38 · jurisdiction profile

North Dakota business filings, made easier to navigate.

This is the practical starting point for researching entities administered by North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services. Find the public search tool, understand the state’s filing rhythm, and plan the evidence and maintenance steps that follow.

Open official entity search ↗

Domestic LLC

North Dakota domestic LLC registration costs $135.00. The name must contain limited liability company, LLC, or L.L.C.; the filing requires a North Dakota registered agent with a physical address, organizer, and management information.

Domestic corporation

North Dakota domestic corporation incorporation uses the current corporation fee schedule and authorized-share information; the accessible statute lists a $20 name-reservation fee and $25 annual-report fee but the complete 2026 incorporation total is form-specific. Authorized shares and statutory agent details are required.

Standard turnaround

FirstStop electronic filing supplies immediate submission and status access; the Secretary does not promise one universal approval time. Complete online filings are faster than paper but remain subject to name and statutory review.

Executive overview

What this state profile helps you decide

A state registry profile has two jobs. First, it tells you where the official record lives and how to search it. Second, it gives you enough compliance context to understand what the record means after you find it.

For North Dakota, the filing office is North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services. The current public-facing portal is powered or identified as FirstStop Portal. The agency page and search engine should be treated as the final source for live forms, accepted payment methods, processing queues, and entity-specific notices.

Use this page when you need a high-level answer. Use the linked modules when you are preparing an actual filing, trying to cure a delinquency, ordering documentary evidence, or changing the statutory agent.

State filing snapshot

The numbers and obligations to surface first

Decision point	What the current profile says
Domestic formation	LLC: North Dakota domestic LLC registration costs $135.00. The name must contain limited liability company, LLC, or L.L.C.; the filing requires a North Dakota registered agent with a physical address, organizer, and management information. Corporation: North Dakota domestic corporation incorporation uses the current corporation fee schedule and authorized-share information; the accessible statute lists a $20 name-reservation fee and $25 annual-report fee but the complete 2026 incorporation total is form-specific. Authorized shares and statutory agent details are required.
Foreign qualification	LLC: North Dakota foreign LLC registration costs $135.00, the same listed registration amount as domestic LLCs. A home-state existence certificate, North Dakota registered agent and physical office, name, and management information are required. Corporation: North Dakota foreign corporation authority uses the corporation schedule; the accessible statute lists a $145.00 foreign certificate-of-authority amount. A home-state certificate, North Dakota agent/office, authorized shares, and compliant name are required.
Recurring maintenance	LLC: North Dakota domestic and foreign LLC annual reports cost $50.00 and are due November 15. The report updates agent, office, and management information; delinquency can cause inactive status, dissolution, or loss of authority. Corporation: North Dakota corporation annual reports use the current corporation schedule; the accessible statute lists $25.00 and the entity's due date is shown by the FirstStop record. The report is separate from North Dakota tax filings.
Registered agent	A North Dakota registered agent may be an individual resident or a corporation/LLC authorized in North Dakota, in good standing, and maintaining a physical North Dakota address. Agent and office information are public; a P.O. box alone is insufficient.

Choose your next guide

01↗

Business lookup

A focused North Dakota operating guide for business lookup.

02↗

Annual reports

A focused North Dakota operating guide for annual reports.

03↗

Good standing

A focused North Dakota operating guide for good standing.

04↗

Registered agent

A focused North Dakota operating guide for registered agent.

Formation is the beginning, not the compliance plan

The cheapest formation route is not always the simplest operating route. Before filing, confirm the name standard, statutory agent requirements, authorized-share or member information, local licensing, tax registrations, and any professional-entity restrictions that apply to the planned activity.

After formation, calendar the first report or statement immediately. A newly created entity may have a first-year exception, an anniversary-month due date, a quarterly filing window, or a separate tax obligation. Treat the agency record, revenue department account, and local license file as related—but separate—workstreams.

How to use the official record responsibly

Save the entity ID, legal name, status, registered agent and office, formation or qualification date, and the most recent filed document. When a third party asks for “proof,” ask whether it needs a current certificate, certified charter, tax clearance, apostille, or a plain search result. Those are different documents with different evidentiary value.