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How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in North Dakota

North Dakota calls it the Certificate of Good Standing and charges $20. Here is how to order it and what must be current first.

At a glance

Document name
Certificate of Good Standing
State fee
$20
Online ordering
Yes
Typical turnaround
Online: immediate PDF through FirstStop portal. Mail: standard processing
Issuing office
North Dakota SOS ↗

How to order it

  1. Clear any past-due filings first. The North Dakota SOS will not issue a certificate while you have unpaid tax or an unfiled report. The state-specific requirements are in the points below.
  2. Order it online. Search your LLC in the North Dakota portal, request the certificate, and download it. Link in the table above.
  3. Pay the $20 fee. Pay by card at checkout. A small card surcharge usually applies.
  4. Use it inside the recipient's window. The certificate has no state expiration, but banks and other states usually want one dated within the last 30 to 90 days. Order it close to when you need it.
Full ordering details for North Dakota

North Dakota offers the Certificate of Good Standing for $20 total (statutorily $15 for the certificate plus $5 records search fee). Order through the FirstStop portal or contact the SOS directly for a Certificate of Fact. A separate Letter of Good Standing from the Office of State Tax Commissioner addresses tax compliance.

Processing and expedited tiers: Online: immediate PDF through FirstStop portal. Mail: standard processing

Important to know about North Dakota

  • The ND LLC Annual Report ($50 online, due November 15) must be current. Missing November 15 triggers a $100 late fee (doubling the report cost). One year to reinstate before involuntary dissolution.
  • North Dakota certificates contain a raised seal embossed into the paper. Some foreign states require the physical raised-seal version - online PDF will not suffice.
  • The FirstStop portal replaced the older ND SOS filing system; older third-party guides still reference deprecated URLs. Always go through firststop.sos.nd.gov.

Ordering this to register in another state?

A certificate of good standing is what a new state asks for when you register your North Dakota LLC to do business there. Start with the guide for where you are expanding.

North Dakota foreign LLC guide · Foreign qualification by state

Related guides

This page provides general information based on publicly available North Dakota Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Names, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the North Dakota SOS before ordering.