Foreign corporation certificate of authority
North Dakota Foreign Corporation Certificate of Authority
A corporation formed in another state registers with North Dakota on the Foreign Business Corporation Certificate of Authority Application. The $145 filing fee goes to North Dakota; our $199 covers preparing and filing it plus the first year of North Dakota registered agent service, for $344 at checkout. North Dakota sets its own proof rule for foreign corporations.
North Dakota corporation certificate of authority at a glance
- Filing
- Foreign Business Corporation Certificate of Authority Application (no form number)
- State fee
- $145 filing fee
- Total with us
- $344, first year of North Dakota registered agent service included
- Home-state certificate
- Set by the state
- North Dakota yearly filing
- Annual Report, $25, every year
- Filed with
- North Dakota Secretary of State
What the North Dakota filing asks for
For the filing, North Dakota needs:
- The exact name of your corporation as formed, with an ending North Dakota accepts: company, corporation, incorporated, limited, or an abbreviation of one of them
- The state it was formed in and its date of formation
- A North Dakota registered agent with a street address there; we fill in ours
- A principal office address
Corporation into North Dakota, by home state
Every home state pays the same $344 at checkout for North Dakota.
| Formed in | Home-state certificate | First year |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Alaska | Certificate of Compliance, if asked | $344 |
| Arizona | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Arkansas | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| California | Certificate of Status, if asked | $344 |
| Colorado | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Connecticut | Certificate of Legal Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Delaware | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Florida | Certificate of Status, if asked | $344 |
| Georgia | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Hawaii | Good Standing Certificate, if asked | $344 |
| Idaho | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Illinois | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Indiana | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Iowa | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Kansas | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Kentucky | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Louisiana | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Maine | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Maryland | Certificate of Status, if asked | $344 |
| Massachusetts | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Michigan | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Minnesota | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Mississippi | Certificate of Good Standing / Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Missouri | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Montana | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Nebraska | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Nevada | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| New Hampshire | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| New Jersey | Standing Certificate, if asked | $344 |
| New Mexico | Certificate of Good Standing and Compliance, if asked | $344 |
| New York | Certificate of Status, if asked | $344 |
| North Carolina | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Ohio | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Oklahoma | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Oregon | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Pennsylvania | Subsistence Certificate, if asked | $344 |
| Rhode Island | Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| South Carolina | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| South Dakota | Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Tennessee | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Texas | Certificate of Fact - Status, if asked | $344 |
| Utah | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Vermont | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Virginia | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
| Washington | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| West Virginia | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $344 |
| Wisconsin | Certificate of Status, if asked | $344 |
| Wyoming | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $344 |
When North Dakota expects a corporation to register
Owning property there, without more, is not doing business either. An office, staff, or regular sales and contracts there are what typically lead to registration.
If you do business in North Dakota without registering
An unregistered corporation doing business there cannot start a lawsuit in North Dakota courts until it registers. Its contracts stay valid, and it can still defend a case brought against it. When it does register, North Dakota collects the fees it would have charged for the years it went unregistered. With no registered agent on file, legal papers can be served through the North Dakota Secretary of State.
North Dakota registered agent rule
North Dakota requires every registered foreign corporation to keep a registered agent there. A resigning agent stays responsible for 31 days after filing the resignation. Our $199 includes the first year of North Dakota registered agent service, then $149 a year.
North Dakota yearly filings
Once registered, your corporation files the North Dakota Annual Report every year, at $25, due May 15. Filing it late adds $20. From year two, keeping the North Dakota registration costs $174 a year with our registered agent service.
How long North Dakota takes
We file it online with the North Dakota Secretary of State.
North Dakota foreign corporation questions
Do I have to register my corporation in North Dakota?
Yes, if it was formed in another state and does business there. An office, staff or regular sales there usually mean registering.
How much does foreign corporation registration in North Dakota cost?
$344 at checkout: the $145 filing fee plus our $199, which includes the first year of registered agent service.
What does it cost each year to stay registered in North Dakota?
$174 a year: $25 for the Annual Report and $149 for our registered agent service. The home state's own yearly filing stays separate.
What if I don't register with North Dakota?
Your corporation cannot sue in court there until it registers.
Do I need a registered agent in North Dakota?
Yes. North Dakota requires one for every corporation registered there from another state. Ours is included for the first year, then $149 a year.
What name rules does North Dakota have?
The name must include company, corporation, incorporated, limited, or an abbreviation of one of them.
Can I form a new North Dakota corporation instead?
It is possible, but that is a separate company that files North Dakota's Annual Report ($25), while the original keeps its home-state filings. Registering keeps one company in both states.
Is the North Dakota filing the same for an LLC?
No: LLCs file their own registration ($135 in state fees), and corporations file this one.
Is this a certificate of authority?
Yes. North Dakota issues a certificate of authority once the filing is approved.
Official North Dakota sources
- North Dakota filing page (sos.nd.gov)
- North Dakota filing (firststop.sos.nd.gov)
- North Dakota Century Code, chapter 10-19.1 (Business Corporation Act)
- North Dakota Secretary of State, general business corporation fees
- North Dakota Century Code, chapter 10-01.1 (Registered Agents Act)
- North Dakota yearly filing (sos.nd.gov)