North Dakota LLC Formation: $135 to the Secretary of State
Honest registered agent representation in North Dakota for $99/year. Includes the address used on filings, same-day scanning of legal mail, and reminders for state deadlines.
One filing creates a North Dakota LLC: Articles of Organization, $135, submitted to the North Dakota Secretary of State under N.D.C.C. § 10-32.1-20. The state runs the process through its FirstStop online system. Here is the full sequence, every state fee involved, and the part our service covers.
Our $199 Formation Service
Flat $199 and the filing is handled: preparation, submission through the state's system, and confirmation when North Dakota signs off.
North Dakota LLCs: What They Are and Why People Use Them
Liability protection without corporate ceremony. The LLC wraps owner asset protection, pass-through taxation, and minimal formalities into one entity, which is why it dominates new-business filings among North Dakota solo operators and small partnerships.
The $135 Filing Fee, Set by Statute
North Dakota prices LLC formation in the statute itself: § 10-32.1-92(1) lists filing articles of organization and issuing the certificate of organization at "one hundred thirty-five dollars." The Secretary of State's LLC fee schedule shows the same figure.
The complete money picture:
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| LLC filing service (ours, one-time) | $199 |
| Secretary of State filing fee | $135 |
| Registered agent plan | $99/year |
| Annual report to the state | $50/year |
$199 to us for the work, $135 to the state at filing, then the recurring pair: agent at $99/year, report at $50/year.
Articles of Organization on FirstStop
No form number exists for North Dakota LLC articles, because no standalone form exists. FirstStop builds the filing as you answer its screens: entity name, principal address, registered agent name and street address, member-managed or manager-managed, organizer details. Online through FirstStop is the state's standard channel for business filings.
Formation Steps, In Order
- Clear the name: an LLC designator on the end, no conflict with anything already in the Secretary of State's records. The state's entity search settles it in seconds.
- Appoint the registered agent: North Dakota street address, reachable during business hours, listed on the public record. Our $99/year plan takes this slot.
- File the Articles of Organization on FirstStop with the $135 fee. The portal collects everything in one pass.
- Draft the operating agreement: internal document, never filed, decisive when banks or courts ask who owns what. Skip it and North Dakota's generic default rules govern instead.
- Pull an EIN from IRS.gov: free, immediate, and required by banks and payroll. Never pay a middleman for this.
- Set the compliance loop: agent maintained continuously, $50 annual report by November 15 every year, business and personal money strictly separated, taxes filed on schedule.
Fall out of the loop and the Secretary of State can terminate the LLC, taking the liability shield with it until reinstatement.
The Registered Agent Piece
Non-negotiable, statewide, for the life of the entity: every North Dakota LLC lists an agent with an in-state street address, and that listing is public. A PO box alone fails the requirement.
Owners who list themselves put a personal address into a database anyone can search. $99 a year puts our address there instead, with same-day scans of whatever arrives.
Questions People Ask
How much does it cost to form an LLC in North Dakota?
$135 to the state when the articles are filed, then $50 a year for the annual report. Our filing service adds $199 once if you want the work handled.
How long does it take to form an LLC in North Dakota?
The state publishes no fixed turnaround. FirstStop filings queue immediately, and approval timing follows the Secretary of State's workload.
Does North Dakota require an annual report?
Yes. $50, due November 15, every year the LLC exists.
Do I need a registered agent for my North Dakota LLC?
Yes. Street address in North Dakota, maintained without interruption from formation to dissolution.
Can I form an LLC in North Dakota if I live in another state?
Yes. The filing itself is location-blind. The registered agent is the only piece that must physically sit in North Dakota, and the $99/year plan supplies it.
Start Your North Dakota LLC the Right Way
Direct filing works: FirstStop, $135, the steps above. The agent requirement applies no matter who files.
Name us on the formation paperwork and $99 a year keeps the address, the scanning, and the deadline alerts running.
Need just the registered agent piece? The separate registered agent plan is $99/year.
Other questions about North Dakota LLCs or the way our agent plan operates? Browse our FAQ or use the contact form.
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