North Dakota business entity search and name check
Search business records
North Dakota's Secretary of State runs FirstStop, a single search that lists LLCs, corporations and partnerships alongside trade names, fictitious partnership names and reserved names. We query FirstStop live when you search North Dakota here, so trade names and inactive records appear next to active companies. Business LLCs file their $50 annual report by November 15 rather than on a formation anniversary, and an LLC whose report is still missing six months later is terminated automatically.
- Official search
- FirstStop
- How we search North Dakota
- Live search of the official registry. North Dakota Secretary of State FirstStop search. Live: queried at the time of your search.
Working in our latest automated check (Oct 30, 2026, 4:00 PM ET). - What a result can tell you
- Whether North Dakota's records contain the same or a similar name. North Dakota decides acceptance when you file.
- State fee to form an LLC
- $135 (Articles of Organization)
- Ongoing LLC filing
- Annual Report, $50. Due November 15 for business LLCs and PLLCs, and April 15 for farm/ranch and ALF LLCs
What the North Dakota search covers
One search covers business, professional, nonprofit and farm/ranch corporations; business, professional and farm/ranch LLCs; and limited partnerships, LLPs and LLLPs, both North Dakota and out-of-state. It also includes trade names, fictitious partnership names and reserved names, and inactive records (involuntary, voluntary, expired or merged).
The 'starts with' search matches names where any word begins with your term, not only names that start with it. Results can also come from a prior name or a DBA: a search for 'smith' returns 'HUNTERPHARM, INC. (dba SMITHVILLE PHARMACY)'.
When you search North Dakota here, keep in mind:
- The official search returns at most 500 records.
Each record has a SOS Control ID# (for example 0000042565). Choose “Look up an existing business”, then “Registry number”, to search by it.
How to read North Dakota results
North Dakota uses its own status labels. We always show the official wording; here is what the common ones mean according to the state:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active | The record is in effect. A separate 'Standing' field shows whether it is in good standing. Source: firststop.sos.nd.gov |
| Inactive - Involuntary | The Secretary of State terminated or revoked the record. An LLC that hasn't filed its annual report within six months of the due date ends automatically by law (NDCC 10-32.1-90(1)(b)). Source: ndlegis.gov |
| Inactive - Voluntary | The entity dissolved or withdrew by its own filing. Source: firststop.sos.nd.gov |
| Inactive - Expired | The record's term ended, for example a trade name or name reservation that lapsed. Source: firststop.sos.nd.gov |
| Inactive - Merged | The entity merged into another one. Source: firststop.sos.nd.gov |
A status describes the registry filing only. It isn’t evidence of a license, tax compliance or reputation, and a record with the same name as a company you know may be a different business. More on statuses.
North Dakota business name rules
An LLC name must include one of: limited liability company
, L.L.C.
, LLC
. A corporation uses one of: company
, corporation
, incorporated
, limited
, an abbreviation of one of these
.
A name must be 'distinguishable in the records of the secretary of state' from other LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships, LLPs and LLLPs, and from reserved names, fictitious names, registered trade names and registered trademarks or service marks. Names must use standard (ASCII) characters. (NDCC 10-32.1-11 (LLC); NDCC 10-19.1-13 (corporation)) Source: ndlegis.gov
North Dakota doesn’t publish a list of the differences it ignores, so our check treats only capitalization and punctuation as insignificant and flags other close names as similar for you to judge.
Words that need approval or are restricted
| Words | Requirement |
|---|---|
| corporation, incorporated, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability limited partnership, abbreviations of these | Not allowed in an LLC name. An LLC also can't use 'limited' or 'company' on their own, apart from 'limited liability company'. Source: ndlegis.gov |
| limited liability company, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability limited partnership, abbreviations of these | Not allowed in a corporation's name. Source: ndlegis.gov |
Professional LLCs
Professional LLCs (PLLCs) are governed by NDCC chapter 10-31. An out-of-state PLLC must provide licensing board certification for its members, managers, employees and agents who practice in North Dakota.
Using a similar name with consent
Yes. You can use a name that isn't distinguishable if you file the written consent of the business holding it, or a certified court judgment establishing your prior right to it (NDCC 10-32.1-11(3)). Filing a consent costs $10.
Reserving a name in North Dakota
North Dakota lets you reserve a name before you form the business for $10, held for 12 months. It can be renewed for further 12-month periods. Transferring or cancelling a reservation costs $10 each.
File a reservation request with the Secretary of State through FirstStop (NDCC 10-32.1-12 and 10-32.1-92(11); for corporations, NDCC 10-19.1-147(9)).
North Dakota name reservation Source: ndlegis.gov
Searching on this site doesn’t reserve anything. Only Secretary of State can.
Forming an LLC in North Dakota
- Document
- Articles of Organization
- State filing fee
- $135
The same $135 applies to business, farm/ranch and professional LLCs (NDCC 10-32.1-92(1)). - File online
- Secretary of State filing
- Registered agent
- An LLC must appoint and keep a registered agent in North Dakota, either a commercial or noncommercial agent (NDCC chapter 10-01.1). Failing to keep one is grounds for involuntary termination.
- Out-of-state LLC registering here
- $135 (Application for Certificate of Authority (Foreign LLC))
Fees change. Confirm them on the official North Dakota fee schedule before you file.
File it yourself or use a service
File directly with North Dakota
$135 state fee
You fill in the Articles of Organization yourself and pay only the state. You’ll need a registered agent with a North Dakota street address; that can be you if you have one.
Use a formation service
A service prepares and files the paperwork, and most can act as your registered agent and send compliance reminders. You still pay the state fee on top of their price, and the state still decides whether to accept your name.
- Bizee: $0 plus the state fee (Basic); Standard $199, Premium $299, plus state fee
- LegalZoom: $0 plus state fees (Basic); Managed Service $249 plus state fees
- Northwest Registered Agent: $39 plus the state fee
- ZenBusiness: $0 plus the state fee (Starter); Pro $199 plus state fee, renews $199/yr
We don’t currently earn commissions from these providers. Prices from each provider’s site on Oct 30, 2026. We never send them your proposed name. Compare what each includes · Disclosure
An EIN (federal tax ID) is free from the IRS; you don’t need to pay anyone for one.
Keeping a North Dakota LLC in good standing
Annual Report: $50. Due November 15 for business LLCs and PLLCs, and April 15 for farm/ranch and ALF LLCs. Late fee: $50. Source: sos.nd.gov
An LLC that still hasn't filed its annual report six months after the due date is terminated by law. Reinstating within one year takes the past-due report, the $50 fee, the $50 late fee and a $135 reinstatement fee (NDCC 10-32.1-90, -91, -92(25)). Corporations pay $25 for their annual report, due August 1 for North Dakota corporations and May 15 for out-of-state ones.
Proof of status: Certificate of Good Standing ($20). Source: firststop.sos.nd.gov
Assumed names (DBAs)
Trade names are registered with the Secretary of State (NDCC chapter 47-25) and appear in the same FirstStop search as companies. Source: sos.nd.gov
Good to know about North Dakota
- Business LLC annual reports are due November 15 each year, not on the formation anniversary. Farm/ranch LLCs file by April 15. Source: sos.nd.gov
- An LLC is terminated automatically if its annual report is still unfiled six months after the due date. Source: ndlegis.gov
- A name reservation costs $10 and lasts 12 months, renewable, which is much longer than in most states. Source: ndlegis.gov
- A new name has to be distinguishable from registered trade names and trademarks as well as from other companies, and FirstStop shows all of them in one search. Source: ndlegis.gov
- North Dakota has separate farm/ranch LLC and corporation types (NDCC chapter 10-06.1) with their own reporting dates. Source: sos.nd.gov
- The Secretary of State sells a monthly data subscription of all business and trademark records, active and inactive, for $1,440 per month. Source: sos.nd.gov
Sources and accuracy
We checked this page against official North Dakota sources on . Our monitor rechecks the official search, filing portal and fee pages daily and flags changes for review.
Items we couldn’t confirm on an official page (5)
- The $20 Certificate of Good Standing fee is worked out from state law ($15 certificate plus a $5 records search, NDCC 10-32.1-92(30)). We couldn't confirm it on a Secretary of State fee page.
- We couldn't find a list of restricted words (such as bank, trust or insurance) on an official North Dakota page. Other laws, such as banking law, may still restrict them.
- We couldn't find official processing times or expedite options.
- We couldn't confirm the late fee for corporation annual reports.
- We haven't checked North Dakota tax pages for state taxes on LLCs. The Secretary of State's pages mention no LLC franchise or privilege tax.
See something wrong? Tell us. We can fix how we present information, but only Secretary of State can change an official record.