North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services

North Dakota business entity search

Office facts, status meanings and filing rules for North Dakota. The steps below show how to search North Dakota's official registry.

Federal filings only here. North Dakota registry records are on the official site.

North Dakota registry at a glance

Registry agency: North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services
Office: Secretary of State Michael Howe, since 2023; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Phone: 701-328-2900 (toll free 800-352-0867); Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Address: 600 E. Boulevard Ave. Dept 108, Bismarck, ND 58505; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Official search: FirstStop Portal business search →; Source: firststop.sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Registry number: Secretary of State ID (System ID)

The FirstStop Portal business search searches by business name and business ID.

Open the FirstStop Portal business search at firststop.sos.nd.gov/search/business.
Type the business name or its Secretary of State ID in the search box.
Run the search and scan the result list for the exact name and entity type.
Open the record to see its status, registered agent, filing history and annual report dates.
Order a Certificate of Good Standing through the portal if you need official proof of standing.

Asking for the wrong number is a common reason a search comes back empty.

Federal EIN: Internal Revenue Service; Identifies the business for federal tax. It is the same number in every state.; Source: irs.gov
Secretary of State ID (System ID): North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services; Identifies the entity's record in the North Dakota registry.
North Dakota tax account (ND TAP): North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner; Tax accounts are opened with the Office of State Tax Commissioner through ND TAP and are separate from both the federal EIN and the Secretary of State ID.; Source: tax.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06

Good Standing: The business is registered and its annual reports are current.; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Not Good Standing: The business missed its annual report deadline; it has one year to file and reinstate.; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Involuntarily Dissolved / Terminated: The past-due annual report was not filed within a year of Not Good Standing, so the state ended the registration.; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Revoked: A foreign business lost its authority to transact business in North Dakota, usually for not filing annual reports.; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06

LLC formation: $135 (domestic or foreign registration); Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Corporation formation: $100 domestic; $145 foreign; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Annual filing: Annual Report; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Annual fee, LLC: $50; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Annual fee, corporation: $25; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
When it is due: LLCs and PLLCs by November 15; domestic business corporations by August 1; foreign corporations by May 15; LPs and LLPs by March 31. The first report is due in the year after the year of registration.; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Late filing: A late filing fee applies and the business moves to Not Good Standing; it is involuntarily dissolved or revoked if the report is not filed within one year.; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Filed with: Secretary of State, online through the FirstStop Portal; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Note: Farm/ranch, professional and nonprofit structures have their own fee lists on the Business Structures pages.

As published by the North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services, checked 2026-10-06. Fees change, and the official schedule decides.

Registered agent: Most structures must keep a North Dakota registered agent with a physical address in the state, and a business may not serve as its own agent.; Source: sos.nd.gov · checked 2026-10-06
Name availability: Check whether a name is available in North Dakota →
Business forms and fees: Official North Dakota business forms and fees →

A fact that could not be confirmed on an official page is left out.