Foreign registration · no form number

Iowa LLC Foreign Registration in North Dakota

To do business in North Dakota, an LLC formed in Iowa registers there on an online registration (no form number), with $135 in state fees. North Dakota also wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Iowa records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Iowa and North Dakota side by side

	Iowa formed here	North Dakota registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence	Foreign Business Limited Liability Company Certificate of Authority Application (no form number)
State fee	$5	$135 at order
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed online with North Dakota
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	North Dakota Secretary of State
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	sos.nd.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $30, every two years	Annual Report, $50, every year
Due	April 1 of odd-numbered years	November 15
Agent	Your Iowa registered agent	Our North Dakota registered agent

From Iowa to North Dakota, step by step

Order the Iowa certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($5) is ordered from Iowa separately; it is not part of our North Dakota order. North Dakota wants the Iowa certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your North Dakota registered agent, next to your Iowa name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Iowa delays the North Dakota filing. After approval, your Iowa LLC is registered with North Dakota.

North Dakota costs for Iowa companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$135
Certificate of Existence, paid to Iowa	$5
Our service, with a year of North Dakota registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Iowa certificate included	$339

Your Iowa name and North Dakota's rules

North Dakota accepts your Iowa name if it includes the words limited liability company, or LLC or L.L.C.. If the Iowa name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. We check your exact Iowa name against North Dakota's records before filing.

Agents: North Dakota and Iowa

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

Staying in good standing in Iowa and North Dakota

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($30); North Dakota wants the Annual Report every year ($50). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to North Dakota

A corporation formed in Iowa files its own registration with North Dakota ($145 in state fees). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($60) and North Dakota's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a North Dakota company in Iowa

An LLC formed in North Dakota that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0010 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($20) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Iowa to North Dakota

Does my Iowa company need to register in North Dakota?

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

How much does it cost to register an Iowa LLC in North Dakota?

$334 at checkout plus $5 to Iowa for the Certificate of Existence, $339 in all (checkout is $135 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Iowa's certificate of good standing?

Yes: North Dakota wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and North Dakota?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($30, every two years) and North Dakota's report ($50).

What if I don't register with North Dakota?

North Dakota can charge an Iowa company a civil penalty of up to $5,000.

Does North Dakota require a registered agent?

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

Will North Dakota accept my Iowa name?

Yes, if no company there already uses it and it includes the words limited liability company, or LLC or L.L.C..

Can I form a new North Dakota LLC instead?

Yes, but Iowa keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files North Dakota's Annual Report ($50), and the original keeps Iowa's Biennial Report.

How do I withdraw from North Dakota later?

Iowa companies leave by filing an Application for withdrawal of a foreign limited liability company; until then, North Dakota's report stays due alongside Iowa's filings.

Official sources

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