Hiring a Business Lawyer in North Dakota
How to form an LLC in North Dakota, the state fees and yearly filings, how to check a lawyer's license, and the state bar's fee rules. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in North Dakota: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under North Dakota Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client stating how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal, litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery, and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated; it must identify expenses the client owes whether or not the client prevails. At the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined, including an itemization of expenses. Rule 1.5(d) bars fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support or property settlement, and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. |
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North Dakota rules to know first
| How to form an LLC | An LLC is created by filing articles of organization with the Secretary of State. After choosing a structure, a name and a registered agent, you go to "Start a Business" in the online FirstStop Portal to begin the registration. The Secretary of State pages reviewed did not state a processing time. |
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| LLC filing fee | The Secretary of State lists the LLC registration fee (articles of organization) as $135. By statute, filing articles of organization and issuing a certificate of organization costs one hundred thirty-five dollars. |
| Registered agent | LLCs must maintain a North Dakota registered agent with a physical address in North Dakota. A business may not serve as its own registered agent, but an individual from the business who lives in North Dakota can serve as a noncommercial registered agent. You must get the agent's approval before naming them. The fee to change a registered agent or office is $10 (per entity when the agent is a noncommercial agent). |
| Annual report | LLCs file an annual report with the Secretary of State by November 15. The first report is due in the year after the calendar year the LLC was registered. The fee is $50. By statute, a late report adds a fifty-dollar late fee, and after the LLC is terminated for not filing, reinstatement costs one hundred thirty-five dollars. A business that does not file is placed in Not Good Standing and is typically terminated if the past-due report is not filed within 6 to 12 months. |
| Operating agreement | North Dakota law defines an operating agreement as the agreement of all the members, including a sole member, whether oral, in a record, implied, or any combination of these. No provision requiring an operating agreement to be filed with the Secretary of State was found in the pages reviewed. Source: N.D. Cent. Code § 10-32.1-02(36) |
| Closing an LLC | A domestic LLC files dissolution/termination with the Secretary of State; the fee is $20. By statute, filing articles of dissolution and termination costs twenty dollars, and filing a notice of dissolution costs ten dollars. A foreign LLC withdrawal is $20. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The State Bar Association of North Dakota's Lawyer Referral Service matches paying clients with lawyers. A referral includes a lawyer's name, phone number and up to a 30-minute consultation with a lawyer in the area of law and town or county you choose. The charge for a referral is $30. Phone: (866) 450-9579. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The North Dakota Court System (Supreme Court) publishes a lawyer search on its website that can be browsed by last initial, license status, city or state, plus a seniority list of currently licensed lawyers by bar admission date. The Disciplinary Board page links to it. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The North Dakota Disciplinary Board, through the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, handles complaints about unethical conduct by lawyers licensed in North Dakota. Send a written, signed and dated complaint describing the conduct, with witness names and copies of relevant documents, to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, 125 Slate Dr., Ste. 2, P.O. Box 2297, Bismarck, ND 58502-2297 (701-328-3925); you do not need a lawyer. Complaints without indications of misconduct are dismissed; others are investigated and referred to a district inquiry committee, which can dismiss, admonish, agree to probation or start formal proceedings that may go to a hearing panel and the Supreme Court. The process may take several months, and you get written notice of the outcome. A complaint does not change the outcome of a case and is not a claim for damages. |
All legal help in North Dakota · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.