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Minnesota Registered Agent: If you wish to start a Minnesota LLC, you have to appoint a registered agent. According to Minnesota State Law, it is mandatory to have a Minnesota Registered Agent if you are conducting business in the state. A registered agent receives all the official and legal documents from the State. They also receive the service of process if there’s any lawsuit in concern.
In the following guide, we have shared all the required information regarding hiring a registered agent, why you need a registered agent in Minnesota, and who can be a registered agent for your LLC. Read this guide carefully before you hire a Minnesota Registered Agent.
On this page, you’ll learn about the following:
What is a Minnesota Registered Agent
A registered agent (or a statutory agent or a resident agent) in Minnesota is an individual or a business that represents your business in receiving official documents. These official papers include formation documents, business renewal documents, tax filing, and any legal document if the LLC gets sued by other companies. All these documents go straight to the registered agent’s official address in the state. While forming an LLC, it is mandatory to appoint a registered agent.
When you file the Minnesota LLC formation papers with the Secretary of State, LLCs have to mention their registered agent’s name and address. When you choose a registered agent in Minnesota, you can go for two options, hiring an in-house registered agent or outsourcing the service.
Hiring a Registered Agent in Minnesota
You may have several options for hiring a registered agent in Minnesota. To become a registered agent, one has to meet the basic eligibility criteria. If the minimum requirements are fulfilled, anyone residing in Minnesota can represent your LLC as your registered agent.
Who Can Be a Registered Agent
- The person must be above 18 years old.
- The person must have a legal and physical address in the state where the LLC will operate.
- The person must be physically present during normal working hours.
- Anyone who fulfills the above requirements can act as a registered agent.
- Recommended – You should use a professional registered agent in Minnesota always.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent
Yes, you can be your own registered agent. In fact, any member of the LLC, managers, and the owner can be a registered agent. Besides, someone from the owners’ family, such as a spouse, relatives, or other family members, can also act as a registered agent. As mentioned above, anyone who is representing the business as an agent should fulfill the basic criteria.
Why You Shouldn’t Be Your Own Registered Agent
Many small businesses do not hire a registered agent to save a chunk of money. However, it is not recommended to be your own registered agent. There are a bunch of problems one has to face while being a registered agent of his own LLC. Following are some of the issues you face,
- If you are operating your business from home or you are into web business, then your home address will be shared on the public portal. This address will be used for mailing and other official purposes. This will hamper your privacy.
- A registered agent has to be physically available at the official address during working hours on working days for 52 weeks. Being your own registered agent might restrict your other work due to this.
- The registered agent’s address must be up to date in the Secretary of State portal.
It is recommended to outsource the registered agent service to ease your work as it protects your privacy, especially if you conduct your business from home. It is always wise to outsource the RA service than be your own registered agent.
Recommended: You can get the best registered agent service at a reasonable price with online LLC service providers. We recommend using –
LegalZoom – $299 Per Year
How to Choose a Registered Agent in Minnesota
You can choose a Minnesota Registered Agent in two ways, either you can employ an in-house RA or outsource the service. Another option is to be your own registered agent. However, it is recommended to outsource the service as it is less worrisome and hassle-free.
In-house Registered Agent
As far as the in-house registered agent is concerned, it can be anyone from the LLC, including you, or you can employ an individual for this position. In that case, your office or home address will be the Registered Agent’s office address. Every LLC has to share its principal office address, mailing address, and registered agent’s office address to the state public portal. Hiring a registered agent service will make it easier as you can use the RA’s address as a mailing address.
Outsourcing Registered Agent Service
You may also avail yourself of professional registered agent services. Doing so ensures that you will have the best service provider to represent your business. Following are the best Registered Agent services on our list that will provide you with registered agents to ease your worries.
LLC Service | Our Rating & Pricing | Top Features | Learn More |
#1 TOP PICK  | $99 Per Year |
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 | $125 Per Year |
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Note that availing of the services of professional registered agents would be your best option since you are guaranteed that whoever is handling your legal affairs knows their stuff well. If you are forming your LLC from scratch, then with LegalZoom Registered Agent, you will get the full formation package.
What to Consider While Choosing a Minnesota Registered Agent
Here are some factors to consider when choosing a registered agent.
- Service Fee: Since most states require formal businesses to have registered agents, selecting the best-registered agent is critical. Hiring a registered agent typically costs between $99 and $300 annually. When you consider how much time it will save you, this is a small price to pay.
- Tenure in Business of Registered Agent: You want the registered agent to have established and time-tested procedures for handling documents. We recommend Registered Agent Services that have been in business for a long time. They are experienced and well capable of handling all your documentation.
- State Jurisdiction Limitation: If your company expands to another state, you should use the same registered agent in all states to reduce the administrative burden of dealing with multiple registered agent service providers. Check out the best Registered Agent Services to consider for this job.
- Offer Monitoring and Follow-up Services: You want to receive up-to-date information and alerts from your registered agent as soon as possible so that you are aware of the various statutes, rules, and regulations that apply to your company. Some of the service providers offer this service. Make sure to choose an RA service that includes this service.
How to Appoint a Registered Agent in Minnesota
At the time of submitting the Minnesota Articles of Organization, the registered agent can be appointed by the LLC. It can be done online or by mail. No additional fee is charged for appointing a Registered Agent. Only the state filing fee should be paid.
Appoint Registered Agent Online
To appoint a registered agent online, you have to go to the Minnesota LLC Online Filing page and provide the information of your Registered Agent accordingly.
Appoint Registered Agent By Mail
To appoint a registered agent in Minnesota by mail, you need to download the Minnesota LLC filing form (PDF). Fill up the “Registered Agent” section with appropriate details of the agent and submit it to the SOS office. For more information, read on Minnesota Articles of Organization.
Cost of a Minnesota Registered Agent
The cost of having a registered agent can be variable. It depends on whether you are employing an in-house registered agent, being your own agent, or outsourcing the service. The cost of having a registered agent can start from $99 and go up to $300 per year. It will be cost-effective if you outsource the registered agent service in Minnesota.
Registered Agent services that also provide LLC formation packages can provide the same service at a lower price. For example, LegalZoom offers standalone registered agent service at $125 per year, but if you buy their LLC formation package at $39 + state fees, you might get a registered agent service at a low cost.
How to Change a Registered Agent in Minnesota
To change the Minnesota registered agent, you must file a Change of registered agent or office by entity form. This form can be submitted to the Minnesota Secretary of State via mail, in person, or online.
File Online
For online filing, you need to get the online form which is available on the Minnesota Secretary of State portal. Fill in all the necessary information of LLC as well as current and old registered agents. This form must be completed and signed by the newly appointed registered agent and any authorized member of the LLC. The signature of the new registered agent acts like the consent to be appointed as one. Submit it online.
Fee: $55 (online & in-person), $35 (by mail)
File By Mail
You can also choose to file the form through the mail. You need to download the Change of registered agent or office by entity form from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s portal. Fill in all the details on your computer. The completed form is to be signed by the newly appointed registered agent. The duly signed form must be sent to the following address,
Mail to: Minnesota Secretary of State – Business Services
Retirement Systems of Minnesota Building
60 Empire Drive, Suite 100
St Paul, MN 55103
How to Pay: The filing amount is payable to the Minnesota secretary of state through a credit card when filing online/by email. For paper filing, you can choose to pay through money order or check.
Why Do LLCs in Minnesota Need a Registered Agent Service
There are several reasons why a business should appoint a registered agent in Minnesota. Some of the most important reasons are listed below,
- Confidentiality: Having a registered agent service in Minnesota ensures the complete privacy of your business and related documentation. Appointing a registered agent company instead of an individual gets you privacy and confidentiality contracts beforehand.
- Up-to-date Compliance: LLCs and corporates have plenty of paperwork and compliances that are to be updated on time. With a registered agent service, you don’t have to worry about those compliances, as your registered agent will maintain a compliance calendar.
- Privacy: It is mandatory for businesses in Minnesota to publicly upload their address to the Minnesota Secretary of State. If you are using the home address for your business, then it would not be safe to make your private address public. On the other side, appointing a registered agent service will cover you up here as they have to provide their address to the Minnesota SOS and not yours.
- Availability: Every registered agent has to be available during office hours of work on business days. If you hire a registered agent service, then they can be available at the required time without harming other tasks at the company.
- Online Safe Backup: Every registered agent in Minnesota or any other state usually takes online backup of all the documents and paperwork. This ensures the LLC papers are securely saved in a central system.
- Lawsuits or Summons: Getting summoned or involved in a lawsuit does not leave a good impression on the employees. With a registered agent, all the related papers will be delivered to the Registered Agent’s official address. Hence, owners do not have to receive any such papers in their office in front of their employees.
Minnesota Business Laws and Registered Agent
Registered agents are responsible for handling all the business laws and other legal issues related to Minnesota LLC. Every state has its own business laws. Minnesota is no exception. It has its own set of different business laws to follow. Here are some of the important business laws every business should follow.
Minnesota Deceptive Trade Practices Laws
The State of Minnesota aims to protect its residents from unfair business practices. Such practices mislead the consumers into investing in invaluable market products by selling them with twisted statements and lies such as false advertising. The laws specifically prohibit false advertising and odometer tampering. Any such tampering activity shall be considered a Gross misdemeanor, and compensation can be awarded in the form of actual damages, costs, and disbursements, attorney’s fees. The Court also has the discretion to award an amount for damages not to exceed three times active damages of $1500, whichever is greater.
Minnesota has adopted the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The State laws expressly prohibit the selling of goods or services below cost, misleading consumers about the quality of items, unfair cigarette sales, monopolization, and unreasonable restraint of trade by hatching conspiracy with other competing businesses. The remedies available to Plaintiff include Injunction, court costs, and attorney’s fees.
Minnesota Antitrust Laws
Antitrust laws regulate and prevent anti-competitive practices in any open market by levying heavy penalties and punishment against such activities. These laws counter the formation of cartels, monopolies, or any barrier created for new entrants in the market. The Minnesota Antitrust Law of 1971 prohibits practices involving unreasonable restraint of trade or commerce, monopolistic behavior, discriminatory actions, quantity fixing, price-fixing, etc. The time limit to enforce such claims is 4 years. The State also allows a successful attorney to recover the attorney’s fees.
The penalties in such cases include felonies, imprisonment of up to 7 years in prison, and/or a fine of up to $50,000.
The Registered Agents are the people who act as points of contact between your business and the State Authorities. They assist your business in ensuring compliance with all regulations and codes of the State. Hiring a registered agent in Minnesota will help you handle your business in a smooth and legally compliant manner.
FAQ
The registered agent may be changed in Minnesota. You need to download, fill up, and send the RA change application form to the Secretary of State online, by mail to the address Minnesota Secretary of State – Business Services, Retirement Systems of Minnesota Building, 60 Empire Drive, Suite 100, St Paul, MN 55103, or by fax, whichever provision is available for you. In Minnesota, it costs $55 to change the registered agent.
To become a registered agent in Minnesota, you must meet some requirements. One of the most crucial requirements is that you must be a mature adult (18+). You furthermore need to be a Minnesota resident. You may apply to be a registered agent if you satisfy these requirements.
In Minnesota, a registered agent might be a spouse, any LLC member, a member of your family or close friends, or even you. Being a legal adult (18+) and a resident of the state are the two main requirements. You may become a registered agent with ease if you can meet the prerequisites.
In Minnesota, it’s simple to change a registered agent’s address. The RA Change Form must be submitted; it is accessible online at the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. Add the new address to the form. Whatever option is most convenient for you, submit it online, by mail to the Minnesota Secretary of State – Business Services, Retirement Systems of Minnesota Building, 60 Empire Drive, Suite 100, St Paul, MN 55103, or by fax. The address change might incur a cost.
Visit the Minnesota SOS website to locate a company’s registered agent. If you know the business name, use that to do a search. If you find the business you’re searching for, use that information to find the registered agent.
Any legal documents or notifications must be served on your behalf by a registered agent in Minnesota. The formal address for such correspondence is the office of the registered agent. Anyone in Minnesota who satisfies the qualifications may act as a registered agent.
Companies must provide their name, address, and contact information when registering their company in Minnesota in order to formally designate a registered agent. The registered agent is covered in its own section of the articles of incorporation. How to designate a registered agent in Minnesota is as follows.
In Minnesota, you must go to the official website of the Minnesota Secretary of State to look for a registered agent’s address. Seek the steps in the list below to look for the registered agent’s address.
1. Go to Minnesota SOS’s official website.
2. Using the firm name, look for the corporate information
3. Find the list of registered agent addresses.
This will make it simpler to locate the registered agent’s address.
You may look for a company in Minnesota by its registered agent’s name. Visit the official website of the Minnesota Secretary of State. Look for the “Business Search” option. You may choose to “Search by the registered agent” in the search area. Choose the option and type the name of the registered agent. You will get the company name.
In Minnesota, for a registered agent, the main requirement is the person must be 18 years of age and must have a physical address in Minnesota. The individual or entity may serve as the registered agent if they are a resident of the state and are of legal age.
In Minnesota, if you look up a registered agent for a corporation, then you must visit the Minnesota SOS. You need to click Business Search on the main page. Enter the name of the corporation if you know it to search for businesses. To find out more, choose the registered agent option.
In Minnesota, a registered agent must provide a letter of resignation to the business that they are currently working for. A resignation notification should be given to the Minnesota Secretary of State to confirm the registered agent’s resignation after a certain number of days, along with the resignation letter.
By entering the website of the Minnesota Secretary of State, you may edit a registered agent there online. Make sure the online method is accessible for you, however, before you go through with it. In such a case, mail the RA Change Form.
You may become a free registered agent in Minnesota. You won’t have to physically pay anything to yourself if you act as your own registered agent. If your spouse or a friend becomes an agent, then you might avoid the cost. The last option is to use a free registered agent service in Minnesota.
You must go to the Minnesota Secretary of State to do a search on the registered agent there. The option to “Search Business” will appear. You can search your business by its name. You may get the registered agent’s information from the list while you wait for the results.
The registered agent is not given its own form in Minnesota. When establishing their firm, companies must choose a registered agent and transmit their information through the formation paperwork. The formation documents need to be mailed to the Minnesota Secretary of State – Business Services, Retirement Systems of Minnesota Building, 60 Empire Drive, Suite 100, St Paul, MN 55103.
If there is no registered agent for your company in Minnesota, then it must be informed to the Minnesota SOS. Given that every firm in Minnesota has to have a registered agent, there could be a legal concern. You may need to act as a registered agent in Minnesota if there isn’t one.
In Minnesota, if a registered agent dies, all the powers get terminated. In Minnesota, having a registered agent is required. Hence, the company must appoint/change another registered agent. A manager, an official of the business, or the owner may act as the registered agent in the interim.
In Minnesota, there are some rules for registering your business. If you visit the Minnesota Secretary of State, they will be able to tell you whether or not you may keep your registered agent’s name off the public platform. You may conceal a member’s identity if you have an Anonymous LLC.
In Minnesota, to get the registered agent information, you must call the Secretary of State’s office. The hours are officially from 8 am to 5 pm. Call on this number (651) 296-2803 to connect to the executive. To get the information, adhere to the caller’s instructions.
A registered agent’s permission is a declaration in writing that the agent is prepared to represent the business. In Minnesota, if you appoint a new registered agent or replace the existing one, the newly appointed agent must get the SOS’s permission.
In Minnesota, a registered agent and a resident agent are the same titles. While the registered agent is the word used in the majority of states, the resident agent is used in other states. In every state, the designation, appointment, and registration procedures are the same.
If a Minnesota resident is appointed as a registered agent without their agreement, there may be a legal consequence and obligation placed on the person making the appointment. They also have the freedom to refuse any obligations imposed by the procedure.
It is still possible to sue a firm even though it has no registered agent in Minnesota. Simply put, the corporation is not represented by an agent, making it impossible for them to receive legal notices. But the suit will take place, and there will be a different way to send the notice.
In Minnesota, a registered agent must file an application of rejection if they want to reject the designation. Simply signing the rejection statement and mailing it to the Minnesota Secretary of State is all that is required. It resembles accepting the designation in many ways.
How to Remove a Registered Agent for LLC in Minnesota
A registered agent for LLC in Minnesota can be removed by submitting a Notice of Change of Registered Office/Registered Agent with the Minnesota Secretary of State with a filing fee of $35 for mail filing and $55 for online or in-person filing.
However, there may come a time when you need to change your registered agent for various reasons. This could be due to a change in your business operations, a shift in ownership, or simply because you want to work with a different agent. Whatever the reason may be, it’s important to know the process of how to remove a registered agent for your LLC in Minnesota.
The first step in removing a registered agent for your LLC in Minnesota is to review your operating agreement. Your operating agreement should outline the procedure for appointing and removing a registered agent, as well as any specific requirements that need to be met in order to make this change. If your operating agreement does not address this issue, you can refer to Minnesota state laws governing LLCs.
Once you have reviewed your operating agreement and understand the process for removing a registered agent, you will need to file the necessary form with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office. In Minnesota, this form is called the Statement of Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent (Form LL-Filing 35).
When filing this form, you will need to provide the following information:
– Your LLC’s name and registration number
– The name and address of your current registered agent
– The name and address of your new registered agent
– The effective date of the change
After completing the form, you will need to submit it along with the applicable filing fee to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office. Once the form is processed and approved, the new registered agent will be officially appointed for your LLC.
It’s important to note that when removing a registered agent for your LLC in Minnesota, it’s crucial to ensure that there is no gap in representation. This means that you should have your new registered agent in place before formally removing the old one. This will help ensure that your LLC remains in good standing and is able to receive important legal documents in a timely manner.
In conclusion, knowing how to remove a registered agent for your LLC in Minnesota is an important part of managing the administrative aspects of your business. By following the proper steps outlined in your operating agreement and state laws, you can smoothly transition from one registered agent to another without any interruptions in your business operations.
In Conclusion
Before you choose a registered agent for your Minnesota LLC, compare their price and services from the table. They will be responsible for all your documentation, filings, and other LLC-related tasks. Hence, choose the best one for your business that provides 100% accurate service at a reasonable price.