Cost summary
The Minnesota Secretary of State takes $155 at formation[2], and the Minnesota Secretary of State - Business Services Division bills $0 for each Annual Renewal[3]. For ongoing state fees, no state charges less (9 others match it).
To have it handled in Minnesota, Mainstay Filing charges $199 a year plus the $155 state fee at cost[1].
- Formation fee
- $155
- Annual Renewal
- $0, every year
- Ongoing, per year (avg.)
- $0
- Change of agent
- $55
- Other states, ongoing fees
- Lowest (tied)
Updated October 29, 2026. Fees from official sources; prices from providers' own pages.
Minnesota fees at a glance
| Filing | Fee | When | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formation (Articles of Organization) | $155 | Once | [2] revisor.mn.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Annual Renewal | $0 | Every year | [3] sos.mn.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Change of registered agent | $55 | When filed | [4] sos.mn.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
Fees paid to Minnesota agencies only; card and portal charges and expedite options are not included.
Add it up for a Minnesota LLC's first five calendar years and the formation fee is the one fixed number; report fees depend on when the first Annual Renewal falls due.
Minnesota's small businesses
Minnesota had 121,160 employer firms and 442,345 nonemployer businesses in the Census Bureau's 2022 counts. Of the business locations that opened in Minnesota between April 2019 and March 2020, 54.9% were still open in March 2025.
The recurring filing: Annual Renewal
Every Minnesota LLC files the Annual Renewal every year. The details, as the state sets them:
- Filing: Annual Renewal
- Filed with: Minnesota Secretary of State - Business Services Division
- Fee: $0, every year[3]
- Deadline: December 31[5]
- How to file: online or on paper
The fee stays $0 whether or not the filing is late. An LLC that keeps missing it loses good standing, and Minnesota law then allows the state to end its registration[5].
Registered Agent and filing service costs
An owner who lives in Minnesota can be named as registered agent, or the company can list none; the registered office is required either way. The filing lists a registered office in Minnesota; naming a registered agent is optional for a Minnesota LLC.
Agent-only service from Mainstay Filing costs $149 a year in Minnesota[1]. Its $199-a-year package adds the formation filing, the EIN application and each Annual Renewal. Neither price rises at renewal.
Other services' published Minnesota agent prices (9 of them, read October 20, 2026) cover a wide range. They started at $0 and went up to $249 for year one, with renewals of $89 to $249.
Regional comparison
Averaged per year, Minnesota's ongoing state cost is $0. Against a 50-state median of $30, no state charges less (9 others match it). Next door, no neighbor cost less per year.
| State | Formation | Report | Per year (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $155 | $0 / yr | $0 |
| Iowa | $50 | $30 / 2 yrs | $15 |
| North Dakota | $135 | $50 / yr | $50 |
| South Dakota | $150 | $55 / yr | $55 |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $25 / yr | $25 |
Each state's figures come from its own statute or fee schedule, verified August 12, 2026. "Per year" spreads a biennial fee over two years and excludes taxes billed by revenue departments.
Questions
How much is the Minnesota LLC Annual Renewal?
$0, every year[3]. It is due december 31.
What happens if a Minnesota LLC misses the deadline?
The LLC loses good standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State - Business Services Division, and continued non-filing can end in administrative dissolution or revocation.
Is there a service that keeps a Minnesota LLC filed?
Yes. Mainstay Filing's $199 yearly price covers the Minnesota formation filing, registered agent service and the EIN application[1]. The $0 Annual Renewal fee is passed through when it is filed.
Is Minnesota an expensive state for an LLC?
Minnesota's formation fee is $155: 39 states charge less and 9 charge more. The yearly cost of keeping it, $0 on average, compares like this: no state charges less (9 others match it).
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Minn. Stat. sec. 322C.0201 (Minnesota Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act - articles of organization). www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/322C.0201. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Minnesota Secretary of State - Business Services Division: Annual Renewal rules and fee. www.sos.mn.gov/media/1569/llcdomesticforeignrenewal.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Notice of Change of Registered Office/Registered Agent fee. www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens/business-filing-and-certification-fee-schedule/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Minn. Stat. § 5.34 (annual renewal); Minn. Stat. § 322C.0211; § 322C.0705. www.sos.state.mn.us/business-liens/business-help/annual-renewals/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics of U.S. Businesses 2022 and Nonemployer Statistics 2022. www.census.gov/programs-surveys/susb.html. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 (data through March 2025). www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.