How to Conduct a North Dakota Business Entity Search

The North Dakota business search, sometimes called the North Dakota business name search, is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the businesses on file with the state. Whether you’re a seasoned business owner who needs to request a Certificate of Good Standing or a soon-to-be entrepreneur who wants to research business name availability, this search is your go-to tool.

But using the search can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you’ve never used a tool like this before. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ve assembled a step-by-step tutorial to help you use the business search as seamlessly as possible. We’ll also talk through some important business naming rules in North Dakota and what you should do after searching the state database.

Let’s get started.

North Dakota Secretary of State Contact Information

Address: 600 E Boulevard Avenue Dept 108 Bismarck ND 58505-0500	Fax: 701-328-2992
Telephone: 701-328-2900	Website: https://firststop.sos.nd.gov/

North Dakota Business Name Guidelines

When you’re starting a business, one of the most important things you’ll do is pick your business name. And like other states, North Dakota has several rules about naming your business. 

First, your name needs to be different from the names of other registered companies in North Dakota, including both domestic and foreign corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and so on. This is one of the simplest but most important naming standards. 

That said, uniqueness isn’t the only naming guideline to adhere to. Here are a few other rules your North Dakota entity name should follow: 

• Your business name needs to include a designator. For corporations, this means including a word like “corporation,” “incorporated,” “company,” “limited,” or an abbreviation of one of these words. Meanwhile, North Dakota LLCs need to include the phrase “limited liability company” or the abbreviation “LLC” with or without periods.
• Your name must be written in standard English letters or characters.
• Your name cannot state or imply that your business conducts activities that aren’t permitted by law or by your formation documents.
• Your name may not include designators that belong to another business type.

If you’re in a licensed trade or profession, keep in mind that you’ll need to meet any naming rules that your industry has in place, too. If your business name doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll need to pick a new one.

How to Search by Business Name

The North Dakota business search allows you to look up business information in two different ways: by company name or by a company’s system ID. We’ll walk you through both processes in this guide, but we’ll focus on the name search process here.

One quick note before we dive in: North Dakota does have an older archived business records search that you might (or might not) come across online. In this guide, we’ll focus on the current, updated business search that’s featured on the Secretary of State’s website.

Step 1: Set up your search

To get started, you’ll need to navigate to the business search homepage.

If you want, you can simply type the business name and click “Search.” But if you select the “Advanced” tab underneath the search bar, you can expand the tool to display different search filters you can apply. Here are your options:

• Contains: This setting will retrieve results for business names that include your search terms anywhere in the name. For example, if you searched “America” using this setting, you’d see names like “All American Trucking” and “Access America.”
• Starts With: This setting will limit results to include those business names that begin with the same words as your search terms. Going back to our “America” example, this search would display names that have “America” as the first part of the name.
• Active Entities Only: Check this box if you want your results list to feature listings for businesses that are currently active in the state.

Set any of the filters you wish to use. Then, type your search terms into the search bar and click “Search.”

Step 2: Review your search results

In a matter of seconds, the business search tool will pull up a list of all the business names that match your search terms. For the sake of illustration, here’s what our results list looked like when we ran a “Contains” search for “Smith.”

On this first page, you’ll see the full company name, entity type, control ID number, status, standing, and filing date for each matching business. You’ll also see whether a business is foreign or domestic to North Dakota within the first column.

If you’d like to learn more about a particular company, click on the arrow beside its name. This will open a secondary window with additional information.

On this page, you can see extra facts, including the company’s duration, principal address, mailing address, and annual report due date. You’ll also see the name and address of the person or company that serves as that company’s registered agent.

At the top of the window, you can click the “Request Certificate” icon if you need to get a Certificate of Good Standing for the business. The “View History” icon at the bottom of the screen lets you see the company’s filing history, such as its initial filing or its annual reports.

Checking Name Availability Using the Name Search

If you’re starting a new business, you need to check that your desired name is available before you start filing any registration paperwork. Unfortunately, North Dakota doesn’t offer a dedicated name availability search tool, but you can use the business name search feature to get a good feel for whether or not your name is available.

To get started, open the search homepage and set it to “Contains.” Then, type in the business name you’re hoping to use (minus any designators like “LLC” or “Company”).

Ideally, you’ll see a message that reads, “No results were found.” If that happens, there’s a decent chance that your name is available. But if there are any businesses with a name that matches (or at least includes the same words as) your business name, you’ll see them listed. You’ll need to ensure that your name is distinct enough, so you may need to make some tweaks or pick a new name altogether.

Remember, this search is only preliminary; it doesn’t guarantee that your name is available. The Secretary of State’s office will have the final say when you file your Articles of Organization or make a name reservation.

How to Run an ND SOS Business Search by System ID

The second (and most streamlined) search option is to look up a business by its system ID number. When a North Dakota entity first registers, the Secretary of State assigns it a unique ID number. You can search that ID number to find that company’s information right away — without the need to sift through a long list of business names.

To do so, navigate to the search page (no need to use the Advanced search filters here). Then, simply type in the system ID number and hit “Search.”

As long as you typed in the number correctly, you’ll see a listing for the business. For example, here’s what our results page looked like when we searched our sample business above.

As before, you can click on the arrow beside the company’s name to see its detailed information, review its filing history, or request a Certificate of Good Standing for it.

What to Do After Searching Business Names in North Dakota

After you’ve come up with a name and searched it, you’re probably feeling like you’ve done a lot of legwork. You’d hate for that hard work to go to waste, right? Here are some steps you can take to protect your North Dakota business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your North Dakota business name (optional)

If you’ve picked the perfect business name but you’re not quite ready to file your business formation paperwork, North Dakota allows you to reserve a business name.

You can file a Reserved Name Application online through North Dakota’s FirstStop portal. Currently, there’s a $10 filing fee for both LLCs and corporations.

After your paperwork is filed and approved, your name reservation will be valid for 12 months. You can renew this reservation if needed. This step is optional, and you should only pursue it if you’ve picked a name but aren’t ready to file your formation paperwork yet.

Form an LLC or register your business

One of the best ways to protect your business name is to register your business. After you register a business under your chosen name, no one else in the state will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering a North Dakota business is an important legal process. Learn more about starting a North Dakota LLC. 

Get a domain name that matches

You want your customers to find your business website easily. That means you need a domain name that matches your business name as closely as possible. A matching domain will help your brand maintain consistency both in person and online.

If you’re struggling to come up with a domain name (or the one that matches your name is already taken), try using a domain name generator. A generator can help you come up with a domain that matches your brand image. 

Set up your business online

Today, you can’t run a business without a good digital footprint. A good business website is a decent starting point. But don’t stop there; set up social media accounts like a Facebook page, a TikTok profile, and an Instagram account. Make sure your business name is included on each account so your brand is consistent across your online presence.

Last but not least, set up a Google Business Profile for your business (or claim it if it already exists). This profile will help you direct customers to your website or your store location. Plus, it’ll help you respond to customer reviews and build a good brand reputation in the Peace Garden State.

Trademark your business name (optional)

If you want the most robust protections for your business name, you could pursue trademark registration. Trademarks can be registered at the state or federal level (with federal protections being the strongest). 

Getting a trademark can be pretty complicated and time-consuming. If you go this route, it’s highly recommended to work with a trademark attorney.