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Founder Mentor Guide

Mentor notes 3 · North Dakota

Foreign LLC Registration Walkthrough, North Dakota (2026): 5 Stages and the 3 Best Services

For bringing an LLC into a second state in North Dakota in 2026, our mentors would send you to Mainstay Filing ($199), North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199) and ND Registered Agents.org ($199), in that order. You will pass through 5 stages, pay $135 to the state and plan for what comes afterward.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

Walkthrough snapshot

Cost to register
$135
sos.nd.gov, seen in October 2026
Certificate from your home state
Required
Part of your filing package
Report fee
$50
Annual report
State fees over three years
$235
Registration, reports and any minimum tax
Stage count
5
One at a time

You will walk away able to

  • Which LLCs must register
  • The form and the fee
  • What staying registered costs
  • Who we would phone to file

The North Dakota call list

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we score), and three-year cost and work taken off your desk count most.

Our call

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a string of registrations

Top recommendation$199 to register, $149 a year after

In North Dakota, Mainstay Filing leads the list: you pay $199 on top of the state fee, the registered agent costs nothing in year one, and after that it is $149 a year.

Next to North Dakota Registered Agent.co the three-year premium is $100, which the 32% weight on work taken off your desk outweighs.

Agent pricing past the first year is $149 annually in every state.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • Your first year of registered agent is free
  • One fee wherever you register

What works

  • No agent fee for year one
  • $199 on top of North Dakota's fee
  • The same fee in every state

What to watch

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above North Dakota Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. North Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for a lean North Dakota filing

North Dakota specialist$199 to register, $99 a year after

Pick number 2 is North Dakota Registered Agent.co, where registering in North Dakota here costs $199 and includes a year of agent service; renewal is $99.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • Agent service for one year comes with the price

What works

  • Agent service costs nothing extra in the first year
  • The agent renews at $99
  • $199 to register

What to watch

  • Covers North Dakota only, so your home state needs its own agent
Visit North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. ND Registered Agents.org: best for registering only in North Dakota

North Dakota specialist$199 to register, $99 a year after

Pick number 3 is ND Registered Agents.org, where registering in North Dakota here costs $199 and includes a year of agent service; renewal is $99.

On price it is a tie with North Dakota Registered Agent.co.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • Agent service for one year comes with the price

What works

  • The agent renews at $99
  • Agent service costs nothing extra in the first year
  • $199 to register

What to watch

  • Covers North Dakota only, so your home state needs its own agent
Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every price in one table

#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.
What each company posted on November 13, 2026. These figures leave out North Dakota's $135 fee.

The stages

  1. Stage 1

    Does the rule cover you?

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

    Check it yourself: sos.nd.gov, seen in October 2026

  2. Stage 2

    Get a certificate from your home state

    You will need certificate of status, good standing or existence from the home-state filing office.

    Ask for it shortly before you file.

  3. Stage 3

    Name a registered agent for North Dakota

    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.

    Our ranking covers this role.

    Check it yourself: ndlegis.gov, seen in October 2026

  4. Stage 4

    Get ready the Application for a Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company)

    Filing is registering, and the state charges $135 for it.

    Check it yourself: sos.nd.gov, seen in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    Look ahead to the repeating filing

    Next on your list is the annual report at $50, November 15.

What this walkthrough costs

What forWho gets paidCost
Filing to registerThe state$135
Annual reportThe state$50
Optional serviceThe service$199 at the start
Three-year state totalThe state$235
Whatever goes to North Dakota is an official fee you can verify on the pages listed below. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where there is one; service prices stay out of it.

The thinking behind the order

On work taken off your desk (32% of the score) finished first, with right behind.

Your LLC was formed in one state and operates in another, so a provider serving both scored best.

North Dakota questions answered

What does North Dakota collect from a foreign LLC when it registers?

$135 as the official fee. A service adds $199.

Which form do I file to register?

Track down the Application for a Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company); it goes to the North Dakota Secretary of State.

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?

Stage 5 has it: the annual report for $50.

Which services are in this lesson?

Three get our call: Mainstay Filing ($199), North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199) and ND Registered Agents.org ($199).

Which service should handle the registration?

Go with Mainstay Filing: the North Dakota registration is $199 plus the state's own charge, and the first year of the registered agent is already covered. Then North Dakota Registered Agent.co and ND Registered Agents.org.

Where we got the facts

  1. Our North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division notes lean on sos.nd.gov as of August 2026.
  2. Our North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division notes lean on sos.nd.gov as of August 2026.
  3. Our North Dakota report due date notes lean on ndlegis.gov as of August 2026.
  4. Our North Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source notes lean on sos.nd.gov as of October 2026.
  5. Our North Dakota registered agent statute notes lean on ndlegis.gov as of October 2026.
  6. Our Secretary of State, registered agents notes lean on sos.nd.gov as of October 2026.
  7. Our Secretary of State, business services notes lean on sos.nd.gov as of October 2026.
  8. Mainstay Filing North Dakota service page; prices copied November 13, 2026
  9. North Dakota Registered Agent.co pricing page; prices copied November 13, 2026
  10. ND Registered Agents.org pricing page; prices copied November 13, 2026