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Order $89 to $99 North Dakota registered agent service online for immediate access to our address and state forms. No additional charges.
Your business must appoint a North Dakota registered agent to receive documents in legal matters, including notice of lawsuit. Our reliable registered agent service fulfills this requirement. You get:
North Dakota registered agents are obligatory for most legal entities operating in the state. You must appoint an agent when filing your formation or foreign qualification documents with the secretary of state, allowing your organization to conduct operations in North Dakota lawfully.
Your designated agent receives service of process and other government correspondence on your behalf. They then forward the accepted notices to you, ensuring a timely response to any legal or regulatory issue.
To help you choose and partner with a registered agent that will fulfill their duties effectively, this guide will outline the following:
You’ll also learn about Harbor Compliance—a trusted registered agent service provider in North Dakota and beyond.
Your registered agent serves as the main point of contact with the North Dakota secretary of state. Their essential duty is to accept notices from process servers and government staff, after which they deliver such documentation to you electronically or via regular mail.
The vast majority of legal entities are obligated to appoint a registered agent under North Dakota’s Registered Agent Act. The only exceptions are non-filing entities, including the following:
While appointing a registered agent is voluntary for the above entities, corporations (profit and nonprofit), Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), and other filing entities must name an agent in their formation or foreign qualification filings.
Besides meeting state requirements, appointing an agent lets you respond promptly to any legal action against your organization. Without an agent—or with an inefficient one—you might fail to appear in court due to a missed lawsuit notice. This can result in a default judgment, meaning the verdict will automatically be delivered in the plaintiff’s favor.
According to North Dakota’s laws, a registered agent can be any of the following three:
This means you can name a friend, employee, family member, or even yourself as a registered agent. You can also choose an organization, including specialized providers like Harbor Compliance, which many consider a superior option because of their increased reliability.
North Dakota was the first state to implement the Model Registered Agent Act (MoRAA) in 2007. MoRAA distinguishes between commercial and noncommercial agents, and the following table explains both types:
| Registered Agent Type | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Commercial | Commercial agents register with the secretary of state by submitting a Commercial Registered Agent Listing Statement form, after which they’re added to the state’s official list of registered agents. |
| Noncommercial | Noncommercial agents don’t submit a listing statement but can still perform the same duties as commercial registered agents if they give consent to the represented entity. |
Note that both individuals and organizations can either be commercial or noncommercial agents. The main difference is that the former can be browsed in the secretary of state’s list, which you can download from the website. Also, professional providers like Harbor Compliance typically fall under commercial registered agents.
A section dedicated to appointing a registered agent is included in your formation documents (Articles of Incorporation for profit and nonprofit corporations or Articles of Organization for LLCs). All you need to do is fill in the section with your agent’s details, and they’ll be named as your point of contact.
If you’re appointing a noncommercial agent, you need to include their name and address—known as a registered office. If you choose a commercial agent, only their name is required. The address is already familiar to the secretary of state because it’s included in the agent’s listing statement.
If your organization already operates in North Dakota, and you wish to change your agent, you can do it online through the state’s FirstStop filing system by following these steps:
Harbor Compliance’s Registered Agent Service offers the necessary infrastructure and know-how to ensure you never miss an important notice. By partnering with us, you get:
Our services are supported with advanced software that lets you manage your notices from a single, centralized platform. You’ll get an email as soon as we process your notice, which you can download from your Client Portal through the provided link. No matter how many states you operate in, our consolidated solution lets you stay on top of all official correspondence.
Besides the Registered Agent Service, we offer numerous solutions that help your organization meet state requirements effortlessly:
If you appoint yourself or another individual as your registered agent, you might expose your organization to several risks. Naming yourself damages your privacy, as your name and address would enter the public record. Worse yet, you could be served a lawsuit in front of colleagues and clients.
With another individual, there’s always a chance of missing a notice due to their absence. They might fall sick, travel, or have an emergency that prevents them from receiving your notice. In any case, you risk default judgment that can hurt your organization.
Harbor Compliance eliminates all of the above issues, so engaging with us gives you:
There are several ways to enlist Harbor Compliance as your registered agent, depending on whether you are:
If you’re registering your legal entity for the first time, our Incorporation, Nonprofit Formation, and LLC Formation services can take care of the entire process. We can submit all the necessary documents and name ourselves as your registered agent.
You can also order our Registered Agent Service separately and make the filings on your own. Find the address of our Fargo office in the Client Portal, fill in the necessary information, and submit the documents to the secretary of state.
If you sign up for our Registered Agent Service, we can make the switch from your previous agent on your behalf.
As you go through the wizard, you’ll see the option to add Change of Agent service right before checkout. Click the checkbox, complete the order, and we’ll appoint Harbor Compliance as your new registered agent.
If your organization is formed outside of North Dakota, you’ll need to foreign qualify before you can operate in the state. This is another process we can complete in your name through our Foreign Qualification Service.
Once you complete the wizard, we’ll obtain your North Dakota certificate of authority and enlist ourselves as your official point of contact with the state.
Located in nearby Fargo, ND!
Appoint us as your North Dakota registered agent when you incorporate your business or form your LLC. Sign up for registered agent service and file using the state forms and instructions in your Client Portal. The forms are pre-filled and signed as required by the state.
Appoint us as your agent when you apply for a certificate of authority to transact business in North Dakota. Sign up for North Dakota registered agent service and file using the forms and instructions in your Client Portal. The forms are pre-filled and signed as required by the state.
Changing your registered agent to us is easy. Sign up for North Dakota registered agent service and file using the forms and instructions in your Client Portal. The forms are pre-filled and signed as required by the state.
Harbor Compliance is a provider of nationwide registered agent service. We can help you consolidate your agent representation and achieve cost savings. Our specialists manage the process to change registered agents so that virtually no work is required on your part. We will complete the state filings to appoint us as your registered agent. Additionally, we can extend your subscription term so that you avoid double payment for any portion of your current contract. There’s no reason to wait. Simply contact us for consolidation and we’ll take care of the rest. If you have registered agent appointments spanning multiple states or entities, contact us today.
Below are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about North Dakota registered agents. If you need additional information, explore our Information Center.
Barring a few exceptions, all legal entities must appoint a registered agent to operate legally in North Dakota.
A commercial registered agent is an individual or organization that has filed a listing statement with the North Dakota secretary of state, after which they’re listed in the state’s registry.
You can change your North Dakota registered agent through the FirstStop online portal on the secretary of state’s website. Everything can be done electronically, so you don’t need to submit a paper form.
Yes, but you won’t have the privacy you get if you appoint another individual or organization. You’ll also need to accept service of process in person, which can cause discomfort in case of legal action.
Running an organization entails many responsibilities, so partnering with Harbor Compliance is an excellent way to free yourself from some of them. Order our Registered Agent Service, and we’ll ensure you never miss a legal notice.
If you need additional help meeting North Dakota’s regulatory requirements, you can also:
Harbor Compliance has offices around the U.S., so consult the following table if you need registered agent services in other states:
