What to know about an annual report in North Dakota and state requirements
When you form a North Dakota LLC, the Office of the Secretary of State requires it to file an annual report each year to remain in good standing. Your annual report provides information about your business activities and current operations but does not require financial statements. Key elements of the report include confirming or updating your business mailing address, activities, and stakeholders. Farm/ranch and authorized livestock farm corporations and LLCs have additional requirements since they must also report their shares/membership interests and owned or leased land used.
Properly registering and updating your LLC allows the state to monitor business activities and contact your registered agent as needed. Those steps are made more efficient by ensuring the state has your LLC’s current information.
The report asks you to confirm or update your LLC’s name, North Dakota registered agent and registered office, principal executive office address (the street address of the LLC’s principal executive office), mailing address, business activities, and key people such as managers or governors. Your registered agent must have a physical address in North Dakota. Your mailing address is the street address or PO Box where the business receives mail, and it can differ from your principal executive office or registered office address. If your LLC uses trade names, note that you must renew them every 5 years.
Starting January 1, 2027, a professional LLC’s annual report must also include a Certificate of Professional License (SFN 13610), and a copy goes to the licensing board for its members.
LLCs in North Dakota pay $50 to submit their Annual Report, due November 15 each year starting the year after the LLC is formed. Farm and ranch LLCs file by April 15.
How to file an annual report in North Dakota
Whether you plan to submit your Annual Report online or by mail, you must visit the FirstStop Portal to complete your Annual Report. You can access your LLC’s information using the search function and clicking on the “File Annual Report” icon.
Fill out the form with the required information
Filing the Annual Report and other state-required forms takes time and attention to detail to ensure you have accurately completed each form on time. Completing the form also requires you to compare your current information on previous submissions, noting when there are changes.
Filing the North Dakota Annual Report for an LLC involves several steps, including the following:
- Complete your report online (using the FirstStop Portal) or print a paper form.
- Submit your report to the North Dakota Secretary of State.
- Complete the Annual Report process by November 15 and pay the $50 fee. If you file after November 15, you’ll pay a late filing fee on top of the $50 report fee.
After entering the requirement information on the FirstStop Portal, you will reach the final review page, where you can file your Annual Report online or print it.
The Annual Report is due by November 15 for each report year.
Choose one of the filing options
File online
If you file online, you can pay the filing using a credit or debit card.
File by mail
If you choose to submit your Annual Report by mail, you must include a check or money order with the Annual Report.
You can submit the printed report by mailing it to:
North Dakota Secretary of State
600 E. Boulevard Ave., Dept. 108
Bismarck, ND 58505-0500
File with a compliance service
You can simplify the process using our Annual Compliance service, which ensures your filings are completed accurately and on time for each state in which you conduct business.
Many North Dakota LLCs use a compliance service to complete their filings. A compliance service like Tailor Brands takes care of this work for you and ensures that you remain in full accordance with North Dakota and other state guidelines.
Paying fee
Your North Dakota LLC fees include a $50 filing cost whether the Annual Report is submitted online or by mail.
Make sure to file on time
Traditional LLCs must file their Annual Report by November 15. Farm and ranch LLCs must file by April 15.
What happens if you fail to file on time?
Businesses that do not file an Annual Report fall into Not Good Standing status with North Dakota’s Secretary of State. Businesses that are in Not Good Standing status may be unable to work with certain lenders, investors, and vendors until they file the appropriate reports to return to Good Standing.
Reinstatement
If you miss the deadline, your LLC is placed in Not Good Standing. If you still don’t file, the Secretary of State typically involuntarily terminates the LLC within 6 to 12 months. A terminated LLC has 1 year to apply for reinstatement and pay a reinstatement fee. Contact the ND SoS for information about your reinstatement options.
Late fees and fines
If you file your Annual Report after November 15, you’ll pay a late filing fee on top of the $50 report fee. Farm and ranch LLCs must file by April 15.
Penalties
The failure to file your Annual Report on time can result in the Secretary of State placing your LLC on Not Good Standing status, which can prevent the ability to conduct certain business in North Dakota.
Involuntary termination
Involuntary termination is the state’s action against a North Dakota LLC that stays in Not Good Standing. For a foreign LLC, the Secretary of State revokes its certificate of authority to do business in North Dakota instead.
If you’re closing your business on purpose, learn how to dissolve a North Dakota LLC instead.
Conclusion
The Annual Report for your LLC is an important document that provides the State of North Dakota with critical information about your business. The report requires collecting and reporting key information about the business, its structure, its managers or governors, and ownership interests. Filing this report is required each year after you form an LLC in North Dakota.
This report can be completed by an individual associated with your LLC or, as many businesses choose, by a compliance service specializing in this work. A compliance service ensures the reports are filed on time and accurately for each state in which you do business.
FAQ
Some state reporting requirements remain consistent from year to year, though changes can occur when new administrations bring changes in federal or state policies. Other changes occur due to information systems and other upgrades at the state level.
File by November 15 each year (April 15 for farm and ranch LLCs), starting the year after your LLC is formed. The Secretary of State sends notices to your registered agent’s address, but you’re responsible for filing on time even if you don’t get one.
A compliance service like Tailor Brands handles state-mandated filings such as North Dakota’s Annual Report, tracks changes in requirements, and submits forms accurately and on time so you don’t have to.
Yes. Starting January 1, 2027, a PLLC’s annual report must include a Certificate of Professional License, and a copy goes to the licensing board for its members.