The 6 steps to change your registered agent in North Dakota. Source: North Dakota Secretary of State.
How to File
1
Obtain consent from your new registered agent
Before filing any paperwork, confirm your new registered agent agrees to serve and has a North Dakota street address (not a P.O. Box) where they can receive legal documents during business hours.
2
Complete the Statement of Change of Registered Agent form
File the Statement of Change of Registered Agent with the North Dakota Secretary of State. This form requires your LLC name, file number, current agent information, and new agent details with their written consent.
3
Pay the required filing fee
Submit the $30 filing fee with your form. The North Dakota Secretary of State accepts payments by check, money order, or credit card for online filings.
4
Submit your filing to the Secretary of State
Mail your completed form and fee to North Dakota Secretary of State, 600 E Boulevard Ave Dept 108, Bismarck ND 58505-0500, or file online at https://sos.nd.gov if using their electronic filing system.
5
Notify your old registered agent
Inform your previous registered agent in writing that their services are no longer needed and provide the effective date of the change to avoid confusion about document delivery.
6
Update your internal records
Update your LLC's operating agreement, business licenses, and any contracts that reference your registered agent to reflect the new agent information for consistency.
Ready to file your annual report?
Go directly to the North Dakota Secretary of State portal.
Your current registered agent is moving out of North Dakota or closing their business
You want to switch from being your own registered agent to using a professional service for privacy and reliability
Your registered agent has failed to forward important legal documents or annual report notices
You're relocating your business and need a registered agent in a different North Dakota city
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 publishes about filing deadlines, fees, and the consequences of missing them, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own company owes: the date turns on when and where you formed, states change these rules between our reviews, and in several states an entity-level tax falls due in a year when no report does. Confirm your own dates with the filing office named on this page before you rely on one here, because the penalty for missing a deadline can be administrative dissolution of the company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Processing typically takes 3-5 business days for mail filings and 1-2 business days for online submissions through the North Dakota Secretary of State's electronic filing system. The change becomes effective immediately upon approval.
File Form SB-2 (Statement of Change of Registered Agent) with the North Dakota Secretary of State's Business Services Division. Online filing through their efile portal costs $0 and processes within 24 hours, while paper submissions require a $5 filing fee and take 3-5 business days. The effective date is the date of approval, not submission. You'll receive confirmation via email for online filings or postal mail for paper submissions.
This timeline matters because your registered agent handles legal service of process; gaps in coverage create liability exposure. If your current agent is unreliable or your business relocated, submit your change immediately to avoid missing critical court documents. Start by accessing the Secretary of State's website at sos.nd.gov to download Form SB-2 and determine whether online or mail filing suits your timeline.
Changing your registered agent in North Dakota costs $30, which the Secretary of State charges for filing the Statement of Change of Registered Agent form. This fee applies whether you submit your form online through the Secretary of State's filing portal or mail it directly to their Bismarck office. You can't avoid this charge regardless of filing method. For North Dakota LLCs, this $30 fee represents your only state-level cost for the agent change. There are no additional processing, verification, or administrative fees. To proceed, download the Statement of Change of Registered Agent form from the North Dakota Secretary of State website, complete it with your new agent's details, and either file online with payment or mail it with a check to ensure your LLC maintains continuous compliance. The North Dakota Secretary of State publishes no standard processing time for this filing.
Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in North Dakota if you maintain a physical street address within the state and are consistently available during business hours to receive legal documents and service of process. To make this change, file Form SB-2 (Application for Reservation of Name or Change of Registered Agent) with the North Dakota Secretary of State, paying a $5 filing fee. Your registered agent address must be a legitimate street location, not a PO Box, and you must personally accept all legal documents, lawsuits, and government correspondence. This means you're responsible for ensuring nothing is missed or mishandled. If you're frequently unavailable, miss critical deadlines, or fail to properly process legal notices, your LLC faces serious consequences including default judgments and loss of good standing. Many North Dakota business owners choose professional registered agent services instead to avoid personal liability and maintain privacy. Submit your Form SB-2 to the Secretary of State's office in Bismarck to officially register yourself as your LLC's agent.
No, changing your registered agent won't affect your LLC's good standing status with the North Dakota Secretary of State. You can update your registered agent by filing Form SL-2 (Statement of Change) with the North Dakota Secretary of State's office for a $10 filing fee. The change typically takes effect upon filing and doesn't interrupt your LLC's compliance status.
However, failing to maintain a registered agent at all times or neglecting to file the required change form creates serious exposure. North Dakota requires every LLC to continuously designate a registered agent with a physical street address in the state. If your LLC operates without a registered agent, the Secretary of State may administratively dissolve your LLC for non-compliance, terminating your legal entity status and personal liability protection.
The practical implication is straightforward: you must file the Form SL-2 promptly whenever your registered agent changes, whether due to resignation, relocation, or business restructuring. Submit your completed Form SL-2 and $10 fee to the North Dakota Secretary of State immediately after your agent transition occurs to maintain uninterrupted good standing.
North Dakota's Secretary of State accepts registered agent changes through both channels: online filing via their Business Services portal at https://sos.nd.gov or traditional mail to the Secretary of State's office in Bismarck. Online filing through the state's website is significantly faster, typically processing within 1-2 business days with immediate email confirmation, versus 5-7 business days for mailed documents. You'll complete Form SFN 11082 (Application for Amendment) either digitally or by paper. The filing fee remains $10 regardless of method. Online filing eliminates postal delays and provides you with an instant confirmation number for your records, which is essential if your current agent is departing imminently. This matters because your LLC must always maintain an active registered agent; gaps in representation create compliance risks. To proceed immediately, visit the Secretary of State's website and select "File Online" under business filings to submit your amendment today.
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.
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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.
