Minn. Stat. § 514.08 — Minnesota lien statement service
Filed your Minnesota
lien statement?
Serve the copy in time. $39 flat.
Filing is half of it. The lien ceases at the end of 120 days after your last item unless, within that same period, a copy of the statement is also served — personally or by certified mail — on the owner, the owner's authorized agent, or the person who contracted with the contractor (§ 514.08, subd. 1). Upload the statement as filed; a dated cover quoting the statute goes in front of it, submitted for certified mailing in minutes, with the proof archived permanently.
Statutory text pinned from revisor.mn.gov — cited on every document.
"… unless within this period: (1) a statement of the claim is filed for record … and (2) a copy of the statement is served personally or by certified mail on the owner …"
The timing, exactly
"The lien ceases at the end of 120 days after doing the last of the work, or furnishing the last item of skill, material, or machinery, unless within this period" both steps are taken (§ 514.08, subd. 1). Enter your last item and the calculator counts forward.
The filing for record (clause (1)) and the service of the copy (clause (2)) share the one window. Filing alone is not enough under the pinned text.
Certified mail is an enumerated method; the statute says nothing about mailing versus receipt, so the recommended mail-by date is five days before the 120th day.
Not sure where you stand? Run the free deadline calculator — it cites each rule.
Who serves it, who gets it
The lien claimant who filed the statement for record — with the county recorder, the registrar of titles for registered land, or the secretary of state for a § 514.04 claim (subd. 1(1)).
"The owner or the owner's authorized agent or the person who entered into the contract with the contractor" (subd. 1(2)) — you pick one; the cover names them in that capacity.
There is no prescribed form for the service. The cover quotes subd. 1 word for word, identifies the filing and the premises, states your last-furnishing date and lists the enclosure; your statement as filed rides behind it.
How it works
Upload the statement, answer a short wizard
The statement as filed (PDF, up to 10 pages), where and when it was filed, you and your signer, the recipient and their capacity, the premises, your last item — about 3 minutes.
We certified-mail it
Cover plus copy by USPS certified mail with tracking, submitted in minutes of payment; you verify the address before paying. Electronic return receipt optional.
Your evidence archive
The merged PDF, the certified tracking number, and a timestamped record of the deposit date, kept on a permanent page.
Questions, answered straight
Who has to serve the Minnesota lien statement copy?
The lien claimant who filed the statement. Under Minn. Stat. § 514.08, subd. 1, the lien ceases at the end of 120 days after doing the last of the work, or furnishing the last item of skill, material, or machinery, unless within this period (1) a statement of the claim is filed for record and (2) a copy of the statement is served personally or by certified mail on the owner or the owner's authorized agent or the person who entered into the contract with the contractor. Whether that describes your claim is a legal question we cannot answer.
Who gets the copy?
One of three: the owner, the owner's authorized agent, or the person who entered into the contract with the contractor (subd. 1(2)). You choose which, and the cover names the recipient in that capacity. Want the copy in more hands? Each additional recipient is its own $39 notice.
When is it due?
Within the same 120-day period after the last item that the filing must meet (subd. 1). The pinned statute says nothing about whether a mailed copy counts on mailing or on receipt, so the calculator recommends mailing five days before the 120th day. If the period has passed, the pinned text says the lien ceases and states no cure — consult an attorney.
What do I upload?
The statement of the claim as filed for record — a PDF of up to 10 pages. We mail it behind a one-page dated cover that quotes subd. 1 word for word, identifies the filing (date, office, county, reference, premises) and lists the enclosure, so the recipient's certified piece carries the copy.
Why does my statement mention this service?
Because the statute requires it to: the statement must set forth that the claimant acknowledges that a copy of the statement must be served personally or by certified mail within the 120-day period on the owner, the owner's authorized agent or the person who entered into the contract with the contractor (subd. 2(8)). This product is that service, by certified mail.
Is this legal advice?
No. NoticeSent is a document preparation and mailing service, not a law firm. We prepare and mail documents from the information you provide and give no advice or guarantees about outcomes.
The § 514.011 pre-lien notices: subcontractors and suppliers within 45 days of first furnishing; contractors without a written contract within 10 days of the agreement — $39 each.
Run the calculator once per job and we'll email you 10, 5, and 2 days before your send-by date. No account; stop anytime.
Track a deadline freeThe clock is statutory. The proof should be too.
Filed and served inside the 120 days. One flat $39.
Serve the copyMore for Minnesota
- Minnesota lien notices: the two pre-lien notices and the lien statement copy
Guide · quoted from the statute
- Subcontractor's pre-lien notice
$39 flat, certified-mailed · Minn. Stat. § 514.011, subd. 2
- Contractor's pre-lien notice (no written contract)
$39 flat, certified-mailed · Minn. Stat. § 514.011, subd. 1