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Open it up · North Dakota

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in North Dakota (2026): Unpacked

In North Dakota for 2026, unpack foreign registration services in this order: North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199), ND Registered Agents.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199). Inside the cost: $135 goes to North Dakota, and three years of service add $397 to $497.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

Registration fee
$135
Certificate packed in?
Yes, include it
Once registered
$50, annual report
Our pick
North Dakota Registered Agent.co, ND Registered Agents.org then Mainstay Filing

The North Dakota stack, best on top

The order follows our five layers: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.
Top of the stack

1. North Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for registering in a single place

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

North Dakota Registered Agent.co is first, and registering costs $199 over the state fee, with the agent covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Its three-year cost is below Mainstay Filing's, and cost is the heaviest layer.

Inside the price

  • North Dakota registration filing
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • A first year of agent service is inside
  • Agent renews at $99
  • $199 to register

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing outside this state
The North Dakota specialist

2. ND Registered Agents.org: best for another in-state option

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

What puts ND Registered Agents.org second: registering costs $199 over the state fee, with the agent covered in year one, then $99 a year.

It charges what North Dakota Registered Agent.co charges.

Inside the price

  • North Dakota registration filing
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • $199 to register
  • A first year of agent service is inside
  • Agent renews at $99

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing outside this state
All fifty states

3. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in many states

$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

Mainstay Filing sits third because $199 over the state fee registers you, with the registered agent not charged in year one and $149 a year after.

Why not higher? Three years cost $100 more than North Dakota Registered Agent.co, and cost is the heaviest layer.

Year one of the registered agent is inside the price; afterward it is $149 annually.

Inside the price

  • Out-of-state registration filed
  • Registered agent, not charged in year one
  • One fee, any state

Inside, the good

  • $199 over the state fee
  • The first agent year is inside
  • The price does not change by state

Inside, the catch

  • $50 more a year for the agent

Side by side

#CompanyOpening priceEach year afterThree-year totalWhat is inside
1North Dakota Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397North Dakota registration filing; A first year of agent serviceSee North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2ND Registered Agents.org$199$99/yr$397North Dakota registration filing; A first year of agent serviceSee ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Out-of-state registration filed; registered agent, not charged in year one; one fee, any stateSee Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from company prices read November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whichever pick you open.

Layer by layer

Does my LLC from another state have to register?

Any LLC formed elsewhere should file its registration with the North Dakota Secretary of State ahead of its first North Dakota transaction.

peek at sos.nd.gov, confirmed October 2026

What is inside the cost of registering?

Two parts: $135 to the state and $199 to a service.

By year three the state will have collected $235. peek at sos.nd.gov, confirmed October 2026

Which form is inside the filing, and where does it go?

The Application for a Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company) is the filing, and the North Dakota Secretary of State receives it.

Pack in certificate of status, good standing or existence from the home-state filing office.

Is there a filing that repeats?

A recurring annual report follows, priced at $50.

In the state's words, the date is November 15.

What put number one on top?

North Dakota Registered Agent.co wins the total across three years layer, which counts 34%.

Five layers set the order: total across three years (34%), what is inside the price (29%), price laid out in the open (14%), how the renewal behaves (12%) and how far it reaches (11%).

Open North Dakota Registered Agent.co instead of Mainstay Filing and keep $100 across three years.

How we open it up

North Dakota registration, unpacked

PartWhat is insideOfficial source
Registration fee$135peek at sos.nd.gov, confirmed October 2026
Good standing certificateYes, include itpeek at sos.nd.gov, confirmed October 2026
Annual report$50peek at sos.nd.gov, confirmed October 2026
What the state collects in three years$235Our total of the rows above
The last row stacks the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax. A cost with no fixed amount, such as a newspaper notice, is explained above and kept out of the sum.

More boxes to open

Do I still need an agent in my home state?

Yes. Think of two separate rule books, your home state's and this one's. Mainstay Filing works in both, so a single account can serve the pair.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Opened up over three years: North Dakota Registered Agent.co at $397, ND Registered Agents.org at $397, Mainstay Filing at $497, services only.

Are the fees official?

Two kinds of source feed this page: North Dakota's official documents for what the state charges, and company price pages for what services charge.

Does the law require one?

No law requires a service. It is a paid convenience.

Will a service file the registration for me?

Yes. You hand over the details and the company files; the state's charge does not change with the company.

Which foreign registration service should I open first in North Dakota?

North Dakota Registered Agent.co, because $199 gets the registration filed, and the agent renews at $99. Then ND Registered Agents.org and Mainstay Filing.

What the page rests on

  1. Unpacking North Dakota Secretary of State led us to sos.nd.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  2. Unpacking North Dakota Secretary of State led us to sos.nd.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  3. Unpacking North Dakota report due date led us to ndlegis.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  4. Unpacking North Dakota formation fee: Filing led us to sos.nd.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  5. Unpacking North Dakota registered agent statute led us to ndlegis.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  6. Unpacking Secretary of State, registered agents led us to sos.nd.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  7. Unpacking Secretary of State, business services led us to sos.nd.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  8. North Dakota Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  9. ND Registered Agents.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  10. Mainstay Filing North Dakota service page, read November 13, 2026