Foreign registration · Form 521

North Dakota LLC Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

An LLC formed in North Dakota that wants to do business in Wisconsin files Form 521, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin needs nothing from North Dakota: no Certificate of Good Standing. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services from your North Dakota records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

North Dakota vs Wisconsin: the paperwork

	North Dakota formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	North Dakota Certificate of Good Standing (not needed here)	Form 521, Foreign Registration Statement
State fee	$20	$100 at order
How it is handled	North Dakota: online	Filed online with Wisconsin
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
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $50, every year	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $80, every year
Due	November 15	March 31
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your North Dakota registered agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

From North Dakota to Wisconsin, step by step

We prepare and file Form 521
It lists us as your Wisconsin registered agent, next to your North Dakota name and formation date. Nothing has to come from North Dakota first, so the Wisconsin filing can go in right away. Once Wisconsin approves it, the North Dakota company can do business there.

Will your North Dakota name work for Wisconsin?

We search Wisconsin's records for North Dakota's name on file before anything is filed.

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 LLC files North Dakota's Annual Report ($50) and Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($80). With our $149 registered agent renewal, North Dakota plus Wisconsin comes to $279 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, North Dakota to Wisconsin

A corporation formed in North Dakota files Form 21 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($20)). After that come North Dakota's Annual Report ($25) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Wisconsin into North Dakota

An LLC formed in Wisconsin that registers with North Dakota files North Dakota's registration (no form number) with $135 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($10). 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 law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Wisconsin registration cost?

$299 at checkout, with nothing to pay North Dakota.

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

No, Wisconsin takes Form 521 without it.

What are the yearly costs for North Dakota and Wisconsin?

$279 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $50 to North Dakota and $80 to Wisconsin for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

A North Dakota company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Wisconsin can add up to $97.50 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 LLC instead?

Yes, but North Dakota keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25), and the original keeps North Dakota's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Wisconsin later?

North Dakota companies leave by filing a Withdrawal of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company; until then, Wisconsin's report stays due alongside North Dakota's filings.

Official sources

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