Foreign registration · Form 21

North Dakota Corporation Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

A corporation formed in North Dakota that wants to do business in Wisconsin files Form 21, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin also wants North Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing ($20), dated within 60 days. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services using your North Dakota records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

What North Dakota and Wisconsin each ask for

	North Dakota formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	North Dakota Certificate of Good Standing	Form 21, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$20	$100 at order
How it is handled	North Dakota: online	Filed on Wisconsin's paper form
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	North Dakota Secretary of State	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	firststop.sos.nd.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every year	Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report, $65, every year
Due	August 1	March 31 each year after qualification
Late yearly filing	$20 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your North Dakota registered agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

From North Dakota to Wisconsin, step by step

Order the North Dakota certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($20) is ordered from North Dakota separately; it is not part of our Wisconsin order. Wisconsin counts 60 days from the day North Dakota issues it, so the order goes in shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form 21
It names us as your Wisconsin registered agent, with your North Dakota name and formation date and the certificate attached. The North Dakota certificate comes first; then the Wisconsin filing goes in. After approval, your North Dakota corporation is registered with Wisconsin.

First-year cost, North Dakota to Wisconsin

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$100
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to North Dakota	$20
Our service, with a year of Wisconsin registered agent service	$199
First-year total, North Dakota certificate included	$319

Wisconsin's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Will your North Dakota name work for Wisconsin?

We check your exact North Dakota name against Wisconsin's records before filing.

Agents: Wisconsin and North Dakota

North Dakota and Wisconsin both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for North Dakota; ours takes Wisconsin's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Wisconsin and North Dakota

Each year your corporation files North Dakota's Annual Report ($25) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). With our $149 registered agent renewal, North Dakota plus Wisconsin comes to $239 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, North Dakota to Wisconsin

An LLC formed in North Dakota files Form 521 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come North Dakota's Annual Report ($50) and Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($80). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Wisconsin into North Dakota

A corporation formed in Wisconsin that registers with North Dakota files North Dakota's registration (no form number) with $145 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: North Dakota to Wisconsin

Does my North Dakota company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once a North Dakota business operates there; Wisconsin does not count a one-off deal finished within 30 days.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Wisconsin issues one to North Dakota corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register a North Dakota corporation in Wisconsin?

$299 at checkout plus $20 to North Dakota for the Certificate of Good Standing, $319 in all (checkout is $100 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need North Dakota's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Wisconsin wants it ($20), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for North Dakota and Wisconsin?

$239 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to North Dakota and $65 to Wisconsin for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

Wisconsin can charge a North Dakota company up to $65 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

Yes: the North Dakota registered agent stays, and ours covers Wisconsin for year one.

Can I form a new Wisconsin corporation instead?

Yes, but North Dakota keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps North Dakota's Annual Report.

Official sources

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