How to Change Your Registered Agent in Minnesota (2026)
To change your registered agent in Minnesota, file a change-of-agent form with the Secretary of State. The fee is $35 by mail. It jumps to $55 if you file online or in person. Your new agent's office has to sit at the same address as your registered office.
Minnesota splits this into two separate ideas, and that trips up a lot of filers. Every entity must always keep a registered office on file. A registered agent is different. Naming one is optional for a Minnesota-formed LLC or corporation, and only an entity formed outside Minnesota has to name one.
This guide walks through what the form asks for, what each filing channel costs, and who can serve as your agent under Minnesota law.
Quick Summary
- Skip naming an agent, and the Secretary of State becomes the fallback contact for your company's legal paperwork.
- Filing online and in-person share one fee tier the state calls expedited service, so there is no separate rush charge to add.
- Your governing body has to approve the change by majority vote before anyone signs the filing.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form | Notice of Change of Registered Office/Registered Agent |
| Filing fee (Minnesota LLC or corporation) | $35 by mail, $55 online or in person |
| Filing fee (foreign entity) | $50 by mail, $70 online or in person |
| Statute | Minn. Stat. § 5.36 |
| Registered agent required? | Optional for a Minnesota-formed entity; required for a foreign entity |
| Authorization needed | Majority vote of the governing body, stated on the form |
| Mailing/in-person address | Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services, First National Bank Building, 332 Minnesota Street, Suite N201, Saint Paul, MN 55101 |
| Online portal | Business Filings Online |
| Office hours | 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday |
How to Change Your Minnesota Registered Agent
Minnesota covers the registered office and the registered agent in one statute, but they are different requirements. Every business entity has to keep a registered office on file. That means a real Minnesota street address, not a P.O. box.
Registering a foreign entity to do business in Minnesota triggers the agent requirement automatically, as part of that same registration paperwork [1]. There is no separate deadline to track. You name the agent when you register, not afterward.
Leaving the agent field blank does not leave you unprotected. Say a Minnesota LLC never names one, or its agent cannot be found at the listed address. The Secretary of State then stands in as the party who can accept legal paperwork on the company's behalf [2].
A named agent still beats no agent. A state office fielding your lawsuit paperwork gets you notice eventually, but a person who actually calls you gets you notice sooner.
Whichever path you take, get authorization first. The form needs a statement that your governing body approved the change by majority vote.
You can make the change through a professional service, online, by mail, or in person. Here's how each option works.
1. Changing Your Registered Agent Using a Professional Service
Hiring a registered agent service in Minnesota is the quickest way to hand off the paperwork. The service fills out the change form. It files it with the Secretary of State. Then it tells you once the state has processed it.
You still pay the state's filing fee on top of whatever the service charges. Ask what is included before you sign up. Read our full guide to changing a registered agent for the steps a service handles versus what you would file yourself.
2. Changing Your Registered Agent Online
Start at the Secretary of State's Business Filings Online portal. Sign in, or create an account if you have not filed there before.
Search for your business by name or file number. Open the change form. Enter the new registered office address, or the new agent's name, whichever changed. Confirm the two addresses will match.
Pay the $55 filing fee by credit card or electronic check. The state treats online filing as expedited service, the same faster tier as filing in person.
3. Changing Your Registered Agent by Mail
Download the Notice of Change of Registered Office/Registered Agent form. Fill it out by hand or in a PDF editor.
Fill in these fields, then sign and date the form:
- Your file number and the entity's exact legal name
- The new registered office address, and the new agent's name if you are changing agents (write "NONE" if you are not naming one)
- A contact name and phone number, in case the state has a question about the filing
Mail the completed form with a $35 check or money order payable to the Minnesota Secretary of State. Send it to Business Services, First National Bank Building, 332 Minnesota Street, Suite N201, Saint Paul, MN 55101. The form does not list a mail turnaround time, so budget extra time compared to the online or in-person channels, which the state treats as expedited service.
4. Changing Your Registered Agent In Person
Print the change form. Bring it to the Business Services counter at the Secretary of State's office in Saint Paul, the same office listed in the Quick Facts table above.
The state treats an in-person filing the same as an online one. Both count as expedited service, and both cost $55, with no extra rush charge on top.
The counter is staffed 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Bring a completed form and a payment method. The office will not process an incomplete filing on the spot.
Who Can Be a Minnesota Registered Agent
Minnesota law limits who can hold this role. An eligible agent is a natural person who lives in Minnesota. It can also be a Minnesota corporation or LLC. An out-of-state corporation or LLC qualifies too, as long as it is already authorized to do business in Minnesota.
Your own business cannot serve as its own agent. The form's instructions say this directly. Do not list the entity's own name on the agent line.
Whoever you name has to keep a business office at the exact same address as your registered office. A P.O. box will not satisfy either requirement. The office needs to be a real Minnesota street address the agent actually staffs, not just a listing.
If your agent later resigns, they file a signed written notice with the Secretary of State. They also send you a copy. The appointment ends 30 days after that notice is filed. That gives you a window to line up a replacement before the position goes vacant.
FAQs
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent in Minnesota?
Yes, an individual can serve as their own company's registered agent in Minnesota if they are a Minnesota resident with a real street address, not a P.O. box.
Does Minnesota Require a Registered Agent for a Domestic LLC?
No, an LLC formed in Minnesota can leave the registered agent field blank, since only a foreign entity registering here must designate one under state law.
How Much Does It Cost to Change a Registered Agent in Minnesota?
The cost to change a Minnesota registered agent is $35 by mail or $55 online or in person, and foreign entities pay $50 by mail or $70 for the faster online or in-person channel.
Can My LLC Be Its Own Registered Agent?
No, an entity cannot serve as its own registered agent under Minnesota law, though an owner acting as an individual can if they meet the residency requirement.
What Happens If I Do Not Name a Registered Agent in Minnesota?
If you name no agent, court papers and state notices go to the Secretary of State's office instead of a person watching for them, so you could miss a deadline before you ever see the mail.
References:
- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/5.36
- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/322C.0116
