Minnesota Resident Agent Service

Why Minnesota requires a resident agent

Minnesota does it differently: every domestic corporation or LLC must always have a registered office, yet naming a resident agent is optional under Minn. Stat. 302A.121 (322C.0113 reads the same for LLCs), while a foreign entity has to designate an agent when it registers. Any agent you designate can be an authorized foreign corporation or LLC, a domestic corporation or LLC, or a natural person living in Minnesota, and its business office must be identical to the registered office. That lets a resident owner serve, or lets a domestic entity list only its own office and name no agent. Minn. Stat. § 5.36, subd. 2; see also §§ 302A.121, 322C.0113

What happens if you lapse

• Since domestic entities are not required to have a resident agent, going without one carries no penalty; the cost is exposure to service, because process can then go to any officer, manager, or general partner, or to the secretary of state if none of them is found at the address on file. Minn. Stat. § 5.25, subd. 1
• If a foreign corporation fails to appoint or keep a resident agent in Minnesota, or its agent is not found at the registered office, process may be served by leaving it with the secretary of state along with a $50 fee. Minn. Stat. § 5.25, subd. 4(a)
• In Minnesota administrative dissolution or termination comes from missing the annual renewal, not from any resident agent lapse since an agent is optional: a corporation that skips the renewal in any calendar year is dissolved administratively, an LLC that skips it is terminated administratively, and the authority of a non-Minnesota LLC is revoked. Minn. Stat. § 302A.821, subd. 4; see also § 322C.0705
• Filing one annual renewal and paying a $25 fee reinstates an entity after administrative dissolution or termination, restoring good standing or active status back to the dissolution date and validating the contracts and acts in between. Minn. Stat. § 302A.821, subd. 4(c); § 322C.0706(a)

Switching to us

We prepare and file the change of resident agent for you. Minnesota charges $35 for an LLC MN SOS Business Filing and Certification Fee Schedule, 'Limited... and $35 for a corporation MN SOS Business Filing and Certification Fee Schedule, 'Business....

Official Minnesota links

• First National Bank Building - (651) 296-2803
• Business entity search
• Statutes
• Forms
• Annual report filing

Frequently asked

Do I need a resident agent in Minnesota?

Almost every state does, and the Minnesota rule is set out above with its citation. Where the law leaves a choice, a resident agent is still the practical way to make sure service of process reaches you.

How much does Minnesota resident agent service cost?

$129 a year, with no setup fee, the same price in all 50 states plus DC, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Service of process is received and scanned the same business day.

Can I switch my Minnesota resident agent to ResidentAgents.com?

Yes. Order online and we prepare the change of agent filing for you; the state's filing fee is shown on this page.