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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.

Commercial disclosure: We may receive a commission through a referral link. Check the provider’s current prices and eligibility; no historical discount code is guaranteed.

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 current plans — referral link

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

  1. Choose a name — must include an LLC designator. Check availability at the North Dakota FirstStop business search.
  2. Designate a registered agent — must have a physical ND street address (no PO boxes).
  3. File Articles of Organization — $135 via FirstStop. Online approvals typically run ~5 business days.
  4. Draft an Operating Agreement — not required by ND, but Mercury and every other bank will ask.
  5. 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.
  6. Apply separately for a business account — Mercury eligibility and documents. Approval and timing depend on the provider; formation and an EIN are not a guarantee.
  7. 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.

More State Guides Worth Reading

If you are still comparing states, these are the guides we keep coming back to. They cover the fee details, annual report deadlines and filing timelines for each state, so you can see exactly what a first year costs before you commit.

Not sure which state fits? Start with our best state to form an LLC comparison — it breaks down all 50 states by filing fee, annual fee and first-year total, and maps each one to the founder type it actually suits.