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LLC UnpackedEvery filing, unpacked: the fee, the form, the catch.

Unpacked · North Dakota

3 Best LLC Services in North Dakota (2026): Unpacked

Opened up for 2026, the LLC formation services in North Dakota rank ND Registered Agents.org ($199), North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), best on top. Whichever you open, the state's filing fee is $135, and services total $397 to $597 over three years.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

State filing fee
$135, paid once
Every year after
$50 each year
Registered agent
Required, yes
Our pick
ND Registered Agents.org, North Dakota Registered Agent.co 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.
Ranked first

1. ND Registered Agents.org: best for owners who plan to stay local

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

What puts ND Registered Agents.org first: forming costs $199, and the agent is covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Cost decides it: the three-year total here is under Mainstay Filing's.

Not inside the price: the annual report, which stays with you.

Inside the price

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

Inside, the good

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • A renewal of $99
  • $199 plus the state fee to form

Inside, the catch

  • The annual report is a job you keep
  • EIN help is $99 more
North Dakota only

2. North Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for one-state companies

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

What puts North Dakota Registered Agent.co second: forming costs $199, and the agent is covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Not inside the price: the annual report, which stays with you.

It charges what ND Registered Agents.org charges.

Inside the price

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

Inside, the good

  • A renewal of $99
  • $199 plus the state fee to form
  • Year one of the agent comes with it

Inside, the catch

  • The annual report is a job you keep
  • EIN help is $99 more
Holds up anywhere

3. Mainstay Filing: best for not filing the annual report yourself

Annual price $199, renewal price $199, state fee extra

What puts Mainstay Filing third: the annual report is filed for you within the $199 annual price, next to formation and the registered agent.

ND Registered Agents.org totals $200 less across three years, enough to outrank it.

You never file the annual report. North Dakota still charges $50, billed at cost.

Inside the price

  • Formation filed with the state
  • Registered agent across the full year
  • Annual report filed on your behalf
  • EIN application
  • State fees passed through without markup

Inside, the good

  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report
  • Year two costs $199
  • The EIN step is packed in

Inside, the catch

  • ND Registered Agents.org renews for $100 less

Inside each price

#PickYear oneEach year afterThree-year totalCovers
1ND Registered Agents.org$199$99/yr$397North Dakota formation filing; A first year of agent serviceLook inside ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2North Dakota Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397North Dakota formation filing; A first year of agent serviceLook inside North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597formation filed with the state; registered agent across the full year; annual report filed on your behalfLook inside Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read November 13, 2026. Three years means year one plus two renewals.

Opened up, question by question

What is inside the cost of forming an LLC here?

$135 is the state's share. Add $199 if a service files in year one.

Add the recurring report and the state's fees reach $235 over three years. peek at sos.nd.gov, confirmed October 2026

What do I actually send the state?

Open one document, the Articles of Organization, and send it to the North Dakota Secretary of State.

The law underneath: N.D. Cent. Code § 10-32.1-20. peek at sos.nd.gov, confirmed October 2026

Is a registered agent required?

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.

peek at ndlegis.gov, confirmed October 2026

What comes after the LLC is formed?

The annual report comes back each year, for $50. Its date, in the state's words, is November 15.

File late and the state adds $50.

peek at sos.nd.gov, confirmed August 2026

Can I file it myself instead of hiring a service?

Nothing stops you. Without a service, your three-year bill is the state's $235.

Services add $397 to $597 across three years to take the filings off your desk, and Mainstay Filing counts the reports among them.

What put number one on top?

ND Registered Agents.org is strongest on total across three years, a layer worth 34% of the score.

63% of the score comes from total across three years and what is inside the price.

ND Registered Agents.org stacks up to $397 over three years, $200 under Mainstay Filing.

The five layers

North Dakota formation, unpacked

RequirementWhat is insidePeek at source
Fee to form$135peek at sos.nd.gov, confirmed October 2026
Registered agentRequired, yespeek at ndlegis.gov, confirmed October 2026
Annual report$50 every yearpeek at sos.nd.gov, confirmed August 2026
What the state collects in three years$235Our total of the rows above
Last row = filing fee + two later reports + minimum tax, if the state has one. Variable costs are described in the text, not added.

Also worth asking

Who applies for the EIN?

Mainstay Filing includes the EIN application, and the others add it as an extra: ND Registered Agents.org $99; North Dakota Registered Agent.co $99.

Is there a late fee?

North Dakota adds $50.

How do the three-year totals compare?

Opened up over three years: ND Registered Agents.org at $397, North Dakota Registered Agent.co at $397, Mainstay Filing at $597, before state fees.

What do these numbers rest on?

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.

Do I have to use a service?

Not required. The state takes filings from owners.

What is the best LLC service for North Dakota?

ND Registered Agents.org, because $199 forms the LLC, and the agent renews each year at $99. Then North Dakota Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing.

Originals behind this page

  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. The ND Registered Agents.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  7. The North Dakota Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  8. The Mainstay Filing North Dakota service page, opened November 13, 2026