Skip to content
LLC 101 Guide

Section 3 · North Dakota

Foreign LLC Registration in North Dakota (2026): 5 Tasks and the 3 Best Services

Short answer for 2026: if you want help registering an out-of-state LLC in North Dakota, go with Mainstay Filing ($199), North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199) and ND Registered Agents.org ($199), ranked best first. 5 tasks cover the filing, the $135 fee and what you owe afterward.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Key facts for this unit

What the state charges to register
$135
Taken from sos.nd.gov in October 2026
Home-state certificate
Required
Required when you file
Maintenance filing
$50
Annual report
Three years of state fees
$235
Without any service fee
Task count
5
From first to last

You will leave able to

  • Which LLCs must register
  • What to file and what it costs
  • The recurring filing
  • How the picks stack up

The North Dakota honor roll

Graded on the grading page: three-year cost (34%), assignments completed (31%), renewal price, fit with North Dakota's rules and plain pricing.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies adding a second state

Highest gradeService $199, renewal $149 a year

In North Dakota, Mainstay Filing leads the class: $199 on top of the state fee, a free first year of registered agent service and $149 a year after that.

Against North Dakota Registered Agent.co the three-year premium is $100, outweighed by the 31% weight on assignments completed.

From year two the agent is $149 a year, whichever state you register in.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • A service for all fifty states

What works

  • The same fee in every state
  • The agent costs nothing in year one
  • $199 to register

What to weigh

  • North Dakota Registered Agent.co charges $50 less for the agent
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. North Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for one extra state

In-state serviceService $199, renewal $99 a year

Our second choice, North Dakota Registered Agent.co: $199 above the state fee, first agent year covered, then $99 a year.

What the price covers

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • A small $99 renewal
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 plus the state fee

What to weigh

  • A single-state service
Visit North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. ND Registered Agents.org: best for another North Dakota choice

In-state serviceService $199, renewal $99 a year

Our third choice, ND Registered Agents.org: $199 above the state fee, first agent year covered, then $99 a year.

It lists the same prices as North Dakota Registered Agent.co.

What the price covers

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent covered in year one
  • A small $99 renewal

What to weigh

  • A single-state service
Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

A comparison of the services

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2North Dakota Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3ND Registered Agents.org$199$99/yr$397Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. None of the rows includes the $135 state fee.

The unit, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Is North Dakota registration needed?

    An LLC formed in another state has to register in North Dakota before it does business there.

    Source: Taken from sos.nd.gov in October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Ask your home state for proof of good standing

    Your filing must include certificate of status, good standing or existence from the home-state filing office.

    Order it at the end so it is fresh when you file.

  3. Task 3

    Arrange a North Dakota registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a complete physical address in North Dakota. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    Any of the recommended services can fill this seat.

    Source: Taken from ndlegis.gov in October 2026

  4. Task 4

    Work through the Application for a Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company)

    The office, the North Dakota Secretary of State, wants the filing above plus $135.

    Source: Taken from sos.nd.gov in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Stay registered

    The thing that repeats is the annual report, $50, November 15.

North Dakota costs by task

TaskPaid toSum
The registration taskState agency$135
Annual reportState agency$50
A filing service (optional)Service$199 for year one
State total across three yearsState agency$235
The state numbers are official North Dakota fees, sourced below. The three-year line combines the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

How we ordered the North Dakota picks

pulled ahead of on assignments the price completes, a criterion worth 31%.

Your LLC was formed in one state and works in another, so a provider that serves both scored highest.

Common questions

How much does North Dakota charge an out-of-state LLC to register?

$135 at the state office. Put $199 on top if you hire a service.

Which form do I file to register?

The North Dakota Secretary of State receives this form from foreign LLCs.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of status, good standing or existence from the home-state filing office.

What is due after registering?

Task 5 covers it: the annual report for $50.

Which services are in this lesson?

Mainstay Filing, North Dakota Registered Agent.co and ND Registered Agents.org are the picks; the table above has their prices.

Which service should handle the registration?

The order is Mainstay Filing, North Dakota Registered Agent.co and ND Registered Agents.org, and Mainstay Filing is first since it files the North Dakota registration for $199 plus the state's fee, and the first agent year costs nothing.

Reading list and sources

  1. Further reading on North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division: our unit draws on sos.nd.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  2. Further reading on North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division: our unit draws on sos.nd.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  3. Further reading on North Dakota report due date: our unit draws on ndlegis.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  4. Further reading on North Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source: our unit draws on sos.nd.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  5. Further reading on North Dakota registered agent statute: our unit draws on ndlegis.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  6. Further reading on Secretary of State, registered agents: our unit draws on sos.nd.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  7. Further reading on Secretary of State, business services: our unit draws on sos.nd.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  8. We opened the North Dakota service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026
  9. We opened the pricing page at North Dakota Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  10. We opened the pricing page at ND Registered Agents.org on November 13, 2026