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No jargon · North Dakota

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in North Dakota (2026), No Jargon

Our 2026 favorites for foreign registration services in North Dakota are ND Registered Agents.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199), best first. You'll pay the state $135 to register whoever files, plus $397 to $497 in service fees across three years.
From the LLC Plainly editorial team

The gist

You pay the state
$135
Certificate required?
Required
After that
$50, annual report
Our ranking
ND Registered Agents.org, Mainstay Filing then North Dakota Registered Agent.co

Who we'd use in North Dakota

The order comes from our five checks: three-year cost first, then how much the price covers.
Number one

1. ND Registered Agents.org: best for a low yearly agent fee

Registration is $199 plus the state fee, and the agent is $99 later

Why ND Registered Agents.org? Honestly, $199 files the registration, and the agent costs $99 each year after.

Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, which counts most with us.

Your money buys

  • Registration handled for you
  • A year of agent service to start

The good

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • $199 on top of the state's fee
  • The agent renews at $99

Trade-offs

  • Your home state needs a different agent
Works in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for your second, third and fourth state

Registration is $199 plus the state fee, and the agent is $149 later

Second place goes to Mainstay Filing, where $199 over the state fee gets you registered, with the registered agent free in year one and $149 a year after.

At $100 more than ND Registered Agents.org over three years, it lands lower on our list.

The registered agent costs nothing the first year. After that it's $149 a year, in any state.

Your money buys

  • Application prepared and sent
  • Registered agent, first year on us
  • A flat nationwide fee

The good

  • Fifty states covered
  • A free first year of agent service
  • A service fee of $199

Trade-offs

  • ND Registered Agents.org charges $50 less to renew the agent
Local to North Dakota

3. North Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for adding one more state

Registration is $199 plus the state fee, and the agent is $99 later

North Dakota Registered Agent.co comes next since $199 files the registration, and the agent costs $99 each year after.

ND Registered Agents.org charges the same, which makes this nearly a tie.

Your money buys

  • Registration handled for you
  • A year of agent service to start

The good

  • $199 on top of the state's fee
  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • The agent renews at $99

Trade-offs

  • Your home state needs a different agent

The numbers side by side

#WhoFirst yearRenewalThree-year totalCovers
1ND Registered Agents.org$199$99/yr$397registration handled for you; A year of agent service to startTake a look at ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497application prepared and sent; registered agent, first year on us; A flat nationwide feeTake a look at Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3North Dakota Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397registration handled for you; A year of agent service to startTake a look at North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
We read these prices on November 13, 2026. Three years means year one plus two renewals.

The questions, one by one

At what point do I register?

If your LLC was formed elsewhere and plans to work in North Dakota, registering comes first.

sos.nd.gov, last seen October 2026

What should I expect to pay to register?

You'd pay the state $135, plus $199 if you use a service.

By the end of year three you'll have paid the state $235. sos.nd.gov, last seen October 2026

What's the application called?

You file the Application for a Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company) with the North Dakota Secretary of State. That's the whole filing.

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

What do I owe after registering?

You'll file a annual report on schedule ($50).

Filings come due November 15.

Why is the list in this order?

It's cost across three years (33% of the score), and ND Registered Agents.org does best there.

Five checks set the order: cost across three years (33%), work taken off your hands (31%), prices stated clearly (14%), renewal price (12%) and where it works (10%).

ND Registered Agents.org's three-year total of $397 undercuts Mainstay Filing by $100.

Our method, in full

What North Dakota wants

ItemDetailsWhere we found it
State filing fee$135sos.nd.gov, last seen October 2026
Document from your home stateRequiredsos.nd.gov, last seen October 2026
Annual report$50sos.nd.gov, last seen October 2026
State fees, years one to three$235Added from the rows
Each figure above links to the state's official page. The final line is our addition of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax, and it leaves out variable costs.

Also worth knowing

Does my home state need an agent too?

Both states apply their own rules, so your home state still wants an agent. A company that works in every state, like Mainstay Filing, can cover the pair.

What's the three-year total for each?

ND Registered Agents.org: $397 / Mainstay Filing: $497 / North Dakota Registered Agent.co: $397, with state fees extra.

How official are these figures?

North Dakota's fee schedules and forms for state costs; each company's price page for service costs.

Do I need to hire a service?

Not required. What you'd pay a service is for convenience.

Is filing included in what they sell?

They do. What the state charges is fixed, and only the service fee varies.

Who would you go with in North Dakota?

ND Registered Agents.org is on top because you pay $199 with the first agent year included and $99 yearly afterward; Mainstay Filing and North Dakota Registered Agent.co follow.

What we used for this page

  1. sos.nd.gov: the page for North Dakota Secretary of State, seen August 2026
  2. sos.nd.gov: the page for North Dakota Secretary of State, seen August 2026
  3. ndlegis.gov: the page for North Dakota report due date, seen August 2026
  4. sos.nd.gov: the page for North Dakota formation fee: Filing, seen October 2026
  5. ndlegis.gov: the page for North Dakota registered agent statute, seen October 2026
  6. sos.nd.gov: the page for Secretary of State, registered agents, seen October 2026
  7. sos.nd.gov: the page for Secretary of State, business services, seen October 2026
  8. November 13, 2026: the ND Registered Agents.org pricing page
  9. November 13, 2026: the Mainstay Filing North Dakota service page
  10. November 13, 2026: the North Dakota Registered Agent.co pricing page