Skip to content
Formation Facts

What the state wants, and what it costs.

Registered agent guide · North Dakota

North Dakota Registered Agent Requirements and Fees (2026): the Rules and the 3 Best Agents

For anyone naming a registered agent in North Dakota this year, 2026, we would go with ND Registered Agents.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), in that order. If you form an LLC in North Dakota, you need a registered agent. The state itself bills $50 every year, which ranks 27th of 50.
Briefing by the Formation Facts team

The North Dakota basics

27th

on the 50-state list of yearly state fees

A rank of 1 means the lowest bill (shared with other states). See every state side by side

  • Registered agent required

    Yes

    ndlegis.gov (last confirmed October 2026)

  • Annual report

    $50 / yr

    Deadline, as the state states it: November 15. sos.nd.gov (last confirmed August 2026)

  • What the state collects in 1 year

    $50

    Recurring state fees over one year

North Dakota: the services we would choose

Every criterion and weight is on the method page.

Our top choice

1. ND Registered Agents.org: best for staying in one state with one agent

You pay $99 in year 1 and $99 in year 2

Our first choice is ND Registered Agents.org. A flat $99 each year, and scans of papers served on you are passed along.

You pay less over three years than at Mainstay Filing, and that is the criterion we weigh most.

What your money gets you

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Online copies of whatever is served

What works

  • Less per year than the national pick
  • $99 a year, unchanged at renewal

What to weigh

  • One state only
  • Expect to prepare the annual report on your own time
Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Works anywhere

2. Mainstay Filing: best for a business that expects to grow

You pay $149 in year 1 and $149 in year 2

Next comes Mainstay Filing, because one $149 agent plan that moves with you whenever you add a state.

Its three-year fees are $150 above ND Registered Agents.org's, and cost is 33% of the score.

What your money gets you

  • A registered office in North Dakota, with the address supplied
  • Scans anything served on the company the same business day and does not charge for it
  • Scans your first three government letters each year at no cost
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • The same price in all fifty states
  • $149 annually

What to weigh

  • Costs you $50 more each year than ND Registered Agents.org
  • An agent-only plan, so you file the reports
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Home-state option

3. North Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for another option in North Dakota

You pay $99 in year 1 and $99 in year 2

North Dakota Registered Agent.co takes third place because a flat $99 each year, and scans of papers served on you are passed along.

ND Registered Agents.org and this provider charge the same.

What your money gets you

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Online copies of whatever is served

What works

  • Less per year than the national pick
  • $99 a year, unchanged at renewal

What to weigh

  • One state only
  • Expect to prepare the annual report on your own time
Visit North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, one table

RankWhoYou pay per yearRenewal priceTheir fees across 3 years
1ND Registered Agents.org$99$99/yr$297Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner 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 company's own price page was open in front of us on November 13, 2026. Whichever agent you pick, North Dakota's fees do not change.

Yearly cost calculator

This adds agent fees to the state's recurring charges (the annual report from year 2). Formation fees are not included.
Add $100 in state fees and $297 for ND Registered Agents.org and you get $397 across 3 years.

How North Dakota compares with the states near it in the ranking

RankStateYearly state fees
25thVermont$45
27thAlaska$50
27thNorth Dakota$50
27thVirginia$50
30thSouth Dakota$55
The whole comparison lives at Registered agent rules by state, lowest bills first.

What North Dakota law says you need as a 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.

You may choose: 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. The law is N.D. Cent. Code § 10-01.1-05.

Keeping your North Dakota LLC active in 2026

Besides the agent, you also file the annual report, every year for $50, November 15. The late penalty is $50.

What decided the order

ND Registered Agents.org pulled ahead of Mainstay Filing on price over three years, which is weighted 33%.

The three-year fees at ND Registered Agents.org total $297, $150 beneath Mainstay Filing.

Quick answers

Do I have to name a registered agent for my North Dakota LLC?

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

Who is allowed to be a registered agent for my North Dakota LLC?

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.

What will registered agent service cost me each year in North Dakota?

Plan on $99 to $149 a year.

Which state fees will I pay every year?

You will pay $50 a year on our yearly measure, which is the annual report ($50 every year).

Which registered agents does this page rank?

ND Registered Agents.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), starting at the top of our list.

Which registered agent should I choose?

Our ranking is ND Registered Agents.org, Mainstay Filing and North Dakota Registered Agent.co.

Keep reading

Where this briefing comes from

  1. Want to double-check North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division? Go to sos.nd.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  2. Want to double-check North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division? Go to sos.nd.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  3. Want to double-check North Dakota report due date? Go to ndlegis.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  4. Want to double-check North Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to sos.nd.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  5. Want to double-check North Dakota registered agent statute? Go to ndlegis.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  6. Want to double-check Vermont Secretary of State fee schedule, Annual Report? Go to sos.vermont.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  7. Want to double-check Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development? Go to commerce.alaska.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  8. Want to double-check Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development? Go to commerce.alaska.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  9. Want to double-check Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source? Go to law.lis.virginia.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  10. Want to double-check Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source? Go to scc.virginia.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  11. Want to double-check South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services /? Go to sdsos.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  12. Want to double-check South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services /? Go to sosenterprise.sd.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  13. Want to double-check South Dakota yearly filing: Annual report: fee and? Go to sdlegislature.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  14. We looked at the ND Registered Agents.org website on November 13, 2026 to confirm pricing page
  15. We looked at the Mainstay Filing website on November 13, 2026 to confirm North Dakota service page
  16. We looked at the North Dakota Registered Agent.co website on November 13, 2026 to confirm pricing page