Rhode Island Corporation Foreign Registration in North Dakota

To do business in North Dakota, a corporation formed in Rhode Island registers there on an online registration (no form number), with $145 in state fees. North Dakota may ask for Rhode Island's Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing ($22). We file it with the Secretary of State using your Rhode Island records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Rhode Island vs North Dakota: the paperwork

	Rhode Island formed here	North Dakota registering here
Document	Rhode Island Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing	Foreign Business Corporation Certificate of Authority Application (no form number)
State fee	$22	$145 at order
How it is handled	Rhode Island: online in about two business days, the same day in person, or in 5 to 7 business days by mail	Filed online with North Dakota
Office	Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division	North Dakota Secretary of State
Official page	sos.ri.gov	sos.nd.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report for a Corporation (Form 630), $50, every year	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due	May 1	May 15
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$20 late fee
Agent	Your Rhode Island resident agent	Our North Dakota registered agent

From Rhode Island to North Dakota, step by step

We prepare and file the registration
It names us as your North Dakota registered agent, with your Rhode Island name and formation date. If North Dakota wants the Rhode Island certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Rhode Island corporation is registered with North Dakota.

Will your Rhode Island name work for North Dakota?

North Dakota accepts your Rhode Island name if it includes company, corporation, incorporated, limited, or an abbreviation of one of them. We check your exact Rhode Island name against North Dakota's records before filing.

Agents: North Dakota and Rhode Island

North Dakota calls it a registered agent; Rhode Island says resident agent. North Dakota papers come to us; Rhode Island's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: North Dakota and Rhode Island

Each year your corporation files Rhode Island's Annual Report for a Corporation (Form 630) ($50) and North Dakota's Annual Report ($25). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Rhode Island plus North Dakota comes to $224 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Rhode Island to North Dakota

An LLC formed in Rhode Island files its own registration with North Dakota ($135 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing ($22)). After that come Rhode Island's Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company (Form 632) ($50) and North Dakota's Annual Report ($50). See the LLC filing.

Registering a North Dakota company in Rhode Island

A corporation formed in North Dakota that registers with Rhode Island files Form 150 with $319 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($20). See that filing.

Common questions: Rhode Island to North Dakota

Does my Rhode Island company need to register in North Dakota?

Yes, once a Rhode Island business operates there; North Dakota registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: North Dakota issues one to Rhode Island corporations once the filing is approved.

How much does the North Dakota registration cost?

$344 at checkout; North Dakota may also want Rhode Island's Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing, at extra cost.

What are the yearly costs for Rhode Island and North Dakota?

$224 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $50 to Rhode Island and $25 to North Dakota for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with North Dakota?

A Rhode Island company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does North Dakota require a registered agent?

Yes: the Rhode Island resident agent stays, and ours covers North Dakota for year one.

Will North Dakota accept my Rhode Island name?

Yes, if no company there already uses it and it includes company, corporation, incorporated, limited, or an abbreviation of one of them.

Can I form a new North Dakota corporation instead?

Yes, but Rhode Island keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files North Dakota's Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Rhode Island's yearly report.

Official sources

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