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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · North Dakota

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in North Dakota (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in North Dakota the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199), North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199) and ND Registered Agents.org ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one registered agent service included.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.3 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added ($334 today); agent renewing at $149

Mainstay Filing leads the card: $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your registered agent and the same price in every state.

Year one of agent service is on the house; later years cost $149 anywhere.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $100 above North Dakota Registered Agent.co's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • Preparation and filing of the registration
  • A free first year as your registered agent
  • Same-business-day scans of service of process at no charge

Strengths

  • Same price across all fifty states
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • Registered agent free for year one
  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than North Dakota Registered Agent.co charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Low renewal

2. North Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for companies that add just North Dakota

9.1 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

North Dakota Registered Agent.co takes second spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in North Dakota, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

What you get

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • First-year registered agent service

Strengths

  • Agent at $99 a year from year two
  • Year one as your registered agent is included
  • A $199 service fee before the state's

Watch for

  • Limited to North Dakota; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. North Dakota Registered Agent.co: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best local option

3. ND Registered Agents.org: best for registrations in North Dakota only

9.0 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added; agent renewing at $99

ND Registered Agents.org takes third spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in North Dakota, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

ND Registered Agents.org mirrors North Dakota Registered Agent.co on price and plan features, so little divides them.

What you get

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • Year-one registered agent service included

Strengths

  • Agent at $99 a year from year two
  • Year one as your registered agent is included
  • Files the registration for $199 plus the state fee

Watch for

  • Limited to North Dakota; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. ND Registered Agents.org: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.3 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 North Dakota Registered Agent.co 9.1 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit North Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 ND Registered Agents.org 9.0 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Formation Scorecard assigns each mark out of 10 itself, using the weighted criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings feed in.

North Dakota foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
North Dakota Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
ND Registered Agents.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add North Dakota's $135 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

The case for Mainstay Filing in first

Coverage of the price decided the North Dakota card. The method puts 25% on cost across three years and 25% on coverage of the price, then shares 50% among renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity.

A foreign registration touches two states, so a single provider at one price in both earned the most coverage points, ahead of North Dakota Registered Agent.co.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in North Dakota: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Application for a Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company) to the North Dakota Secretary of State, with a $135 state fee. North Dakota additionally requires certificate of status, good standing or existence from the home-state filing office.

Once registered, the company files the annual report ($50), due November 15.

Gather these before filing

  • Certificate of status, good standing or existence from the home-state filing office.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $135, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual report and its $50 fee.

North Dakota foreign registration service: quick questions

Does North Dakota make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there.

What will foreign registration run in North Dakota?

Expect $135 for the state plus $199 for the service.

Is a home-state certificate part of the North Dakota filing?

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

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration services sit on this card?

Mainstay Filing ($199), North Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199) and ND Registered Agents.org ($199), top to bottom.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for North Dakota?

Mainstay Filing, since it files the North Dakota registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.

Keep reading

Where the figures come from

  1. North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division, as of August 2026
  2. North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division, as of August 2026
  3. North Dakota report due date, as of August 2026
  4. North Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  5. North Dakota registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  6. Secretary of State, registered agents, as of October 2026
  7. Secretary of State, business services, as of October 2026
  8. Read on November 12, 2026: North Dakota service page for Mainstay Filing
  9. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for North Dakota Registered Agent.co
  10. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for ND Registered Agents.org