How to Start a Business in Minnesota (2026): Filings, Fees and Taxes

To start a business in Minnesota, file Articles of Organization (LLC) or Articles of Incorporation with the Minnesota Secretary of State ($155 online or in person, $135 by mail), get an EIN, register with the Minnesota Department of Revenue for sales and withholding taxes, and check city and county licensing. Minnesota’s standout feature is the annual renewal: it’s free if you file on time by December 31, but an LLC that misses it is dissolved.

Minnesota LLCs also don’t have to name a registered agent, as long as they keep a registered office in the state. The details below reflect official sources as of October 2026.

Updated October 2026.

Best Business Formation Services in Minnesota (2026)

Our ranked picks for forming a business in Minnesota are below, starting with Mainstay Filing. Each entry lists the yearly price and what the service covers.

1. Mainstay Filing

Mainstay Filing is our top pick in Minnesota. It costs $199/year + state fee at cost and covers lLC formation filing, registered agent for the year, EIN application, annual report preparation and filing. The price stays the same every year, with no add-on menu.

2. MN Registered Agent.org

MN Registered Agent.org is a Minnesota registered agent service at $99/year. It provides $99 per year, flat; in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.

3. Minnesota Registered Agent.co

Minnesota Registered Agent.co is a Minnesota registered agent service at $99/year. It provides in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.

What it costs to start a business in Minnesota

The higher online price covers expedited handling: the Secretary of State processes online filings immediately, while mailed filings take several business days.

Which structure fits a Minnesota business?

• Sole proprietorship: no state formation. If the business name doesn’t include your full name, you must file a Certificate of Assumed Name.
• General partnership: also no formation, and the same assumed name rule applies if the name doesn’t include every partner’s full name.
• LLC: $155 online, a free annual renewal, and liability protection. Minnesota LLCs are governed by Chapter 322C.
• Corporation: the same $155 online and free renewal, with corporate governance and stock.

Since both entity types cost the same to form and nothing to renew, Minnesota owners can focus on tax and ownership when choosing. Our Minnesota LLC guide explains the Articles of Organization in detail.

First-year cost in Minnesota

A typical LLC pays $155 to form online and nothing to renew, so state filing fees in year one are often just $155, or $135 if you’re willing to mail the paperwork. An assumed name filing and the required newspaper publication add to that if you use a brand name.

Forming a Minnesota LLC from another state

Minnesota doesn’t require members or managers to live in the state, but your LLC must have a Minnesota registered office. Without an in-state address of your own, naming a registered agent at their Minnesota office is the practical way to meet that rule. If you’ll operate mainly elsewhere, check whether your home state requires a foreign registration as well.

Naming your Minnesota business

Search the Secretary of State’s business records before you file. A Minnesota LLC name must include “Limited Liability Company” or “LLC,” and corporations need “Corporation,” “Incorporated,” “Company,” “Limited” or an abbreviation. Our Minnesota business name search guide has more on the search.

Use the Namechk business name generator for ideas, and check domains and social handles on Namechk before you file.

Assumed names (DBAs)

Minnesota assumed names are filed with the Secretary of State. According to the Secretary of State, any sole proprietorship or general partnership using a name that doesn’t contain each owner’s full name, and any corporation, LP or LLC doing business under a name other than its exact legal name, must file a Certificate of Assumed Name. After filing, you publish the certificate in a qualified legal newspaper for two consecutive issues in the county of your principal place of business and keep the newspaper’s affidavit of publication.

Do you need a registered agent in Minnesota?

Minnesota is unusual. Under Minn. Stat. 322C.0201, a domestic Minnesota LLC must list a registered office (a real Minnesota street address; a P.O. box by itself isn’t accepted), but naming a registered agent is optional. Companies formed in other states must designate a Minnesota agent.

If you do name an agent, Minn. Stat. 5.36 allows a Minnesota resident, a domestic corporation or LLC, or an authorized foreign corporation or LLC, and the agent’s business office must match the registered office. The Secretary of State’s form says an entity may not act as its own agent. Many owners still use an agent so legal papers have a reliable destination; Mainstay Filing includes one for the first year with its formation service. Changing the office or agent costs $55 online or $35 by mail. Our Minnesota registered agent guide covers more.

Filing with the Minnesota Secretary of State

1. File online through the Secretary of State’s business filing system, in person, or by mail with the Articles of Organization form.
2. Include the company name, registered office address, registered agent if you’re naming one, and the organizers.
3. Pay $155 online or in person, or $135 by mail.
4. Online filings are processed right away; save the filed Articles for your bank and tax registrations.

Then adopt an operating agreement (LLC) or bylaws (corporation). Minnesota doesn’t file them, but they govern ownership and decisions. Everything you put on state filings, including the registered office and manager names, becomes public, so choose those addresses deliberately. For a full cost breakdown, see Mainstay’s Minnesota LLC cost guide.

Getting an EIN

Apply on the IRS website for free. You’ll need it for Department of Revenue registration, payroll and banking.

U.S. companies no longer file federal BOI reports; FinCEN’s final rule took effect August 14, 2026.

Registering with the Minnesota Department of Revenue

The Minnesota Department of Revenue registers businesses for sales and use tax and withholding, and its Sales and Use Tax Business Guide explains who must register, including a small seller exception, and how to handle multiple locations.

• Sales and use tax: register if you make taxable sales in Minnesota. Permanent storefronts and mall kiosks count as separate locations; craft show sales and services performed at customers’ sites generally don’t.
• Withholding: register before your first Minnesota payroll.
• Unemployment insurance: employers register with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and report new hires.

Cities and counties may add local sales taxes, so confirm the rate for each location where you sell.

Licenses and permits in Minnesota

Minnesota has no general statewide business license. Common requirements include:

• City and county licenses: for food service, liquor, tobacco, contractors in some cities, and zoning approvals.
• State licenses: the Department of Labor and Industry for construction trades, the Department of Health for food and lodging, and professional boards for licensed occupations.
• Special programs: some agricultural businesses must also register with the Department of Agriculture.

Banking, insurance and getting online

Open a business bank account with your filed Articles and EIN, and keep business finances separate to protect your liability shield.

Buy general liability insurance, add professional liability if you provide services, and set up workers’ compensation before hiring. Then register a domain and launch a basic website.

Put a reminder for December 31 on your calendar the day your LLC is approved; because Minnesota dissolves LLCs that miss the free renewal, that one note can save you the reinstatement fee and the risk of losing your name.

Keeping a Minnesota business active

• File the annual renewal by December 31 every year, starting the year after formation. It’s free when filed on time, and online filings post immediately.
• If an LLC misses the deadline, the Secretary of State dissolves it under Minn. Stat. 322C.0705 without further notice. You can reinstate retroactively, if the name is still available, by filing the current renewal plus a reinstatement fee of $85 online or $65 by mail.
• The renewal can update your principal office and manager information, but name and registered office or agent changes need separate filings.
• File sales and withholding returns with the Department of Revenue on schedule.

FAQs

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