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Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Section 2 · North Dakota

The North Dakota Registered Agent (2026): 6 Procedures and the 3 Best Agents

Ranked by measured reading, the services for appointing a registered agent in North Dakota in 2026 are Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), ND Registered Agents.org ($99 a year) and North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($99 a year). 6 procedures document what North Dakota requires of a registered agent, who may serve, which address passes and how the agent is recorded.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

The short version

Mandatory?
Yesndlegis.gov (observed October 2026)
Yearly cost of the ranked services
$99 to $149 a yearListed prices
Annual report
$50 a yearsos.nd.gov (observed August 2026)
Sheet procedures
6One at a time

You will be able to

  • The legal requirement
  • The address and eligibility rules
  • How to name or change the agent
  • Who we would engage as agent

Best reading

Who we would engage in North Dakota

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we measure); three-year cost and procedures performed count most.
Begin here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs that may enter other states

Year 1 $149; year 2 $149

Mainstay Filing comes first since $149 a year, and the reading is unchanged for states added later.

ND Registered Agents.org measures $150 lower over three years; this service still reads higher because it performs more of the sheet.

What the price performs

  • An office address inside the state
  • Papers served on the company are scanned free on the same business day
  • Three government letters a year are scanned at no charge
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Measured strengths

  • Annual price $149; renewal $149
  • The same price in all fifty states

Measured limits

  • ND Registered Agents.org costs $50 a year less
  • The owner still files the reports
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local candidate

2. ND Registered Agents.org: best for a low yearly agent price

Year 1 $99; year 2 $99

ND Registered Agents.org is an acceptable second choice: $99 a year supplies a North Dakota agent with an office inside the state.

What the price performs

  • A North Dakota address for the registered office
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

Measured strengths

  • $99 a year with no increase
  • Less per year than Mainstay Filing

Measured limits

  • North Dakota only; every other state needs its own agent
  • Annual report remains the owner's job
Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local candidate

3. North Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for a local alternative

Year 1 $99; year 2 $99

North Dakota Registered Agent.co is an acceptable third choice: $99 a year supplies a North Dakota agent with an office inside the state.

On price it matches ND Registered Agents.org.

What the price performs

  • A North Dakota address for the registered office
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

Measured strengths

  • $99 a year with no increase
  • Less per year than Mainstay Filing

Measured limits

  • North Dakota only; every other state needs its own agent
  • Annual report remains the owner's job
Visit North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Readings and prices at a glance

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2ND Registered Agents.org$99$99/yr$297Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner 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.
Drawn from each company's pricing on November 13, 2026. The state charges the same whichever agent is named.

The sheet, procedure by procedure

  1. Procedure 1: State the North Dakota requirement

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

    Specimen: ndlegis.gov (observed October 2026)

  2. Procedure 2: Who can take the role

    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. See N.D. Cent. Code § 10-01.1-05.

  3. Procedure 3: Know the registered office rule

    The address has to be a complete physical address in North Dakota. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    TipEngaging a service keeps a home address out of the public record.

  4. Procedure 4: Self-service or a professional agent

    A qualified owner can act as agent. Otherwise the ranked agents charge $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Procedure 5: Place the agent on the public record

    New companies list the agent on the Articles of Organization; a later replacement means a new filing with the North Dakota Secretary of State.

    Specimen: sos.nd.gov (observed October 2026)

  6. Procedure 6: Review the record annually

    The annual report measures $50 every year and falls due November 15; notices about it are routed to the registered agent.

    Specimen: sos.nd.gov (observed August 2026)

What will be paid

LinePayeePrice
Engaging an agentService company$99 to $149 a year
Renewing the agentService company$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportState$50 every year
Filing fee plus two later reports plus any minimum tax gives the state's three-year total. The specimens below name the page behind each amount.

The reasoning behind the ranking

prevailed on procedures the price performs (28% of the reading), with close behind.

One agent for any state defeated the one-state option.

Review questions on North Dakota

Is a registered agent mandatory in North Dakota?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Possibly. Procedures 2 and 3 show whether both rules are met.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes, at any time. Procedure 5 explains how to file the change with the North Dakota Secretary of State.

What does a registered agent cost in North Dakota?

Budget $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Each time, the state collects the annual report fee of $50.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing, because the agent price is $149 a year in every state. Next: ND Registered Agents.org and North Dakota Registered Agent.co.

See also

Specimens and records

  1. Notebook entry for North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division: the observations rest on sos.nd.gov, revisited in August 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  2. Notebook entry for North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division: the observations rest on sos.nd.gov, revisited in August 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  3. Notebook entry for North Dakota report due date: the observations rest on ndlegis.gov, revisited in August 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  4. Notebook entry for North Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source: the observations rest on sos.nd.gov, revisited in October 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  5. Notebook entry for North Dakota registered agent statute: the observations rest on ndlegis.gov, revisited in October 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  6. Observation of Mainstay Filing's North Dakota service page, November 13, 2026
  7. Observation of ND Registered Agents.org's pricing page, November 13, 2026
  8. Observation of North Dakota Registered Agent.co's pricing page, November 13, 2026