Every formal business in the state of Minnesota is required by law to have a Minnesota registered agent. A registered agent receives any official documents from the State of Minnesota, as well as any service of process filed on a firm in a lawsuit.
In this Minnesota Registered Agent guide, we’ll go over what a registered agent is, what they perform, and how to choose one.
What Is A Registered Agent In Minnesota?
A Minnesota registered agent is a person or corporate organization that serves as your company’s point of contact for:
Receives all service of process for the company in any case, including the Minnesota Annual Report and certificate of good standing.
In Minnesota, every formal company, such as an LLC or corporation, is required by law to have a registered agent.
In Minnesota, may I act as my own registered agent?
Yes, any owner or employee of a company may serve as its registered agent in Minnesota if they are above the age of 18 and have a Minnesota street address.
You might also designate a member of your LLC or a friend you trust, as long as they match these standards as well.
Why Do Companies Use Minnesota Registered Agent Services?
Many firms opt to employ a registered agent service when forming an LLC for the following reasons:
Compliance
A registered agent service keeps a compliance calendar and will notify you when yearly reports or other files are due, as well as assist you in submitting them.
This helps you avoid penalties and maintains your firm in good standing, both of which are necessary to preserve your limited liability protection.
If you do not reply immediately to serving of process, legal complexities, costs, or other concerns may develop. A registered agent will scan your papers, upload them to the internet, and tell you when they are ready.
Privacy
If you operate from home or a private office as your own registered agent, your address will be made public on the Minnesota Business Search.
If your privacy is important to you, a registered agent service will use their own address instead of yours.
Discretion
Receiving service of process for a lawsuit at your place of business may be a delicate circumstance to have in front of your staff and customers.
To circumvent this problem, a registered agent will accept service of process and other papers at their office and deliver them to you discreetly online.
Flexibility
If you are your own registered agent, you must be accessible every working day of the year during regular business hours.
Registered agent services have real offices and people to cover certain hours, allowing them to be accessible during those times.
Hiring a registered agent service enables you to be more flexible with your working hours and locations. So go ahead and take a vacation, work from home or the office, or travel the globe knowing they’ll be there to collect your documents.
Online Data Storage
A competent registered agent service will scan your papers as soon as they arrive, maintaining a digital record of all your company documents and any service of process on a user-friendly dashboard.
If you employed an LLC creation service, you would most likely also use them as a registered agent. This implies a copy of your formation paperwork will be accessible online as well.
Having all of this information, which is accessible as PDFs, is really useful when you need to do things for your company, such as create a business bank account, apply for a business credit card, apply for small business loans, and many other things that need a copy of your paperwork.
National Reach
If you want to grow your company into other states, such as by employing an out-of-state employee or establishing a new sales office, you must have a registered agent for your foreign LLC or other corporation.
The majority of registered agent services are available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Simply pay a little fee for the new state in which you operate, and they will transmit all of your paperwork to the same web dashboard.
What Is the Cost of a Registered Agent?
A registered agent service normally costs between $50 and $300 each year. When you consider how much time it will save you, this is a little amount to pay.
In Minnesota, How Do I Choose A Registered Agent?
When you finish your LLC’s Articles of Organization in Minnesota, you must choose a registered agent. In Minnesota, the primary LLC creation document is the Articles of Organization.
Online Registration of a Registered Agent
You may create your LLC online by registering with the Minnesota Secretary of State ($155 registration fee needed). You’ll have access to a range of electronic forms, including the Articles of Organization, after accepting the terms and conditions. You will designate your registered agent here.
Choosing a Registered Agent by Mail
Download the Articles of Organization, fill out the appropriate forms, and deliver a physical copy to the Secretary of State (together with the $135 filing fee) to incorporate your LLC by mail. Section 2 will ask for the name and contact information of your registered agent.
How Do I Change My Minnesota Registered Agent?
Simply fill out a Notice of Change of Registered Office/Registered Agent and send it to the Minnesota Secretary of State to change your registered agent. Minnesota has varying filing fees for different kinds of businesses:
Minnesota Corporations, Nonprofits, and Cooperatives, as well as Minnesota and Foreign LLCs: $55 for expedited processing in person or online, $35 by mail.
Foreign Corporations, Nonprofits, and Cooperatives: $70 for expedited processing in person or online, $50 by mail
This form may be submitted electronically, via mail, or in person.
Online
Minnesota Secretary of State – Business Services Retirement Systems of Minnesota Building 60 Empire Drive, Suite 100 St Paul, MN 55103 Mail or in Person: