North Dakota Secretary of State Business Entity Search

The state of North Dakota has one of the lowest state income taxes in the country which ranges from 1.10 to 2.90%. North Dakota also has leading industries in agriculture, construction, retail, oil & gas, and transportation. This makes it suitable for a variety of businesses. For new small to medium start-ups, we would recommend forming a North Dakota LLC as it’s cheaper and easy to manage. But do you know the importance of a North Dakota business entity search for naming your new business? If not, our article will explain everything about what a business entity search is and how to perform it for the state of North Dakota.

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North Dakota Business Entity Search

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Selecting a proper name for your business is more important than you think. We all know that the name should be clean, presentable, and should relate to your business niche. But It is also important to know that you cannot select a name that is currently occupied by another entity in the state. A business entity search refers to checking for the business name availability in state records. Like other states, North Dakota also offers an online tool to facilitate a North Dakota business entity search. This will ensure that your North Dakota business name is unique from other businesses in the state. Additionally, there are some more rules for naming your LLC in the state of North Dakota.

North Dakota LLC Naming Guidelines

  • Your ND LLC name must include the phrase, limited liability company or its abbreviations LLC or L.L.C.
  • The name cannot include words that reflect other business structures like corporation, limited partnership, sole proprietorship, or any of their abbreviations.
  • Your ND LLC name should not reflect an unlawful purpose or any other purpose that’s not specified in the Articles of Organization.
  • The name should be different from any existing entity in the state of North Dakota including the reserved names. This can be ensured by conducting a North Dakota business entity search by visiting the North Dakota SOS business search page. This will be explained further in the article.
  • The name should not contain words that would confuse your LLC with a government agency. This includes words like North Dakota Police, FBI, state department, treasury, and so on.

North Dakota Business Entity Search Method

Now that you know the importance of a business entity search for naming your new business, let’s see how to conduct a North Dakota business entity search? The North Dakota Secretary of State business search webpage allows searching through business name or system id. Let us explain each of them in detail.

1) Search By Name

By doing a name search, you can either check for the availability of your preferred name or inquire about an exciting business in the state of North Dakota.

  • Once you land on the North Dakota SOS business search portal, search your preferred name or an already existing business. You can also search the provided advanced search filters as shown in the image.

  • The result page will show all the businesses associated with your searched phrase along with details like business status, SOS id, standing, etc.
  • Click on the business name to view detailed history about any business.

2) Search By System ID

Searching the system id allows you to target a specific business in North Dakota. This will give you the result of a single business associated with the system id. See the image below. As mentioned, you can click on the name of any business to view detailed history about that particular business.

North Dakota SOS ID search

Reserve Your North Dakota LLC Name

Reserving a business name is a really good option if you are not ready to start your business immediately after selecting a name. The North Dakota SOS allows you to reserve a business name for 1 year. To reserve your business name, file the Name reservation application with the North Dakota SOS. The filing fee for the same is $10.

Register Your North Dakota LLC Name

After finalizing a name by doing the North Dakota business entity search, you should register your LLC with the state to officially make the name yours. This is done by forming the North Dakota Articles of Organization. The Articles of Organization can be filed online on the North Dakota SOS Firststop website or by mail. The LLC processing time in North Dakota is 2-3 weeks and the filing fee is $135.

Domain and Trademark

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Selecting a suitable business domain is very important for any business. Your domain name should perfectly correlate with your business name. This will make it easy for the customers to remember your name and find the business online. Additionally, You can secure your business name, symbol, or slogan in North Dakota by filing a trademark. A trademark is not mandatory but doing so will allow you to charge a legal penalty against any unofficial use.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the cost of forming an LLC in North Dakota?

The cost of filing a North Dakota Articles of Organization is $135. This officially forms the LLC in North Dakota.

2. How do I know if a business name is available to use in North Dakota?

As mentioned, go to the North Dakota Secretary of State business search webpage and perform a North Dakota business entity search.

3. How long will it take for the approval of my North Dakota LLC?

The normal processing time for a North Dakota LLC is 2-3 weeks.

4. For how long can I reserve a business name in North Dakota?

The North Dakota SOS allows you to reserve a business name for 1 year.

5. How much does it cost to reserve a business name in North Dakota?

A filing fee of $10 is required to apply for a business name reservation in North Dakota.

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