State Guide · MN

Minnesota LLC Guide (2026)

Everything you need to form and maintain an LLC in Minnesota, state-specific fees, deadlines, and step-by-step instructions.

By Edmond Hui · Last updated: August 22, 2026

This hub indexes all Minnesota LLC guides in one place, formation, compliance, registered agents, and business structure comparisons. Quick reference: state filing fee $155, standard processing not published by the state, annual report due December 31. For the complete step-by-step formation walkthrough, see the Full Formation Guide below.

Key LLC facts for Minnesota: $155 minimum first-year cost, $0 each year after, an annual state report, and a personal income tax.
First-year cost is the unavoidable minimum to form and stay compliant; the second figure is what recurs annually. Source: Minnesota's published filing fee schedule, verified July 2026, with anonymity and income-tax status from MyStateLLC's 50-state datasets.
Filing fee$155#18 cheapest of 50 states
ProcessingNot publishedMinnesota publishes no standard turnaround
Annual reportDecember 31
Key Finding

46,706 new business applications were filed in Minnesota in the 2026 YTD (Jan to Jul) vs 2025 YTD (same months) window, up 6.5% year over year

Minnesota ranks #29 of 51 jurisdictions by application volume and #42 per capita. For scale, the state counted 154,455 active business establishments as of 2023 (Census County Business Patterns). This monthly BFS series is a leading indicator of formation activity, ahead of the Census's annual establishment counts.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (BFS), Jul 2026

Minnesota Small Business Landscape

Small businesses in Minnesota560,428 (99.5% of all Minnesota businesses)
Small business employment1,252,842 workers (45.8% of private-sector employment)

Source: SBA Office of Advocacy, 2025 Small Business Profile

Minnesota Business Survival

5-year survival rate54.9% of new Minnesota businesses survive five years, #6 of 51 nationally

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics

See how Minnesota’s 5-year survival rate compares nationally in our full state-by-state ranking.

Enterprise LLCs Formed in Minnesota

Entity NameWhy They Chose Minnesota
Target Brands, LLCMinnesota's home-state formation lets Minneapolis-headquartered Target hold its private-label brand portfolio through a separate LLC, isolating trademark assets from retail operations and taking advantage of Minnesota's favorable IP pass-through treatment.
3M Innovative Properties CompanyMinnesota's strong trade secret statutes and its established manufacturing ecosystem make it efficient for 3M to hold its patent and licensing portfolio through in-state LLCs, consolidating royalty revenue under Minnesota's predictable IP assignment framework.

Why Minnesota attracts enterprise LLCs: Minnesota's LLC Act provides strong IP protection and flexible operating agreement terms, combined with its Minneapolis-St. Paul financial services ecosystem, it supports retail, healthcare, and technology LLC formation for companies seeking Midwest market access.

Entity examples are illustrative and based on publicly available corporate registrations. Reasons reflect general state-level legal and tax advantages, not verified statements of each company's formation rationale. For educational purposes only; consult a licensed attorney before making formation decisions.

Check your business name

See if your domain and social handles are available before you file.

How Do You Start an LLC in Minnesota?

Filing in Minnesota costs $155 in state fees. Minnesota publishes no standard processing time, so plan around the filing itself rather than a promised turnaround. You'll file Articles of Organization, appoint a registered agent, and complete any state-specific requirements before opening for business.

That is the filing fee alone. For the first-year and five-year totals, see Minnesota LLC cost.

Full Formation Guide for MinnesotaExact forms, fees & filing instructions

What Are the Ongoing Requirements for a Minnesota LLC?

Minnesota LLCs must file an annual report due December 31 and keep a registered agent on file year-round. Missing deadlines triggers late fees and risks administrative dissolution.

Full Compliance OverviewAnnual report, fees & deadlinesAnnual Report GuideDue dates, forms & filing steps

How Do You Register a Foreign LLC in Minnesota?

If your LLC was formed in another state (Delaware, Wyoming, etc.) but conducts business in Minnesota, you must register as a foreign LLC. This requires a separate filing fee and a registered agent in Minnesota.

Minnesota Foreign LLC Registration GuideForms, fees & registered agent requirements

Does a Minnesota LLC Need a Registered Agent?

Other Minnesota LLC Compliance & Tax Guides

How Does a Minnesota LLC Compare to Other Structures?

Minnesota LLC Operating Agreement Templates

Minnesota LLC Guides by Industry

How Do You Dissolve an LLC in Minnesota?

Does Minnesota Waive LLC Fees for Veterans?

What Does Moving a Rental Into an LLC Cost in Minnesota?

Do You Need an LLC to Sell on eBay in Minnesota?

How Does Minnesota Compare to Other States for LLC Formation?

Side-by-side breakdowns of filing fees, annual costs, taxes and privacy rules, each written for a business owner already operating in Minnesota.

Compare from a different home state →

More Minnesota LLC Resources

Best Bank AccountsBest business bank accounts for a Minnesota LLC →Grants & IncentivesSmall business grants & incentives in Minnesota →Anonymous LLCHow to form an anonymous LLC in Minnesota →
Edmond Hui

Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.

Compare Minnesota with Other States

Vermont LLC guideFiling fee $155 · See costs and requirements →Illinois LLC guideFiling fee $150 · See costs and requirements →Rhode Island LLC guideFiling fee $150 · See costs and requirements →How to form an LLCGeneral step-by-step formation guide →Annual report complianceDeadlines and fees for all 50 states →
← All state guides