Cheapest LLC formation in Minnesota

What does the state of Minnesota charge to form an LLC?

The Secretary of State sets these fees, and no provider can lower them. Every package price on this page is quoted before them.

The one fee every new Minnesota LLC pays is for the Articles, and it comes in two sizes. Mailing the form costs $135, while filing online or at an in-person appointment with the Secretary of State's office costs $155. The Articles form spells out why: "Filing Fee: $155 for expedited service in-person and online filings, $135 if by mail." The extra charge pays for speed and nothing else. A service that files for you passes one of these two fees through to your bill.⁶

A name reservation is optional, at $35 by mail or $55 in person or online. If the name is free and you're ready to file, you can go ahead without one.⁷

An LLC formed in another state that registers here pays for a Certificate of Authority instead: $185 by mail, or $205 in person or online. That is more than the Articles fee for a new Minnesota LLC.⁷

On the recurring side, Minnesota is cheap. The renewal is due December 31 each year, starting the year after formation, at $0. Owners comparing states can check the yearly costs elsewhere, for example on the Wyoming registered agent page.³

What raises the cost of a Minnesota LLC?

Five things push the bill above the mail filing fee: filing online for speed, a paid registered agent, add-ons sold with packages, compliance subscriptions, and a missed renewal.

The price of speed

Mail filings are handled first in/first out, with no published turnaround. Online filings come back electronically within 3 to 5 business days, and cost more. Without a lease, loan or contract waiting on the LLC, mailing the Articles is the lower-cost route. If a provider quotes fast turnaround, ask which method it uses and which state fee lands on your invoice.⁷

The registered agent

Minnesota's LLC statute says "Every limited liability company shall have a registered office and may have a registered agent." The agent is a choice, the office isn't, and that leaves an owner three ways to cover the requirement.⁸

1. Use your own address. An owner with an address that qualifies as the registered office can name no agent and pay nothing. That address goes on the state filing. The Minnesota registered agent guide explains the address rules.
2. Take a bundled first year. Some packages include an agent for year one, then bill the regular renewal.
3. Buy the agent alone, at the standalone prices listed below.

Switching later costs $35 by mail or $55 online or in person on the Change of Registered Office/Agent form. File it before you cancel the old service, so the registered office never points at an address nobody watches. How to change a registered agent has the steps.^{1, 9}

Add-ons at checkout

Formation checkouts commonly offer an EIN (the federal tax ID, issued by the IRS), an operating agreement, a business address and faster processing. Each is a separate decision. Some packages bundle them; others charge one by one.

Compliance subscriptions for a free filing

Many providers sell annual report filing, and some start it automatically. Northwest, for instance, enrolls agent customers in a renewal service at $100 + state fees, charged at filing, and Swyft Filings puts every package on a ComplianceGuard trial that converts to $199/year ("14-day free trial then auto-charged"). Since the state charges $0 for the renewal, those fees pay only for filing help. Decide whether you want it before the first charge.^{10, 11}

A missed renewal

Minnesota charges no late fee, but a missed renewal leads to administrative dissolution, then a reinstatement fee. The state facts we cite give no reinstatement amount, so ask the Secretary of State's office before counting on any figure for getting the LLC back. The Minnesota compliance page covers keeping the LLC active.¹²

One cost sits outside formation. The Department of Revenue states that "An LLC filing as a partnership with two or more members is subject to minimum fee" once its thresholds are met, and that "The minimum fee does not apply to a single-member LLC." That is a tax, not a formation fee, so it isn't counted in the totals here.¹³

Which providers have the lowest published prices for a Minnesota LLC?

The table lists each provider's agent price, renewal and lowest formation package. Rows follow our score, highest first, with ties in editorial order, not price.

Below, in the same order, is what each provider's lowest option adds to the Minnesota Articles fee in year one, and what keeps billing after.

Tailor Brands. Lowest package $0 plus state fees, with no agent listed; the agent is $199/year if you want one. The next package costs $199/yr plus state fees and recurs each year. See the Tailor Brands review.^{14, 15}

ZenBusiness. Starter is $0 + state fees (does not renew). The agent is an add-on (+$199/yr), with 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC, renewing at $199/yr. Starter also includes Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr), a renewal date worth noting given the free state filing. See the ZenBusiness review.^{16, 17}

LegalZoom. The lowest package is $0 + state filing fees. An agent adds $249/year (first-time registered agent customers), and it auto-renews at the purchase rate each year until you cancel. See the LegalZoom review.^{18, 19}

Bizee. Basic is $0 + state fee, and formation includes one year of Registered Agent Service for free. Year two brings the renewal at $149/year (ongoing annual fee). On those listed terms, an owner who needs an agent pays only the state fee in year one; Bizee's order page varies by state, so the Minnesota checkout is the place to confirm it. See the Bizee review.^{5, 20}

Swyft Filings. Basic is $0 + state fees. The agent is $149 per quarter ($596/year), and the package details don't say an agent is included. See the Swyft Filings review.^{21, 22}

doola. Starter is $297/yr and includes an agent, but the plan itself is billed yearly, so it charges again in year two. See the doola review.²³

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees, described on its corporation page as a total that includes one year of registered agent service; confirm that for an LLC. The agent alone is $125 per year. See the Northwest review.^{24, 25, 26}

Rocket Lawyer. Its listing reads "First registration free with a Rocket Lawyer membership", and every membership is a yearly charge. Standard is $149/year without an agent; the agent costs $125 with a Plus or Pro membership and needs Plus ($249/year) or Pro ($349/year). See the Rocket Lawyer review.^{27, 28, 29}

InCorp Services. Formation is priced starting at $99 plus state fees, with the registered agent sold separately at $129 per state per year. Its terms say service is billed at then-current fee unless a cancellation condition is met. See the InCorp review.^{30, 31, 32}

Harbor Compliance. Formation is priced from $99 plus state fees. The agent starts at $99 first year (new customers) and renews at $159 annually, and stopping it takes notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term. See the Harbor Compliance review.^{33, 34, 35}

Agent-only prices across the country are on cheapest registered agent services, and full package comparisons for this state are on Minnesota LLC formation services compared.