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Founder Mentor Guide

Walkthrough 2 · North Dakota

North Dakota Registered Agent Walkthrough (2026): 6 Stages and the 3 Best Agents

For naming a registered agent in North Dakota in 2026, our mentors would send you to Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), ND Registered Agents.org ($99 a year) and North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), in that order. In 6 stages you will know what North Dakota wants from a registered agent, who can do the job, which address works and how to make the appointment official.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

What to know before you start

Legally required?
Yes
ndlegis.gov, seen in October 2026
Yearly cost of the agents we recommend
$99 to $149 a year
From company pricing pages
Annual report
$50 a year
sos.nd.gov, seen in August 2026
Stage count
6
In order

By the end you will know

  • The legal requirement
  • The address and eligibility rules
  • How to name or swap the agent
  • Which agents we recommend and why

If you would rather hand it off

The mentors' five criteria are on how we score, and they decide the order.

Our call

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners planning to grow

Our first call$149 yearly, no change at renewal

Mainstay Filing takes first place, and the reason is that the price is $149 a year whichever of the fifty states you choose.

Three years run $150 higher than at ND Registered Agents.org, and you get more of the work done in return.

What you get

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Papers served on the company are scanned for you, no charge
  • Up to three government mailings a year are scanned for free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • One price in all fifty states
  • $149 per year

What to watch

  • Higher by $50 a year
  • Report filing needs the formation package
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. ND Registered Agents.org: best for owners based in the state

One-state plan$99 yearly, no change at renewal

ND Registered Agents.org comes in second: $99 yearly, and scans of served papers land in an online account.

What you get

  • A North Dakota address for the registered office
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

What works

  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 each year, no increase

What to watch

  • Another state means another agent
  • Annual report is left out of the price
Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. North Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for a second North Dakota choice

One-state plan$99 yearly, no change at renewal

North Dakota Registered Agent.co comes in third: $99 yearly, and scans of served papers land in an online account.

On price it is a tie with ND Registered Agents.org.

What you get

  • A North Dakota address for the registered office
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

What works

  • $99 each year, no increase
  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing

What to watch

  • Another state means another agent
  • Annual report is left out of the price
Visit North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every price in one table

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2ND Registered Agents.org$99$99/yr$297Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3North Dakota Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each price is copied from the company's own site, opened November 13, 2026. The state bills the same no matter which agent you name.

The stages

  1. Stage 1

    Know what North Dakota requires

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

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

  2. Stage 2

    See who is eligible

    A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: a North Dakota resident, or an entity registered with the Secretary of State that has a North Dakota business office. A business cannot serve as its own agent. Legal basis: N.D. Cent. Code § 10-01.1-05.

  3. Stage 3

    The address rule

    The address has to be a complete physical address in North Dakota. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    A service keeps your home address off public records.

  4. Stage 4

    Choose the person or company

    Owners who meet the tests can name themselves, and for the rest the recommended agents start at $99 to $149 each year.

  5. Stage 5

    Report the agent's details

    A brand-new LLC lists its agent on the Articles of Organization, which goes to the North Dakota Secretary of State. Swapping agents later means filing a change with the same office.

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

  6. Stage 6

    Keep the agent record accurate

    Budget for the annual report at $50 every year, due November 15. Notices about it arrive through the registered agent.

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

Agent and state costs

EntryPaid toPrice
Agent serviceThe service$99 to $149 a year
Every year afterThe service$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportState office$50 every year
Add the filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax and you have the state's three-year total. The pages listed below show where each figure came from.

How the scores came out

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

ND Registered Agents.org costs less, but coverage across states earned the better score.

Short answers

Will North Dakota insist on a registered agent for your LLC?

Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Can I be my own registered agent?

An owner can serve when eligible; the tests sit in stages 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes, any time. Stage 5 shows how to file the change with the North Dakota Secretary of State.

What does a registered agent cost in North Dakota?

Figure on $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The state's yearly line is the annual report at $50 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

The order runs Mainstay Filing, ND Registered Agents.org and North Dakota Registered Agent.co, with Mainstay Filing first because a steady $149 per year, with nothing to change if you move into another state.

Where we got the facts

  1. North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division: go straight to sos.nd.gov, checked August 2026.
  2. North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division: go straight to sos.nd.gov, checked August 2026.
  3. North Dakota report due date: go straight to ndlegis.gov, checked August 2026.
  4. North Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source: go straight to sos.nd.gov, checked October 2026.
  5. North Dakota registered agent statute: go straight to ndlegis.gov, checked October 2026.
  6. We opened Mainstay Filing's North Dakota service page on November 13, 2026 for the prices
  7. We opened ND Registered Agents.org's pricing page on November 13, 2026 for the prices
  8. We opened North Dakota Registered Agent.co's pricing page on November 13, 2026 for the prices