Forming an LLC in North Dakota costs $135 in state filing fees. Most first-year budgets land around $135 to $435, mainly driven by whether you hire a registered agent. The main compliance gotcha is North Dakota’s fixed annual report deadline: $50 due by November 15 for most LLCs (farm and ranch LLCs use an April 15 deadline), and filing late adds a $50 penalty. Below is the exact North Dakota LLC cost breakdown to budget for in 2025, plus the ongoing fees that typically hit in 2026 and beyond.
| Cost item | Amount | When / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee (formation or foreign registration) | $135 one-time | Paid when you file (FirstStop portal). |
| Annual report (state maintenance) | $50/year | Due Nov 15 each year (most LLCs). |
| Annual report deadline for farm and ranch LLCs (special case) | $50/year | Due Apr 15 instead of Nov 15. |
| Registered agent | $0 or about $100 to $300/year | Ongoing; DIY is allowed if you meet ND rules. |
| Name reservation (optional) | $10 | Optional; holds the name up to 12 months. |
| Trade name (DBA) (optional) | $25 (valid 5 years) | Only if you use a different public name. |
| Late penalty (annual report) | $50 | If filed after the deadline. |
| Reinstatement risk trigger (if you ignore compliance) | $135 + past-due reports | Costs jump if the LLC is terminated/revoked. |
In North Dakota, missing the annual report is not just a $50 late penalty. The state can move your LLC into Not Good Standing, typically terminate or revoke it within 6 to 12 months if the past-due report stays unresolved, and then you generally have 1 year to reinstate. Once you reach that point, costs often include the $135 reinstatement filing plus past-due annual reports and penalties.
North Dakota LLC Filing Fees and One-time Startup Costs
Your upfront North Dakota LLC costs are mostly state filing fees that you pay once when you form or register the company. The list below covers the required formation filings plus optional extras like name reservation, DBAs, and certificates, so you can see what you will actually spend in year one. And if you want help beyond the numbers you can follow our step-by-step North Dakota LLC formation guide.
Articles of Organization Filing Fee for a Domestic ND LLC
To start a new LLC in North Dakota, you file Articles of Organization through the North Dakota Secretary of State’s FirstStop online portal and pay a single state fee. The filing fee is $135 for a domestic North Dakota LLC and you only pay it once at formation.
If you are new to this paperwork, our certificate of organization guide walks through what this filing does and what it includes in most states.
Certificate of Authority fee for a foreign LLC
If your LLC was formed in another state, you register it in North Dakota with a Certificate of Authority.
Your typical costs are:
- $135 to file a Certificate of Authority in North Dakota
- Usually $10 to $50 more to get a Certificate of Good Standing from your home state
Name Reservation Cost before you file (optional)
If you want to hold an LLC name before you are ready to file, you can reserve it in advance, but it is smart to run a quick North Dakota business entity search first to make sure your preferred name is actually available.
The main costs:
- $10 to reserve an LLC name
- Reservation lasts up to 12 months, and you can renew by paying again
Most owners skip this and go straight to filing the LLC, so they only pay the $135 formation fee instead of $10 plus $135.
Trade Name / DBA Registration Fees
If your LLC will operate under a brand name that is different from the legal LLC name, you will need a trade name, also called a DBA.
Here is what you pay:
- $25 to register each trade name / DBA.
- Each registration is good for 5 years.
If you use three different DBAs for one LLC, your upfront DBA cost is $75.
North Dakota Registered Agent Costs
Every North Dakota LLC must keep a registered agent with a physical street address in North Dakota. Before you start the FirstStop filing, have two street addresses ready: the registered agent’s North Dakota street address and your Principal Executive Office street address (a PO Box alone won’t work for the Principal Executive Office).
North Dakota also makes a clear distinction: a business cannot serve as its own registered agent, but an individual connected to the business can serve as a noncommercial registered agent if they reside in North Dakota. Before listing anyone, obtain the agent’s consent to serve. In plain English, a noncommercial registered agent is a qualified North Dakota resident individual, while a commercial registered agent is a paid service provider that represents multiple businesses.
Cost breakdown:
- $0 extra to list a registered agent when you pay the $135 formation or foreign registration fee
- $0/year if you use an eligible North Dakota resident individual as a noncommercial registered agent
- Common market range: about $100 to $300/year if you hire a commercial registered agent service for privacy and missed-notice protection
- $10 to file a Registered Agent/Office Change later (North Dakota lists this fee and notes it applies per entity for noncommercial agents)
To sanity-check pricing and features before paying anyone, start with our North Dakota LLC filing services comparison, and follow up with the North Dakota registered agent picks for privacy and compliance.
Other One-time State Charges
Some filings and documents only come up occasionally, such as when you change LLC details, close the business, or work with banks and buyers. These are all one time state costs.
The most common extra charges look like this:
| One time item | When you usually need it | State fee |
|---|---|---|
| Amendment to Articles or Certificate of Authority | Change name, purpose, or other core data on file | $50 |
| Voluntary dissolution of a domestic LLC | Formally closing a North Dakota LLC | $20 |
| Withdrawal of a foreign LLC | Out of state LLC stops doing business in North Dakota | $20 |
| Certificate of Good Standing | Bank, buyer, or other state requests proof that the LLC is active | $20 |
| Certified copies of filings | Lender or other state needs stamped copies of your filings | Fee shown at checkout in FirstStop, usually similar to Certificate of Good Standing pricing |
These costs only appear when you ask for that specific filing or document, so they do not affect your normal yearly budget.
Form your North Dakota LLC with Bizee
Bizee makes starting your North Dakota LLC simple and affordable by handling your Articles of Organization, offering lifetime alerts, and giving you the tools to launch with confidence.
North Dakota LLC Annual Report Fees and The Full Compliance Chain
Once your LLC is formed or registered, your main recurring state-level cost is the North Dakota annual report. If you file it on time every year, your ongoing “state compliance” budget stays predictable: $50/year for most LLCs.
Annual Report Fee and Deadline
Every active LLC on file with the North Dakota Secretary of State must file an annual report. The annual report fee is $50, and for most domestic and foreign LLCs the deadline is November 15 each year. North Dakota uses a fixed calendar deadline (not an anniversary system), which makes compliance easier to plan for.
A North Dakota nuance many owners miss: your first annual report is due in the year after the calendar year your LLC was registered. For example, if you form or register in 2025, your first annual report is due in 2026.
What the annual report is in plain English: it’s a required update to keep your entity active, so the state can confirm key business and contact information remains current. It is not a “tax return,” and it typically does not require financial statements.
For a broader overview of how these filings work and what they cost in other states, see our LLC annual report guide.
North Dakota LLC Late Fees and Compliance Chain
If you miss the annual report deadline, the cost is immediate: North Dakota adds a $50 late fee on top of the $50 report fee. In practice, a late annual report is usually $100 for that year.
The bigger issue is the compliance chain that follows:
- Not Good Standing
If the report stays unfiled, the Secretary of State can mark your LLC as “Not Good Standing.” This status often creates real friction because banks, buyers, lenders, and other states may ask for proof of good standing before they move forward. - Termination or revocation
If you remain past due, North Dakota can involuntarily terminate a domestic LLC or revoke a foreign LLC’s authority. Termination or revocation can begin once the report is 6 months past due, and it commonly happens within about 6 to 12 months if the past-due report is not resolved. - Reinstatement window
After termination or revocation, you generally have 1 year to reinstate. Reinstatement usually means paying the $135 reinstatement filing fee, plus any past-due annual reports ($50 each) and late fees ($50 each year the report was late).
Stay compliant with a Registered Agent in North Dakota from Northwest
Northwest provides trusted Registered Agent services in North Dakota, making sure you never miss an annual report deadline and keeping your business in good standing year-round.
Special North Dakota LLC types with different rules
Most North Dakota LLCs follow the standard $50 annual report due November 15, but a few specialized LLC types operate under different rules. The main differences are deadline changes (April 15 for certain agricultural entities), extra disclosure requirements, and licensing-board paperwork for professional LLCs.
Farm or Ranch LLC
A North Dakota Farming or Ranching LLC still pays the same $50 annual report, but the deadline shifts to April 15 (not November 15).
What makes this structure “different” isn’t extra state fees, it’s eligibility and reporting detail. The Secretary of State notes a farm/ranch LLC is limited to no more than 15 members, and it must meet an ongoing income test (at least 65% of average gross income from farming/ranching, with certain passive income capped).
Practical takeaway: if you’re not actually operating a farm/ranch business under these rules, you usually don’t want this LLC type.
Authorized Livestock Farm (ALF) LLC
An ALF LLC also pays $50 and uses the April 15 annual report deadline.
The big operational nuance: the ALF LLC annual report form is not available in the FirstStop Portal, the SOS directs ALF LLCs to contact their office to request the form.
ALF LLCs also have tighter statutory limits (for example, 160 acres max, and 10 members max, plus income-source rules), so this is a specialized structure, not just a “regular LLC with a different name.”
PLLC (Professional LLC)
A PLLC follows the standard $50 annual report and November 15 deadline, but it adds professional-licensing compliance.
North Dakota’s SOS says a PLLC filing requires certification from the relevant ND licensing board showing members are properly licensed, and a copy of the annual report filed with the SOS must also be provided to that regulatory board.
Budget implication: your “extra cost” here is often board-related licensing/renewal fees, not the SOS filing fees.
Other Common North Dakota LLC Costs
State filing fees are only part of your North Dakota LLC budget. You will also have ongoing costs for services, banking, and tools that keep the business running smoothly.
EIN from the IRS
Most LLCs need an EIN if they have more than one member, plan to hire employees, or want a business bank account or payroll. The EIN itself is free when you apply directly with the IRS online or by filing Form SS-4, so the official IRS cost is $0. Many formation companies charge roughly $40 to $75 to get an EIN on your behalf as an add on service, but you can avoid that fee by applying yourself on the IRS website and keeping that part of your budget at zero.
Business License and Permit Costs
North Dakota does not have a single statewide general business license, so your LLC does not automatically owe a state license fee.
Costs come from industry specific and local licenses, for example:
- Health and food permits
- Contractor or specialty trade licenses
- City or county level business licenses
Fees vary a lot by industry and location, but for many small service firms, a reasonable planning range is $50 to $300 per year in local license and permit costs if any are required.
If you want to benchmark what business license fees look like across the country, check our business license cost by state breakdown.
LLC Operating Agreement Costs
North Dakota does not require you to file an LLC operating agreement with the state, but it is still smart to have one in place so ownership, voting, and payout rules are clear. If you use a DIY or template based agreement, you can often pay $0 to about $100 for a decent document, especially for a simple single member LLC. Having an attorney draft a custom operating agreement usually costs in the $500 to $1,000 or more range, with many quotes clustering around $740 just for drafting. For multi member LLCs or complex profit splits, that legal fee is often cheaper than a serious ownership dispute later.
Business Banking and Payment Costs
Opening a dedicated business bank account is essential for separating LLC and personal money.
For banking:
- Many big banks list monthly maintenance fees around $10 to $16, but they can be waived if you keep a minimum balance or meet activity targets.
- Several online and challenger banks now offer no fee business checking if you meet simple criteria, so the practical banking cost can be $0 per month.
For card payments:
- Typical all in credit card processing cost in 2025 is about 2.5 to 3.5 percent per transaction, sometimes a bit higher for certain industries.
- Popular processors such as Stripe usually advertise a standard online rate around 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction with no monthly fee.
So if your LLC runs $30,000 per year in card sales, a simple estimate at 3 percent means about $900 per year in processing fees.
Accounting and Tax Prep Costs
You can handle your books yourself with low cost software, or pay professionals for bookkeeping and tax prep.
Typical software only costs:
- QuickBooks Online Simple Start list price is about $38 per month before promotions, roughly $456 per year.
- Wave Accounting offers a free core plan for basic bookkeeping, with optional paid upgrades and payment processing.
Typical professional help:
- Recent data puts average CPA fees for a multi member LLC Form 1065 return around $800 to $1,500, with single member LLC Schedule C returns often in the $300 to $700 range.
A budget friendly mix for many North Dakota LLCs is free or low cost software for everyday books plus a tax pro once a year. To see how these costs connect to potential savings at tax time, take a look at our LLC tax benefits guide.
North Dakota LLC cost FAQs
Here are quick, cost focused answers to the most common questions people ask before starting and maintaining a North Dakota LLC. Use these as rough benchmarks when planning your budget, then adjust for your own situation and service choices.
What is the absolute cheapest way to start an LLC in North Dakota?
The absolute cheapest way is to file online yourself through FirstStop, use an eligible North Dakota resident individual as your noncommercial registered agent (if you qualify), use a free operating agreement template, and apply for your EIN directly with the IRS. In pure cash terms, the minimum first-year state cost is usually $135 for the filing. If you do not have an eligible ND resident to serve as registered agent, your cheapest setup will typically include a paid registered agent subscription on top of the $135.
How much will I pay each year to keep a North Dakota LLC in good standing?
At a minimum, you pay $50 per year for the North Dakota annual report if you file on time. That is the only recurring state fee for most LLCs.
In practice, many owners also budget for a registered agent service and basic accounting software. A lean but comfortable yearly budget for a small LLC is often in the $200 to $700 range all in, depending on whether you hire a commercial agent and pay for bookkeeping tools.
What happens if I miss the North Dakota annual report deadline?
If you miss North Dakota’s annual report deadline, the state adds a $50 late fee on top of the $50 report fee, so that year’s filing is typically $100.
If the report remains unfiled, your LLC can be placed into “Not Good Standing,” which often causes real friction with banks, contracts, and foreign qualification.
If you keep ignoring the report, North Dakota can eventually terminate a domestic LLC or revoke a foreign LLC’s authority.
After termination/revocation, reinstatement usually requires the $135 reinstatement fee plus any past-due annual reports ($50 each) and late fees ($50 each year you were late).
How much does a trade name / DBA cost in North Dakota?
A trade name, or DBA, costs $25 to register in North Dakota and is good for 5 years. There is no separate annual fee.
If you keep the name, you will pay $25 again every 5 years to renew. One DBA kept for 10 years will cost $50 in state fees. If you decide to stop using a DBA, you can simply let it expire without paying anything further.
- North Dakota Secretary of State: Limited Liability Company (LLC) – Fees & annual report deadlines
- North Dakota Secretary of State: Maintain Registration: Annual reports, certificates, trade name renewals/cancellations
- North Dakota Secretary of State: Registered Agents – Requirements & fees
- North Dakota Secretary of State: Register a Business
- North Dakota Legislative Branch (North Dakota Century Code): Corporate or Limited Liability Company in Farming (PDF)
- North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner: New Businesses and Contractors
- Federal Register: BOI Reporting Requirement Revision & Deadline Extension
Looking for an overview? See North Dakota LLC Services
Start your North Dakota LLC with Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance offers expert assistance to form your North Dakota LLC and provides ongoing compliance support, helping you navigate licenses, EIN applications, and documentation with confidence.