North Dakota Secretary of State office — contact & fees
Updated August 2026
Quick Answer
The North Dakota Secretary of State's Business Registration and Information Division handles entity formations, annual reports, amendments, and certificates of good standing. Online filings go through the FirstStop portal; paper filings can be mailed to the Bismarck office.
Open Official North Dakota Secretary of State Portal ↗Office contact
- Address
- 600 E. Boulevard Avenue, Department 108, Bismarck, ND 58505
- Phone
- (701) 328-2900
- sosbir@nd.gov
- FirstStop portal
- firststop.sos.nd.gov
- Business Services homepage
- sos.nd.gov — Business Services
Annual report deadlines vary by entity type
North Dakota staggers its annual report due dates by business structure. Limited partnerships, LLPs, LLLPs, PLLPs, and cooperatives file by March 31; farming/ranching LLCs and corporations file by April 15; foreign business and professional corporations file by May 15; domestic business and professional corporations file by August 1; LLCs and PLLCs file by November 15; and nonprofit corporations and nonprofit LLCs file by February 1. Missing the deadline places the entity into Not Good Standing status with the Secretary of State.
Entity formation and filing fees
North Dakota keeps formation fees relatively low. Annual report fees differ by entity type. Verify current amounts at sos.nd.gov before filing.
Domestic LLC — Articles of Organization
- Fee
- $135
Domestic LLC — Annual Report (due Nov 15)
- Fee
- $50
Domestic For-Profit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation
- Fee
- $100
Domestic For-Profit Corporation — Annual Report (due Aug 1)
- Fee
- $25
Domestic Nonprofit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation
- Fee
- $40
Domestic Nonprofit Corporation — Annual Report (due Feb 1)
- Fee
- $10
Certificate of Good Standing
- Fee
- $20
North Dakota does not offer a separate name reservation filing. Check name availability through the FirstStop Portal Business Search before filing — the name is only secured once your registration is submitted and accepted.
UCC filing, notary, and apostille services
The Secretary of State also handles UCC filings, notary commissions, and document authentication:
- UCC search and filing — completed through the Central Indexing System (cis.sos.nd.gov); state law requires all central indexing filings and search requests to be done online.
- Notary public commissions — a $36 application fee, separate from the required $7,500 notary bond.
- Apostilles and authentications — $10 per document.
Source: North Dakota Secretary of State notary and apostille pages (sos.nd.gov).
Key North Dakota state licensing agencies
North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner
- What it covers
- Sales and use tax registration, income tax withholding, business tax accounts
- Website
- tax.nd.gov
North Dakota Job Service
- What it covers
- Unemployment insurance registration, employer accounts, workforce programs
- Website
- jobsnd.com
North Dakota Secretary of State — Licensing & Registration
- What it covers
- Contractor licenses, home inspector registration, and other occupations licensed directly by the Secretary of State; most other professional licenses (cosmetology, real estate, healthcare, etc.) are issued by separate individual state licensing boards rather than a single agency
Frequently Asked Questions
Do North Dakota nonprofits file their annual report on the same schedule as LLCs?
No. Nonprofit corporations and nonprofit LLCs file by February 1, while LLCs and PLLCs file by November 15, domestic corporations by August 1, and limited partnerships and LLPs by March 31 — deadlines are staggered by entity type.
Can I reserve a business name before filing in North Dakota?
No. North Dakota doesn't offer a separate name reservation filing. Check availability through the FirstStop Business Search first, but the name is only secured once your registration is submitted and accepted.
Does the North Dakota Secretary of State issue any professional licenses directly?
Yes, for some. Contractor licenses and home inspector registration are issued directly by the Secretary of State's Licensing & Registration division, though most other professions — cosmetology, real estate, healthcare — are licensed by separate individual boards.