owns the LLC and how it runs. Minnesota does not require one. Skipping it still costs you.
Minnesota does not require one. Skip it and state default rules run your LLC, and those defaults may not match what you want. An operating agreement sets ownership shares, voting rights, how profits split, and what happens when a member leaves. Banks often ask to see it.
Key Sections to Include
Pro Tip
Even single-member LLCs benefit from an operating agreement. It reinforces that your LLC is a separate entity from you, which strengthens your liability protection.
Open a Business Bank Account
A separate business account keeps your money apart from the company money. That split is what keeps your liability shield intact.
Once your EIN and articles are approved, open a business checking account. Run every dollar through it. Most Minnesota banks and credit unions offer low fee or no fee accounts for small LLCs.
What to Bring to the Bank
- Your filed articles of organization
- Your EIN letter from the IRS
- Photo ID for everyone on the account
- Your operating agreement, which many banks ask for
- An opening deposit, which varies by bank
Important
Mixing personal and business money can pierce the corporate veil. That means a court can come after you for company debts. Keep them apart from day one.
Federal BOI Reporting
No. FinCEN removed the requirement for companies formed in the United States in an interim final rule dated 26 March 2025. Only foreign formed companies registered to do business here still report.
Top 3 LLC Formation Services
We've independently reviewed the top LLC formation services in Minnesota. Here's how they compare.
| Feature | Northwest Registered Agent Best Overall | ZenBusiness Best for LLC Formation | Tailor Brands Best for Branding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $39 + state fees | $0 + state fees | $0 + state fees |
| Formation Speed | Same-day filing | 7-10 days, 1 day on Pro | 2-14 business days |
| Support | Lifetime Corporate Guides | Phone, Chat, Email | Phone, Chat, Email |
| States Covered | 50 states | 50 states | 50 states |
| In Business Since | 1998 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Get Started → | Get Started → | Get Started → |
Frequently Asked Questions
What to Do Next
Once your Minnesota LLC is approved, take these steps to set your business up for success.
Get an EIN
Free, and it takes about 10 minutes at IRS.gov. Get it before you open a bank account or hire.
Open a Business Bank Account
Keep personal and business money apart from day one. Bring your EIN, articles and a photo ID.
Create an Operating Agreement
Minnesota does not require one. It still guards your liability shield and sets out how the LLC is run.
File Your Annual Renewal
Set a reminder for December 31. Minnesota charges no late fee, it dissolves the LLC instead. Getting it back costs $65 by mail or $85 online.
Ready To File?
Start your Minnesota LLC with Northwest Registered Agent. $39 + state fee includes registered agent, business address, domain, and more.
About the Author
Legal & Compliance Analyst
Daniel grew up in the shadow of Silicon Valley but chose the legal route over engineering, working as a paralegal for a corporate law firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions. He realized that early-stage founders were constantly making catastrophic legal mistakes because they couldn't afford a $500/hour attorney, prompting his move to B2B media.
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