North Dakota · 3 jurisdictions covered
Business licenses and permits in North Dakota
North Dakota's sales tax permit costs nothing and never expires — no renewal cycle at all. Its food establishment fees were rebuilt effective January 1, 2026, and its general contractor license is tiered by project size, from $100 up to $450.
What applies everywhere in North Dakota
16 requirements are set by North Dakota itself and apply whichever city you open in. Local permits sit on top of them.
| Requirement | Issued by | Fee | Applies | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporation | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $100 one-time filing, domestic | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC) | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $135 one-time filing | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Auto Repair Licensing — State of North Dakota position | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Barbershop License | North Dakota Board of Barber Examiners | $50 a year; opening a new shop adds a one-time $100 inspection fee | To every business | 2026-09-04 |
| Child Care License | North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Services | $20–$95 a year, by facility size — family child care $20, group child care $25, preschool $30, a licensed center $40, a multiple licensed program $50 — or nearly double for a two-year license | To every business | 2026-09-04 |
| Corporation Annual Report | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $25 a year; late fees escalate to $45 within 90 days and $85 after | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Cosmetology Establishment License | North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology | $100–$150 up to $150 for the original license and up to $100 a year to renew — statutory maximums the board may charge | To every business | 2026-09-04 |
| Electrician License | North Dakota State Electrical Board | Fee not confirmed against a primary source — North Dakota law sets no statutory cap and leaves the amount entirely to the State Electrical Board, whose own site did not publish a current fee table when checked. | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Establishment License | North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging Division | $130 plus 50 cents per seat for a restaurant, capped at $310; a limited restaurant is a flat $130; a mobile food unit is $130; a temporary stand is $50 per event, capped at $250 a year. | To every business | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Handler or Manager Certification — North Dakota Food Code position | North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging Division | No fee | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — State of North Dakota position | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| General Contractor License | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $100–$450 initial, by class — Class D (jobs up to $100,000) $100, Class C (up to $300,000) $225, Class B (up to $500,000) $300, Class A (over $500,000) $450; renewal runs $30 to $90 | To every business | 2026-09-04 |
| LLC Annual Report | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $50 a year; a late filing adds a further $50 | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Plumbing License | North Dakota State Board of Plumbing | $100–$200 capped by statute at $100 for a journeyman and $200 for a master plumber; the board's currently posted journeyman figures run a $50 exam plus a $50 application and $100 license fee | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Sales Tax Permit | North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner | No fee | To every business | 2026-09-04 |
| Veterinary Facility Licensing — State of North Dakota position | North Dakota Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners | No fee | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
Sources
Every statewide figure above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- North Dakota Century Code chapter 10-19.1 — corporation formation fee and annual report fee and deadlineNorth Dakota Legislative Branch · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Century Code chapter 10-32.1 — LLC formation fee and annual report fee and deadlineNorth Dakota Legislative Branch · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Secretary of State — starting a business, with no general license step in the processNorth Dakota Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Century Code section 43-04-42 — barbershop annual license fee and new-shop inspection feeNorth Dakota Legislative Branch · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Century Code section 50-11.1-03 — child care license fee schedule by facility type and by one- or two-year termNorth Dakota Legislative Branch · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Century Code section 43-11-28 — cosmetology establishment license fee cap and annual December 31 expirationNorth Dakota Legislative Branch · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Century Code chapter 43-09 — electrician licensing term and the board's fee-setting authorityNorth Dakota Legislative Branch · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Administrative Code section 33-33-08-01 — food establishment fee schedule, effective January 1, 2026North Dakota Legislative Branch · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Century Code section 23-09-16 — waiver of the state food license where a local health unit is approvedNorth Dakota Legislative Branch · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Food Code guide — the person-in-charge food safety knowledge standard, with no statewide CFPM mandateNorth Dakota Department of Health and Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Secretary of State — general contractor license classes, fees, and the $4,000 minor-work thresholdNorth Dakota Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Century Code chapter 43-18 — plumber licensing fee caps and annual December 31 expirationNorth Dakota Legislative Branch · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner — sales and use tax permit registration, with no fee statedNorth Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- North Dakota Century Code chapter 43-29 — veterinary licensing statute, with no separate premises license categoryNorth Dakota Legislative Branch · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Which North Dakota city are you opening in?
- Fargo, NDThe City's own Business & Occupational Licensing page states that Fargo does not require business licenses for every type of commerce: the City licenses a closed list of trades and activities rather than commerce generally, so eight of the ten industries covered here need no city license at all. Food is the exception and it is genuinely local — North Dakota HHS delegates food licensing and inspection to Fargo Cass Public Health under a Memorandum of Understanding covering the City of Fargo and the City of West Fargo, and the state's own mobile-food guidance records that Fargo is one of only three North Dakota jurisdictions outside the statewide reciprocity arrangement. The food license fee is a genuine, disclosed gap: Fargo Municipal Code 13-0302 sets it 'by resolution of the board of city commissioners' and no current resolution or schedule is published, so the requirement is recorded without a price. What is fully confirmed from the City's own current documents: a commercial building permit on a seven-bracket valuation table effective January 1, 2026 ($55.00 up to $1,000 of valuation, rising to $5,316.75 plus $4.64 per $1,000 above $1,000,000) with plan review at twenty percent of the permit fee and a $50.00 minimum; a permanent sign permit at $50.00 or $0.50 per square foot of face area, whichever is greater; a flat $70.00 annual fire operational permit for forty-one of the Fire Department's forty-four permit types, $140.00 for hazardous materials; a $185.00 conditional use permit and a $185.00 Board of Adjustment variance; and a $60.00 zoning confirmation letter. Fargo repealed its own childcare permit in 2020 and now runs only an inspection, priced at $50.00 initially with $30.00 re-inspections, though the schedule sits on Inspections letterhead while Inspections says the Fire Department now performs the work. The City's own list of license categories names none for fitness studios, auto repair, veterinary practice or salons; general contractors are licensed by the North Dakota Secretary of State above a $4,000 job threshold rather than by the City, which licenses only specific trades.14 published records
- Grand Forks, NDThe City's Doing Business in Grand Forks page states: 'The City of Grand Forks only requires a business license for the specific types of businesses listed below. There is not a general business license for most businesses.' The thirty articles of City Code Chapter XXI (Licensing and Business and Trade Regulations) include no child care, cosmetology, veterinary, automotive repair, fitness or general retail article. Food is licensed locally under a North Dakota HHS delegation to Grand Forks Public Health, with an unusual split: the City Auditor issues the license under Code 21-0703 while public health enforces it under 21-0709. Food establishment fees for 2026 are $150.00 at Level 1, $300.00 at Level 2 and $400.00 at Level 3 or 4, plus $1.00 per seat capped at $150.00, expiring December 31 with no proration; a childcare facility kitchen is $25.00. Mobile food units are $100.00, $150.00 and $225.00 by level, with a $25.00 reciprocity license for units already licensed by another recognised North Dakota jurisdiction. The contractor threshold is the notable local trap — Code 21-2902(1) requires a city license above $2,000 per job, less than half the state's $4,000, and 21-2906 requires the state license first; a building contractor license is $65.00 with a $5,000 bond, an electrical contractor $170.00, an excavator $120.00 with a $500.00 deposit. Signs are $21.00 per $1,000 of valuation, or $40.00 for neon, and portable signs are no longer allowed anywhere in the City's jurisdiction. Zoning applications run $200.00 for a conditional use permit, $120.00 to the Board of Adjustments, $150.00 to the Board of Appeals and $70.00 for a subdivision variance. Fire permits and construction permits are $60.00 each, and a daycare fire inspection is $60.00. A swimming pool license is $250.00 for the first pool plus $40.00 per additional waterbody. The largest single cost a Grand Forks restaurant faces is not a license but alcohol: a Class 4 food and beverage establishment under 100 seats pays a $32,000.00 one-time issuance fee, rising to $69,500.00 at 100 seats or more, before the $4,000.00 annual fee.14 published records
- Bismarck, NDThe City's New Business Licenses and Permits page states: 'The City of Bismarck does not presently have a general business license, however certain occupations may require a license or permit, specific to that use, to operate.' The City Code's chapter lists are consistent with that statement — the chapter lists of Title 5 (Business Regulations) and Title 8 (Health) name no chapter for childcare, cosmetology, veterinary practice, auto repair or fitness, and the Community Development Department's Licenses page states that it issues licenses for mechanical/HVAC installers, sign installers and mobile home parks. Food is the real local layer: North Dakota HHS delegates food licensing and inspection to Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health by Memorandum of Understanding, and unlike Fargo, Bismarck publishes its schedule. Food licenses are tiered by risk level then banded by floor area — Level 1 from $165.00 to $220.00, Level 2 from $275.00 to $330.00, and Level 3, which is where a full restaurant sits, from $385.00 under 5,000 square feet to $550.00 above 20,000 — with the license year running April 1 to March 31, mobile food units at $85.00 (risk level 1) or $165.00 (risk level 2), a temporary food permit at $85.00, childcare and school kitchens at $165.00 as Institutions Type 1, tattoo and body art at $165.00 and tanning at $110.00 or $165.00 by bed count. Building permits run a seven-bracket valuation table from $40.00, with a twenty percent plan review surcharge added to all commercial permits; electrical permits are a flat $25.00, home occupation $25.00, temporary use $50.00 and demolition $75.00. There is no separate sign permit fee — Title 14 routes signs to the building permit valuation table instead. Planning fees under the January 2026 schedule include a $750.00 special use permit, a $550.00 variance, a $250.00 appeal and a $100.00 zoning verification letter. Fire charges $50.00 for a day care centre or group home inspection and $75.00 for permits not otherwise listed. General contractors are licensed by the North Dakota Secretary of State above a $4,000 job threshold; the City licenses only mechanical/HVAC contractors, at $125.00 for Class A and $75.00 for Class B.13 published records
Is there a single North Dakota business license?
No. North Dakota has no single license that covers every business. What you need depends on your industry, your city and your county, and most of the obligations that matter are issued locally rather than at state level.
The state-level registrations that do apply to nearly everyone are tax accounts rather than licenses — which is why they are easy to miss.
Who issues permits in North Dakota?
- North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionEntity formation · Annual reports · General contractor licensing7 permits
- North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging DivisionFood establishment licensing2 permits
- North Dakota Board of Barber ExaminersBarbershop licensing1 permit
- North Dakota Board of Veterinary Medical ExaminersVeterinarian licensing1 permit
- North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood ServicesChild care facility licensing1 permit
- North Dakota Office of State Tax CommissionerSales tax permits1 permit
- North Dakota State Board of CosmetologySalon establishment licensing1 permit
- North Dakota State Board of PlumbingPlumber licensing1 permit
- North Dakota State Electrical BoardElectrician licensing1 permit
By industry
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.