Register a North Dakota Foreign LLC

In order to conduct business in the state of North Dakota, you must first obtain a Certificate of Good Standing (or equivalent document) from the governing authority in your home jurisdiction. A Certificate of Good Standing shows that your company has paid all required taxes and fees and is generally fit to do business. You’ll need to attach it to your Certificate of Authority Application.

Your North Dakota Registered Agent can be a business or someone you know—but that person must have a physical address in North Dakota, keep regular business hours, and (most importantly) be able to deliver legal notifications to your business in a timely manner.

Once your business is up and running in the new state, you’ll want to be able to connect with the new market of consumers. Having a robust and localized digital presence can help build your business’ identity, which in turn will make your business seem more trustworthy and professional, even if you’ve only just started offering services/products. We can help you build a custom website that is securely hosted with an unique domain, plus give you a local phone number and up to ten email addresses to help establish your business in North Dakota.

Learn more about how to launch your business identity in a new state.

To register your foreign LLC in North Dakota, you’ll have to go online and complete the state’s Certificate of Authority Application of a Foreign Limited Liability Company. Here’s what to include:

• Federal identification number (EIN)
• Name of LLC
• Name of LLC in North Dakota (if your LLC’s name is taken in North Dakota)
• Jurisdiction where LLC was formed
• Business purpose
• Principal address of LLC (in home state)
• Business address in North Dakota (if any)
• Name and business address or each manager or governor (if any)
• Name and street address of registered agent in North Dakota
• Date of expiration in home jurisdiction (if your LLC has an end date—most don’t)
• Signature of someone authorized to do business on behalf of your LLC (it doesn’t have to be a member)
• Signature of registered agent

You will also need to attach your Certificate of Good Standing (or equivalent in your state). Some foreign LLCs may also require additional attachments:

• LLCs doing work that requires a professional license—for example, lawyers, medical professionals and licensed tradespersons, among others—must include a Certificate of Professional License form signed by a representative from that profession’s North Dakota licensing board.
• If your business name is the same or similar to one already in use in North Dakota—and you can get permission from that business to use it as well—you can file and include a Consent to Use of Name form signed by the business in question. This form requires a $10 fee.
• If you will operate under a different name than the legal name of your company, you must file your trade name with the North Dakota Secretary of State—this process requires a $25 fee—and include the registration with your application.

If you’re ready to get started, you can Register Your Foreign LLC in North Dakota now with Northwest.

After submitting your Certificate of Authority Application, a copy of the official filing will be made available in your online account, as well as in North Dakota’s Business Records Search.