Minnesota Registered Agent
When You Want More
According to Minnesota State Statute Chapter 5 §36, all business entities registered or formed in Minnesota must designate a registered agent. These agents accept all important legal documents, like service of process and official mail from the state, on behalf of the business. Minnesota registered agents may also be referred to as statutory agents or resident agents. Having a registered agent ensures that your Minnesota business is properly notified and receives any services of process or notices from the state before a lawsuit can move forward in court.
With our registered agent service, get Privacy by Default®, business address, free mail forwarding, free Phone Service for 60 days, and local Corporate Guides®—only at Northwest.
Everything You Need To Know About Minnesota Registered Agents:

What Do Minnesota Registered Agents Do?
Your Minnesota registered agent is the main point of contact between your business and the state of Minnesota. Your agent accepts all services of process and official notices on behalf of your Minnesota LLC, Minnesota corporation or Minnesota nonprofit. After receiving any notifications or lawsuits, the agent is then responsible for notifying you, the business owner.
However, the right registered agent service can do much more. At Northwest, we go above and beyond the minimum to ensure top speed, security, privacy and support.
What Are the Legal Requirements for Minnesota Registered Agents?
Per Minnesota Statute §5.36, Minnesota has the following restrictions for a registered agent:
- The address of the agent must be within Minnesota state lines. You need a registered agent in each state where your business operates.
- The registered office must be a physical address; P.O. Boxes are not satisfactory addresses.
- A Minnesota registered agent must be a resident of Minnesota or a business entity authorized to conduct business in the state.
- The Minnesota statute reads that, “The registered agent must maintain a business office that is identical with the registered office.” What this means is that your registered agent must be available at the address listed on a business’ formation documents to accept services of process on behalf of your business during normal business hours.
Helpful tip: The name and address of your registered agent is what will be listed on the Minnesota secretary of state’s website as contact information for your business. If you hire a registered agent, you’ll maintain a higher level of personal privacy.
How Do I Change My Minnesota Registered Agent?
There are two ways to change your registered agent in Minnesota.
- Hire us and we’ll complete the change of agent form for you for free.
- Do it yourself and file a Notice of Change of Registered Agent form with the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services.
What Makes Northwest Different From Other Services?
At Northwest, we do business the right way. We’re dedicated to getting you your docs fast, protecting your privacy and offering you support. Here’s how:
- Same-Day Scans, Instant Notifications: We accept and scan your docs at our local office the same day. We notify you instantly and reach out to you if your essential mail goes unread.
- Privacy by Default®: We automatically minimize the exposure of and access to your personal data. If we can put our address on a public doc instead of yours, we do. If we don’t have to list your personal info, we don’t. We have tough privacy policies to keep your data safe and private. And we never sell your data.
- Free Limited Mail Forwarding: Of course we’ll get you your state and legal mail. That’s our job. But what if we get some of your regular business mail? It happens a lot—clients and businesses trying to connect with you via your registered agent. We scan 5 documents per year for FREE. We can also scan additional mail at a per document rate of $15.
- Corporate Guides®: Have questions? We have answers. Our guides are business experts whose sole job is to provide phone and email support for all your toughest business questions.
Minnesota Registered Agent FAQs
Why Do I Need A Minnesota Registered Agent?
- State law requires all legitimate, registered businesses to appoint one.
- The secretary of state will reject your business filing if you don’t appoint a registered agent.
- A registered agent requirement gives the public and the state a reliable way to contact your business.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent In Minnesota?
Yes, you can be your own registered agent in Minnesota. However, after considering the registered agent requirements most business owners elect to hire a registered agent service instead. Why? Well although being your own registered agent will cost you $0, an Minnesota registered agent’s name and address becomes part of the public record. Additionally, the registered agent is required to be available to accept service of process during normal business hours 5 days a week.
Where Is Northwest’s Registered Office In Minnesota?
When we receive a notice from the state or a service of process for your business, within minutes we will scan the documents at our Minnesota office in Owatonna and upload them to your account.
Can I Use Your Minnesota Registered Office Address For Everything On My Business Filing?
Definitely! We’re the only national registered agent service that allows our clients to list our address for everything when you’re doing a filing to keep your private address off public records.
Can I Have My Business’s Mail Delivered To Your Minnesota Office?
We don’t want ALL of your business mail. It’s not what we do. And it wouldn’t serve you well. You wouldn’t have unique address or suite number. Any mail we receive on your behalf would come to to Northwest Registered Agent, care of you.
But we understand that businesses and clients sometimes reach out to you through your registered agent. Through us. That’s why we give you 5 FREE scans of regular business mail a year. You can request any additional documents to be forwarded at a per document rate of $15.
Do I Hire A Registered Agent Before Or After I Start My Business In Minnesota?
You can’t form your LLC or corporation in Minnesota until you designate a registered agent, so you should hire one before forming your business entity. Also, your registered agent should be able to help you file with the state.
How Is A Minnesota Registered Agent Served With A Lawsuit?
A process server will deliver a summons form and a complaint form to your registered agent. The agent will sign the process server’s documents acknowledging receipt of the lawsuit. If you’ve hired Northwest, we’ll then scan the documents, upload them to your account, and notify you within minutes.
What If My Business Never Gets Sued? Would It Still Be Worth Hiring A Registered Agent Service?
That depends. Some business owners rest easier knowing they’ll be notified if something does happen. A registered agent should also help keep you updated on any business reports due to the secretary of state. And if you hire Northwest Registered Agent, we’ll provide you with great customer service, an online account to track all of your business’ important legal documents, any form you could file with any state, and we’ll also give you helpful tips for filing forms and paying the state without tacking on additional fees. Plus, if you plan on operating in multiple states, a registered agent service will simplify your life.
What If I Get Sued All The Time?
We don’t charge more for high-volume businesses. But if you know you’re going to get sued hundreds of times a year, we should create a custom price that makes sense for both of us. Our typical clients receive more than 15 lawsuits a year and do not pay additional fees.
How Do I Search For A Minnesota Registered Agent?
You can do a Minnesota business name search.
- Type in the name of the company you’re searching for.
- In the results, you’ll find the registered agent’s name and registered office street address.
If you want to legally notify a business through their Minnesota registered agent service, just send a certified letter directly to the registered agent name and registered office address.
How Do I Resign From Being A Registered Agent In Minnesota?
In Minnesota, to resign as a registered agent, you need to submit a Statement of Resignation of Registered Agent with the Minnesota SOS. For a more detailed walkthrough, you can refer to our guide on how to resign as a registered agent in Minnesota.
How To Order Minnesota Registered Agent Service:
You sign up online, clicking on one of the buttons or links that says “HIRE US.”
We collect the first year of the registered agent service fee up front.
For new businesses, we’ll become your Minnesota registered agent service once your business registration filing with the Minnesota Secretary of State is complete.
About a year later, we’ll send you an invoice for another year of Minnesota registered agent service. If you want to keep using us, great; if you don’t, you can easily cancel.
With offices in every state, we make it easy to add registered agent services anywhere in the country. We don’t farm out work (or your info) to other companies—wherever you are, WE are your registered agent.
We make your account a real go-to resource for you, not just for Minnesota registered agent service or paying a bill but for keeping up with Minnesota corporate compliance.
Information Your Minnesota Registered Agent Should Help You Understand:
- Business filings are submitted to the Minnesota Secretary of State. Note that in-person and online filings are automatically considered expedited and are hit with a $20 expedite fee.
- Domestic LLCs and corporations cost $135 to file.
- Registering a foreign LLC is $185. A foreign corporations is $200.
- Domestic and foreign nonprofits are $70 to file.
- Domestic and foreign LLCs and corporations, as well as domestic nonprofits, are required to file an annual renewal each year. For most entities, the filing has no fee, but foreign corporations will pay $115.
At Northwest, we can also form your LLC or form your corporation in Minnesota for $100 plus state fees. As part of our commitment to Privacy by Default®, we put our business address on your filings to better protect your privacy. And you always have the support of our Corporate Guides®.