I heard that my association has to register with the state each year. How do I do that?

Associations in Minnesota are nonprofit corporations. They are required to file an annual corporate renewal with the Secretary of State. There is no charge for filing the renewal and it is very simple to complete. The one page form can be submitted online via the Secretary of State (SOS) website or can be printed and mailed in to the SOS. The renewal process ensures that the State has current contact information for the association. Failure to file the annual renewal will subject the association be being involuntarily dissolved, thereby losing its nonprofit status. Should this happen, an association can retroactively reinstate its corporate existence by simply filing the annual renewal form. To check the status of your association’s standing with the State, please visit http://mblsportal.sos.state.mn.us/ and enter your association name. If your association is not found by this initial search, click on the “Advance Options” link and select “inactive” and re-run your search. If you are inactive, the website has a link to the form that should be completed and returned as soon as possible.

A version of this article first appeared in the "Ask the Attorney" column (written by Nigel Mendez) in the Minnesota Community Living magazine published by CAI-MN.