What do the status labels mean in a North Dakota search?

We did not find a state definition that covers LLCs for the labels listed on this page, so they are shown without meanings. Check the search page rather than guessing from the word.

Business entity search · North Dakota

North Dakota Business Entity Search

By Edmond Hui · Last updated October 5, 2026

The short answer. The North Dakota Secretary of State (Business Services) keeps North Dakota's register of business entities. The official search is the state's “Business Records Search” page, on firststop.sos.nd.gov. We have not confirmed whether the state charges to search, so check the search page itself.

Search North Dakota's register

North Dakota Business Entity Search at a Glance

Register kept by	The North Dakota Secretary of State (Business Services)
Official search	Business Records Search
Cost to search	Not confirmed
Search by	Entity name; entity or filing number
Filed documents online	Not confirmed
Copy fee	Not confirmed
Certifying a copy	Not confirmed
Name reservation	Not required by any rule we found
Name reservation fee	$10.00
Bulk data	Available, for a fee

Read from the government sources listed at the foot of this page, last checked October 5, 2026. See the sources.

How to Search North Dakota's Register

The official search is the state's “Business Records Search” page, on firststop.sos.nd.gov. We have not confirmed whether the state charges to search, so check the search page itself. Open the official search.

On the main search page you can search by:

Entity name
Entity or filing number

What a Search Result Shows

A North Dakota result includes the items below, according to the state's own pages or a result page we read. It may show more.

Entity type
Status
A standing indicator shown apart from the status
Formation or registration date

What Each North Dakota Status Means

The status is the label the register puts on each entity. Where the state defines a label, the meaning below restates that definition, with a link to the state page it comes from. Where it does not, we do not guess from the word, because the same word can mean different things in different states.

Status label	What it means	Applies to
Active In the search tool	The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means.	All entities
Inactive - Consolidated In the search tool	The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means.	All entities
Inactive - Converted Out In the search tool	The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means.	All entities
Inactive - Domesticated In the search tool	The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means.	All entities
Inactive - Expired In the search tool	The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means.	All entities
Inactive - Involuntary In the search tool	The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means.	All entities
Inactive - Merged In the search tool	The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means.	All entities
Inactive - Voluntary In the search tool	The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means.	All entities

This list is not complete. It holds the labels we found on search results we read, and the register may show others.

If the search shows that your own LLC was dissolved, see how to reinstate an LLC in North Dakota.

A search result is not a certificate of good standing. If a bank or another state asks for one, see how to get a North Dakota certificate of good standing.

Viewing and Ordering Documents

We have not confirmed whether filed documents can be viewed online; check the search page.

We have not confirmed what copies or certified copies cost; check the search page or the filing office's fee schedule.

Is the Name Available?

The state tells you to use this same search to check whether a name is already in use. The state says this search is only a preliminary check, not a formal decision that the name is available.

The state's naming standard, in its own words: “distinguishable on record.”

The state lets you reserve a name; we have not found a rule requiring one before you file. A name reservation costs $10.00.

Our free LLC name checker looks up domain and social media handle availability for a name. It does not search North Dakota's register, so check the state's search as well.

Bulk Business Entity Data

North Dakota offers bulk business entity data for a fee. The Secretary of State sells active business record lists for $40 per selected type, and a subscription to all business and trademark records for $1,440 each month. See the state's bulk data page.

Worth Knowing in North Dakota

North Dakota's search shows a Standing column separately from Status. On results we read on October 5, 2026, an inactive entity showed Good Standing.

Ready to form? See what goes on the North Dakota articles of organization.

Frequently Asked Questions

: The North Dakota Secretary of State (Business Services) keeps North Dakota's register of business entities. The official search is the state's “Business Records Search” page, on firststop.sos.nd.gov.
: We have not confirmed whether the state charges to search, so check the search page itself.
: We did not find a state definition that covers LLCs for the labels listed on this page, so they are shown without meanings. Check the search page rather than guessing from the word.
: The state tells you to use this same search to check whether a name is already in use. The state says this search is only a preliminary check, not a formal decision that the name is available. The state lets you reserve a name; we have not found a rule requiring one before you file. A name reservation costs $10.00.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's business entity filing office publishes about searching its register, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you whether a particular business is active, authorized or reliable: read the state's own record for that, and search tools, status labels and fees change between our reviews. Confirm anything you rely on with the filing office named on this page before you act on it.

Sources

Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified North Dakota sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so. Where we hold the citation but no stable public link, the citation is printed on its own rather than pointed at a guessed address.

sos.nd.gov/services/records-searchesRecords Searches
firststop.sos.nd.gov/search/businessFirstStop Business Search (search service responses)
sos.nd.gov/business/business-services/register-businessRegister a Business
sos.nd.gov/business/business-services/start-businessStart a Business
ndlegis.gov/cencode/t10c32-1.pdfN.D.C.C. chapter 10-32.1 (Section 10-32.1-92)
sos.nd.gov/services/data-list-requestsData List Requests
sos.nd.gov/business/business-services/maintain-registrationMaintain Registration
Name standard: North Dakota Administrative Code chapter 72-03-02, as cited on the Secretary of State's Register a Business page

Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.