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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class 1 · North Dakota

North Dakota LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services

Today's class on starting an LLC in North Dakota in 2026 comes with one answer: hire ND Registered Agents.org ($199), North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. Starting the LLC means 7 assignments and $135 to the state, then the annual report every year.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

Need-to-know facts

State filing fee$135Look at sos.nd.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026
Annual report$50 a yearHand-in date: November 15
State fees over three years$235Without any service fee
How many assignments7In order

You will leave able to

  • How starting an LLC works in North Dakota
  • What the agent rule says
  • The state filing that recurs
  • Which services we recommend and why

Who we would hire in North Dakota

Tuition over three years leads, then homework done, year-two tuition, North Dakota fit and readable fees (grading page).
Highest grade

1. ND Registered Agents.org: best for a thrifty North Dakota start

$199 to open, $99 a year after year one

ND Registered Agents.org earns the top grade in North Dakota: $199 to begin, with no agent fee in year one, then $99 each year from year two.

Since Mainstay Filing costs more across three years, this service ends up on top.

Block out time for the annual report every year; the price leaves it out.

Covered by the tuition

  • The North Dakota formation, prepared and sent
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • No agent fee in year one
  • A small $99 renewal
  • $199 and the state fee

Weak spots

  • It leaves the annual report for you to file
  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Focused on North Dakota

2. North Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for a small agent renewal

$199 to open, $99 a year after year one

North Dakota Registered Agent.co lands in second place: $199 to begin, with no agent fee in year one, then $99 each year from year two.

Block out time for the annual report every year; the price leaves it out.

It charges exactly what ND Registered Agents.org charges.

Covered by the tuition

  • The North Dakota formation, prepared and sent
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • $199 and the state fee
  • No agent fee in year one
  • A small $99 renewal

Weak spots

  • It leaves the annual report for you to file
  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Upkeep covered

3. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who want the work done

$199 a year, state fee on top ($334 due at checkout)

Mainstay Filing lands in third place: its $199 yearly tuition pays for the filing, the registered agent and the annual report, and next year costs the same $199.

Add up three years: it comes to $200 more than ND Registered Agents.org.

It files every annual report; the only extra is the state's own $50.

Covered by the tuition

  • The formation filing
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • State fee passed through at cost

Strengths

  • It files your EIN application for you
  • No jump at renewal ($199)
  • $199 per year for the whole package

Weak spots

  • A yearly premium of $100 over ND Registered Agents.org

3 services, side by side

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1ND Registered Agents.org$199$99/yr$397Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner 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.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. None of the rows includes the $135 state fee.

How a North Dakota LLC gets formed

  1. Assignment
    1

    Pick the LLC's name

    If a North Dakota company already holds your name, the filing can be sent back, so look it up at the North Dakota Secretary of State before going any further.

    Bring a second name with you.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Name the registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. 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 address has to be a complete physical address in North Dakota. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    You can hire any of the graded services for this.

    Textbook page: Look at ndlegis.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  3. Assignment
    3

    Weigh doing it alone against paying for help

    The state's fee is $135 either way. A service adds $199; the grade list shows which one to pick.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Put together and mail the Articles of Organization

    the North Dakota Secretary of State forms the LLC once it accepts the Articles of Organization and $135, as N.D. Cent. Code § 10-32.1-20 provides.

    Textbook page: Look at sos.nd.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  5. Assignment
    5

    Apply to the IRS for an EIN

    After North Dakota approves the LLC, ask the IRS for an Employer Identification Number; banks and payroll providers need it. Mainstay Filing does this one for you at no added charge.

  6. Assignment
    6

    Get the owners' agreement signed

    Even a North Dakota LLC with a single owner is better off with a written operating agreement in the files.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Stay in good standing in North Dakota

    Once a year the LLC sends in the annual report with $50; it is due November 15. Late filers pay $50 extra.

    Textbook page: Look at sos.nd.gov for yourself; we read it in August 2026

What each assignment costs in North Dakota

What forWho gets paidSum
Setting up the LLCGoes to the state$135
Annual reportGoes to the state$50 every year
Missing the deadlineGoes to the state$50
Paid helpThe service company$199 in year one
State total across three yearsGoes to the state$235
Here is how the three-year state row works: filing fee, plus the report in each of years two and three, plus any yearly minimum tax. Service fees get their own rows.

Why the list runs this way

Tuition across three years makes up 30% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in North Dakota.

ND Registered Agents.org costs $397 for years one to three, while Mainstay Filing costs $200 more.

North Dakota pop quiz

Which North Dakota fees come with a new LLC?

The state's fee is $135. $199 extra buys a service that does the filing.

Which form creates the LLC?

Once the North Dakota Secretary of State has accepted the Articles of Organization, your LLC is real.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does North Dakota require each year?

The homework that repeats is the annual report ($50, every year, due November 15).

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners can file with the $135 fee as long as they appoint a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

ND Registered Agents.org, North Dakota Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing, from the highest grade to the lowest.

Related classes

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. The North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division lesson rests on sos.nd.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
  2. The North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division lesson rests on sos.nd.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
  3. The North Dakota report due date lesson rests on ndlegis.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
  4. The North Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source lesson rests on sos.nd.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
  5. The North Dakota registered agent statute lesson rests on ndlegis.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
  6. Tuition figures from ND Registered Agents.org (pricing page), November 13, 2026
  7. Tuition figures from North Dakota Registered Agent.co (pricing page), November 13, 2026
  8. Tuition figures from Mainstay Filing (North Dakota service page), November 13, 2026