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What is a Registered Agent in Minnesota?
A Registered Agent is a person or company who agrees to accept legal mail and notices on behalf of your Minnesota LLC.
Legal mail (called Service of Process) is sent if your business entity is involved in a lawsuit. Additionally, the state may send notices and reminders to your LLC’s Registered Agent.
Special offer: Hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), and you'll get a free year of Registered Agent service.
(Why is Northwest the best? Read our Northwest Registered Agent review)
Minnesota Registered Agents should be available during normal business hours (9am – 5pm), Monday through Friday.
And the Registered Agent for your LLC in Minnesota must have a physical address in Minnesota (this is called the “Registered Office)”.
PO Box addresses aren’t allowed for the Registered Office.
Note: Most states use the term “Registered Agent”, but some use the terms “Resident Agent” or “Statutory Agent”. They all mean the same thing and we may use these terms interchangeably.
Does Minnesota require a Registered Agent?
Yes, Minnesota requires all business entities to list a Registered Agent on their LLC formation paperwork. And they must keep a Registered Agent on file with the state for the life of the LLC.
Technically, Minnesota only requires a Registered Office. Meaning, just an address to receive Service of Process. The state doesn’t actually require a person to be listed as the Registered Agent. So please note, any time you see the word “Registered Agent” throughout this article, please know we are only referring to the Registered Agent’s address (aka “Registered Office”).
Why do I need a Registered Agent in Minnesota?
The purpose of a Registered Agent is to accept Service of Process in case your business gets sued. And the court needs proof that your LLC received the legal documents.
That’s why each business entity (like a Limited Liability Company or Corporation) must have a Registered Agent on file with the state.
Said another way, your LLC’s Registered Agent is a key component of how the court and legal systems work. By requiring all Minnesota LLCs to keep a Registered Agent on file with the state, the delivery of court documents can be properly tracked.
Who can be my Registered Agent in Minnesota?
You actually have 3 options for who can be your Minnesota Registered Agent:
- yourself
- a friend or family member
- a Minnesota Registered Agent Service
You can save money by being the Registered Agent for your LLC, but there are some risks.
What are the risks of being my own Registered Agent in Minnesota?
The risks of being your own Minnesota Registered Agent are:
- missing an important notice from the state
- administrative dissolution
- missing Service of Process (and potential legal consequences)
These issues are more likely to occur if you:
- move and forget to update your address with the state
- travel or leave town for extended periods of time
- don’t have a reliable address
- don’t keep up with your mail
We’ll explain a few of these risks below.
Missing an important notice from the state
Your business needs to promptly receive all important notices sent by the Minnesota Secretary of State or any other state agency.
Notices sent by state agencies often have actions that your LLC must take by a certain deadline. And in some cases, there are penalties and fees if you miss those deadlines.
Administrative Dissolution
If you are the Registered Agent for your LLC, and you move without updating your Registered Agent address, the Minnesota Secretary of State can dissolve (shut down) your LLC.
To clarify, the state isn’t looking over your LLC every single day, so this potential administrative dissolution won’t automatically happen if you don’t update your Registered Agent information.
However, if the state finds out that your Registered Agent address isn’t up-to-date, and they can’t reach you, then they could shut down your LLC.
Default Judgment
If there is a lawsuit against your LLC, a process server will make multiple attempts to serve your LLC (deliver the court documents).
However, if they are unable to serve your LLC in person, Service of Process can be made another way (like through Certified Mail). This can mean the court notices and/or documents were “delivered” to you, even if you didn’t physically receive them.
Then the person suing your LLC can argue their case without you being there to defend your LLC. In these situations, the person suing your LLC usually wins and the court enters a default judgment against your business.
Contempt of Court
If there is a lawsuit that involves your LLC, the parties might serve your business with a subpoena. The subpoena may ask you to testify in a hearing, or to produce records.
If you don’t respond to the subpoena, you can be held in contempt of court. This can lead to fines, or the court can issue a bench warrant. This means the sheriff can come seize the records or force you to show up in court.
So should I be my own Registered Agent in Minnesota?
You certainly can. While there are risks of being your LLC’s Registered Agent in Minnesota, they don’t come up very often. And you can save money by being your own Minnesota Registered Agent.
Having said that, hiring a professional Registered Agent Service can provide additional benefits, such as address privacy.
Registered Agent Information is Public Record in Minnesota
While you (or a friend or family member) can be your LLC’s Registered Agent, you may not want to have a home address listed on public record.
The information you enter in your Articles of Organization (including the Registered Agent’s address) becomes public record with the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Not only is this information searchable by the public, but other websites download the state’s records and republish them on their own website. Then things begin to spread as other public record websites take that same information and list it on their websites too (and the process repeats itself).
Pretty soon your address is listed on many websites and people can easily find it by doing a Google search.
If you’d like to keep your address off public records, we have a strategy for this.
How to keep your address off public records:
Many business owners in Minnesota start businesses from their homes. So you should be aware that the Registered Agent’s address on your LLC Articles of Organization gets listed on public records.
If you want to keep your address off public records, you can hire a Minnesota Registered Agent Service that will allow you to use their business office address throughout your Articles of Organization.
Northwest Registered Agent offers this unique service at no additional cost.
There are many Minnesota Registered Agent Services out there, but we have found Northwest to be the best Registered Agent Service available.
What’s the best Minnesota Registered Agent option to choose?
Choosing the best Minnesota Registered Agent option for your business depends on a few factors.
You:
You can be your own Registered Agent in Minnesota if:
- you are a resident of Minnesota, and
- you have a physical street address in Minnesota.
You also should be comfortable with your address being listed on public records.
Why choose this option? This is a good option to choose if you want to save money (since you won’t need to hire a Registered Agent Service).
Friend or Family:
A friend or family member can be your Minnesota Registered Agent if:
- they are a resident of Minnesota, and
- they have a physical street address in Minnesota
They also should be comfortable with their address being listed on public records.
Why choose this option? This is a good option to choose if you aren’t a resident of Minnesota, but want to save money (since you won’t need to hire a Registered Agent Service).
Minnesota Registered Agent Service:
A Registered Agent Service (aka Commercial Registered Agent) is a company that specializes in receiving mail and Service of Process for your LLC.
Minnesota Registered Agent Services usually charge $100 to $300 per year. After they receive mail for your LLC, they’ll forward it to you or upload it to your online account.
Why choose this option? This is a good option to choose if you:
- don’t live in Minnesota
- don’t have a friend or family member’s address to use
- won’t be available during normal business hours to receive mail, or
- don’t want your address listed in the Articles of Organization
If you’d like to hire a Registered Agent Service, the company we recommend is Northwest Registered Agent.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent is our personal recommendation (and the Registered Agent Service we use) for a few reasons:
- they’ve been in business for over 20 years
- their customer service agents are LLC experts, and
- they let you use their address in your entire LLC filing (to keep yours off public record)
Special discounted pricing for LLC University readers
Northwest usually charges $100 + state fees to form an LLC. However, we’ve negotiated a discounted rate (60% off) for LLC University® readers.
Special offer: Hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), and you'll get a free year of Registered Agent service.
(Why is Northwest the best? Read our Northwest Registered Agent review)
Minnesota Registered Agent FAQs
How much does a Registered Agent cost in Minnesota?
If you (or a friend or family member) will be your Registered Agent, there is no cost.
If you want to hire a Registered Agent Service, it will cost between $100 and $300 per year.
To learn more about how these companies compare against each other, check out Best Registered Agent Services in Minnesota.
Can the Sole Member of an LLC be the Registered Agent?
Yes, the Sole Member of an LLC can be their own Registered Agent as long as they meet the state requirements listed above.
Can a family member be a Registered Agent in Minnesota?
Yes, a family member can be your Registered Agent in Minnesota, if they meet the legal requirements.
To be your Registered Agent, your family member must have a physical address in Minnesota. (PO Boxes aren’t allowed). And they must be available at that address during normal business hours.
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Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.
Minnesota LLC Guide
Looking for an overview? See Minnesota LLC
From https://mn.gov/deed/business/starting-business/organizing/forming-limited-liability.jsp
“Registered Agent: Although it is not required, an LLC may list a registered agent in the articles of organization. In that case, the agent’s full name must be shown and he or she must be located at the registered office.”
Hi Evelyn, Minnesota technically only requires a Registered Office address, but the Registered Agent (person or company) is optional.
I opened an LLC with Legal Zoom. Now they want $299 per year to continue as my Registered Agent. I would like to switch it to be myself as the Registered Agent. How do I go about doing that? Your help is appreciated!
Hi Michelle, you’d first change your LLC’s Registered Agent to yourself with the Minnesota Secretary of State. This can be done by mail or online. The mail-in form is the Notice of Change of Registered Office/Registered Agent. To file online, search your LLC name (visit Minnesota Secretary of State: Search Business Filings), search your LLC name, click “Details” to the right. Then click “File Amendment/Renewal” at the top. Then click “Registered Office and/or Agent – Limited Liability Company (Domestic)”. Once that change of Registered Agent is processed (about 1 week for mail filing, or 1 day via online filing), you can contact LegalZoom and request to cancel their Registered Agent services. Hope that helps!