2025 fees North Dakota Secretary of State Rank #26 of 51

LLC Costs in North Dakota (ND)

$310 all-in for your first year - $135 to file, $50 annual report, plus a registered agent. North Dakota is $73 (19%) cheaper than the national average for first-year LLC costs.

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Annual report due November 15. North Dakota has a straightforward filing process with moderate fees. Good for energy and agricultural businesses in the region.

Updated 2025 · Source: North Dakota Secretary of State

Higher Articles filing fee

Higher Articles filing fee. $135 one-time SOS filing sits in the top third of Articles/formation fees nationwide. The $135 one-time Articles filing fee in North Dakota is the standout line item, putting the $310 first-year total at #26 of 51. Fees are those published by the North Dakota Secretary of State; registered agent is a $125/yr market-rate line, not a vendor quote.

According to the North Dakota Secretary of State fee schedule; registered agent normalized at $125/yr. See methodology. How we calculate →

$135
One-time filing fee
$50 /yr
Annual report
$310
First-year total
#26 of 51
Cost rank (1 = cheapest)

Articles filing schedule card

Fee strip ND · North Dakota SOS FY 2026 · rank #26

North Dakota · FY 2026 · 5-7 business days · no pub

  • PRIVILEGE Online filing
  • PRIVILEGE www.sos.nd.gov
  • PRIVILEGE 5-7 business days
  • PRIVILEGE +$50 expedite
  • PRIVILEGE near Arkansas
  • PRIVILEGE 19% below avg

Stamps derive from this state's Secretary of State fee schedule (filing, report, publication, rank, nearest peer), not a recommendation of where to form. Read with small business tax planning → · All 51 SOS fee rows →

1. North Dakota$3102. Arkansas$3203. Connecticut$3254. New Hampshire$3255. New Jersey$3256. Oregon$325
1. North Dakota$3102. Arkansas$3203. Connecticut$3254. New Hampshire$3255. New Jersey$3256. Oregon$325
First-year SOS-fee total for North Dakota and nearest-cost peers. Source: each Secretary of State + 51-row aggregate.

Cost vs. speed: where North Dakota sits among all 51 filing offices

North Dakota delivers both: below-average cost and a 6-business-day turnaround faster than the national median. 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 30 entities by First-year cost ($) (X) and Processing time (business days) (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. Slow & expensiveCheap but slowFast but priceyFast & cheap $0$500$1,000$1,500 0d10d20d30d First-year cost ($) Processing time (business days) Cost vs. speed: where North Dakota sits among all 51 filing offices
North Dakota delivers both: below-average cost and a 6-business-day turnaround faster than the national median.
North Dakota delivers both: below-average cost and a 6-business-day turnaround faster than the national median. National median processing time: 6 business days; national average first-year cost: $383. Source: each state's Secretary of State published processing-time guidance + the 51-row SOS fee aggregate.

Where the $135 Articles fee sits inside $310

How your $310 first-year total breaks down State filing fee is the largest piece - 44%
  • State filing fee $135
  • Annual Report (yr 1) $50
  • Registered agent $125
Cost Item Amount
State Filing Fee $135
Annual Report $50
Registered Agent $125/yr
Expedited Filing (optional) $50
Total, First Year $310

Ongoing tax burden after formation

North Dakota's 4.31% corporate tax rate ranks among the lowest corporate tax burdens nationally (#11 of 51 lowest), a durable advantage beyond the $310 formation cost above.

Corporate income tax
4.31%
4.31% corporate tax rate, #11 of 51 lowest nationally
Effective property tax rate
0.99%
Of assessed property value, per year

Sources: Tax Foundation state corporate tax rates, Census ACS effective property tax rates.

Fee check: Verify current LLC fees with the North Dakota Secretary of State at https://www.sos.nd.gov. Not legal or tax advice.

North Dakota SOS fee strip (high filing)

Filing Fee $135
Annual Report $50 /yr
Processing Time 5-7 business days
Expedited $50 → Same business day
Online Filing Available
First-Year Total $310
File with North Dakota SOS

Similar Cost States

Ohio $224 Idaho $225 Iowa $235 South Carolina $235

Lower-cost alternatives

These states undercut ND's first-year SOS-fee total:

Wisconsin $280 Vermont $285 Wyoming $285

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Report a data error on this page.

Sources used on this page
  • North Dakota Secretary of State - LLC filing fee, annual-report requirement, and processing time. www.sos.nd.gov
  • Federation of Tax Administrators - cross-check of state fee and tax figures. taxadmin.org
LLC fees and requirements sourced from the North Dakota Secretary of State. See our methodology for details.

Verify with the North Dakota Secretary of State →