Best North Dakota LLC Formation Service in 2026

North Dakota is a quiet, low-noise state for forming an LLC. The state filing fee is mid-range, the annual report is reasonable, and the SOS portal (FirstStop) is genuinely pleasant to use — rare among US state filing systems. For a non-US founder, the question isn't usually "Should I pick ND?" — it's "Which service is going to get me to a Mercury account without three months of paperwork?"

We've used most of them. Here's the honest comparison.

Quick verdict

Service	Best for	Filing fee (ND)	Service fee	Reg. Agent	EIN included	Non-US friendly
Doola	Non-US founders, one-person company	$135	from $297 (Starter)	✅ 1 yr	✅ (incl. SS-4 paper filing)	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Northwest	US residents wanting privacy	$135	$39 + state	✅ 1 yr	❌ (+$50)	⭐⭐⭐
ZenBusiness	US residents, low budget	$135	$0 (Starter)	✅ 1 yr	❌ (+$99)	⭐⭐
LegalZoom	US residents wanting brand	$135	$0 (Basic)	$249/yr	❌ (+$79)	⭐⭐
Bizee	US residents, free starter	$135	$0 + state	✅ 1 yr	❌ (+$70)	⭐⭐
DIY (ND FirstStop direct)	Founders with US SSN + address	$135	$0	❌ ($125+/yr separately)	DIY (free with SSN)	⭐

Our recommendation for non-US founders: Doola — they bundle LLC + EIN (with SS-4 paper for non-SSN founders) + Registered Agent + Mercury Bank introduction in one onboarding.

Disclosure: We have an affiliate relationship with Doola — code LLCCLASS10 gives 10% off and supports our work at no extra cost to you.

North Dakota LLC basics

Filing fee: $135 for Articles of Organization (online)
Annual report: $50/yr, due November 15 every year
State income tax: ND has individual income tax (one of the lowest top rates in the US, ~2.5%); pass-through LLCs flow through to members
Privacy: Member names not required on the Articles of Organization, but the registered agent's name and address are public
Naming: must include "LLC", "L.L.C.", "LC", or "Limited Liability Company"
Registered agent: must have a physical North Dakota street address (no PO boxes)
No statewide general business license — local licensing varies by city and industry

The annual cost over 2 years ($50 + $50) is modest. ND won't beat New Mexico ($0) or South Carolina ($0) on ongoing cost, but the FirstStop portal is a notable quality-of-life upgrade if you DIY.

Service-by-service breakdown

1. Doola — best for non-US founders

Pricing: Starter $297/yr, Total Compliance $799/yr
Includes: LLC filing + EIN (SS-4 paper filing for non-SSN founders) + Registered Agent (1 yr) + US business address + Mercury Bank introduction
Turnaround: 2–4 weeks for non-US founders (EIN paper filing bottleneck), 3–7 days for US founders
Why it wins for non-US: They actually file SS-4 paper for the EIN. Without that, you stare at the IRS mail queue for 6–12 weeks.
→ Doola signup with LLCCLASS10 code (10% off)

2. Northwest Registered Agent

Pricing: $39 service fee + $135 state + $125/yr registered agent after year 1
Includes: LLC filing + 1 yr registered agent + privacy by default
EIN: +$50, US-only
Pick if: US resident who values low-noise customer support

3. ZenBusiness

Pricing: Starter $0 + state, Pro $199/yr, Premium $349/yr
Caveat: Year-2 renewal aggressively pushes the Pro tier

4. LegalZoom

Pricing: Basic $0 + state, Pro $249, Premium $349
Caveat: Highest total cost of ownership; registered agent +$249/yr; cancellation friction

5. Bizee (formerly IncFile)

Pricing: Free + state, Gold $199, Platinum $299
EIN: +$70
Caveat: Compliance tracking is unreliable

6. DIY (ND FirstStop)

Cost: $135 state + ~$125/yr registered agent + free EIN online (SSN required)
Pick if: US resident — ND's FirstStop portal is genuinely usable, so DIY is less painful than in most states

Step-by-step North Dakota LLC formation

Choose a name — must include an LLC designator. Check availability at the North Dakota FirstStop business search.
Designate a registered agent — must have a physical ND street address (no PO boxes).
File Articles of Organization — $135 via FirstStop. Online approvals typically run ~5 business days.
Draft an Operating Agreement — not required by ND, but Mercury and every other bank will ask.
Get EIN from IRS — free online with SSN (5 minutes), or 4–8 weeks via SS-4 paper for non-US founders. Doola handles the paper filing.
Open a US business bank account — Mercury Bank, 3-hour approval if your formation + EIN paperwork is clean.
File Annual Report — $50 each year, due November 15.

FAQ

Is North Dakota a good state to form an LLC?
For founders with actual ND business activity (oil/gas, agriculture, real estate), yes. For a generic remote/online business, Wyoming and New Mexico beat ND on long-term cost and privacy. See our best state comparison.

Can a non-US resident form a North Dakota LLC?
Yes. No citizenship or residency requirement. You need an ND registered agent (any service above provides this) and the SS-4 paper EIN path (Doola handles it).

When is the ND annual report due?
November 15 every year. The first report is due November 15 of the year after formation. Miss it and the state can administratively dissolve your LLC.

Does the ND FirstStop portal make DIY easier?
Yes, noticeably. ND's FirstStop is one of the cleanest state filing systems in the US — comparable in usability to Stripe Atlas's dashboard, which is high praise. If you have an SSN and prefer DIY, ND is one of the few states where that's genuinely pleasant.

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