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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Minnesota

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Minnesota (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Minnesota the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199), MN Registered Agent.org ($199) and Minnesota Registered Agent.co ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your registered agent and the same price in every state.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.5 Editor score out of 10
$199 on top of the state fee, then the agent at $149 a year from year two

Mainstay Filing leads the card: it files the Minnesota registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.

After the free first year the agent costs $149 a year, in this state or any other.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $100 above MN Registered Agent.org's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • The foreign registration, handled for you
  • Registered agent service free in year one
  • Legal papers served on the company scanned free on the same business day

Strengths

  • Registered agent free for year one
  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • Same price across all fifty states

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than MN Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Lower renewal than Mainstay

2. MN Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Minnesota

9.2 Editor score out of 10
$199 plus the state's own fee; $99 a year for the agent afterwards

MN Registered Agent.org takes second spot: $199 plus the state fee and a year of registered agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

What you get

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • One year of registered agent service

Strengths

  • $99 per year for the agent after the first
  • First-year registered agent service included
  • Registration at $199, with the state fee added

Watch for

  • Limited to Minnesota; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit MN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. MN Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best value here

3. Minnesota Registered Agent.co: best for registrations in Minnesota only

8.9 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

Minnesota Registered Agent.co takes third spot: $199 plus the state fee and a year of registered agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Price for price and feature for feature, MN Registered Agent.org and Minnesota Registered Agent.co match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • A year as your registered agent, up front

Strengths

  • Registered agent service for year one is in the price
  • Then $99 a year to keep the agent
  • Registration at $199, with the state fee added

Watch for

  • Limited to Minnesota; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Minnesota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Minnesota Registered Agent.co: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.5 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 MN Registered Agent.org 9.2 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit MN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Minnesota Registered Agent.co 8.9 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Minnesota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every number out of 10 is an editorial mark from Formation Scorecard, produced with the criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.

Minnesota foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
MN Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Minnesota Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Minnesota's $185 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

What broke the tie

Formation Scorecard scores cost across three years and coverage of the price at 25% each. Renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity account for the other 50%. In Minnesota the tie was broken by coverage of the price.

A foreign registration touches two states, so a single provider at one price in both earned the most coverage points, ahead of MN Registered Agent.org.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Minnesota: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Foreign Limited Liability Company Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Minnesota to the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services, with a $185 state fee.

Once registered, the company files the annual renewal, due December 31.

Gather these before filing

  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $185, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual renewal.

The price of ignoring Minnesota registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Minnesota courts until it registers (Minn. Stat. 322C.0808, subd. 1). Its contracts remain valid (Minn. Stat. 322C.0808, subd. 2).

Minnesota foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Minnesota make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Minnesota?

Expect $185 for the state plus $199 for the service.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

A Minnesota LLC must keep a registered office in Minnesota; naming an agent there is optional.

Which foreign registration services sit on this card?

Mainstay Filing ($199), MN Registered Agent.org ($199) and Minnesota Registered Agent.co ($199), top to bottom.

Is there a recurring filing for a registered foreign LLC?

Yes, the annual renewal.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Minnesota?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one registered agent service included.

More from us

Where the figures come from

  1. Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source, as of October 2026
  2. Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source, as of October 2026
  3. Minnesota report due date, as of August 2026
  4. Minn. Stat. sec. 322C.0201, as of August 2026
  5. Minnesota formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  6. Minnesota registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  7. Minnesota Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms, as of October 2026
  8. Foreign LLC certificate of authority form, as of October 2026
  9. Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0802, certificate of authority, as of October 2026
  10. Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0803, activities that are not transacting business, as of October 2026
  11. Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0808, consequences, as of October 2026
  12. Read on November 12, 2026: Minnesota service page for Mainstay Filing
  13. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for MN Registered Agent.org
  14. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Minnesota Registered Agent.co