Starting a Business in Fargo: Licenses, Registrations & Checklist
A step-by-step plan to open a business in Fargo: what to file first, what depends on what, and which permits come before opening day. Change the business details to fit yours.
Permits and registrations specific to Fargo, ND
- City business license — Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota · City auditor/clerk: Fargo / Cass County (city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Fargo · Fargo (Cass County) building department (city)
- Form the business: North Dakota Secretary of State
- Register for state taxes: North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner
- Register as an employer: Job Service North Dakota
Startup sequence and prerequisites in Fargo
Based on your selections, this plan has 9 steps. What you file first decides what you can do next: later registrations and licenses wait on the ones below.
Do these first
- Maintain a registered agent in North Dakota
- File formation documents with the North Dakota Secretary of State
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Then, once those are done
- Register for and file North Dakota entity-level taxes — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- City business license — Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Fargo — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Known charges: $50.00 per year.
Total incomplete: some fees unknown
8 of 9 steps have no fee amount in our data. The figures above count only the 1 step with a recorded fee. Check each agency's fee schedule.
Common questions about Fargo
The state licenses your industry through its own regulator, and the city and county add local permits. These are the authorities and local items on record for Fargo:
- Contractor licensing: North Dakota Secretary of State (contractor licensing)
- Real estate licensing: North Dakota Real Estate Commission
- Alcohol licensing: North Dakota Office of Attorney General (with local licensing)
- Child care licensing: North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services
- Health facility licensing: North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services
- City business license — Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota (City auditor/clerk: Fargo / Cass County, city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Fargo (Fargo (Cass County) building department, city)
With your current selections, the licenses and permits are: City business license — Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Fargo. Change the industry above to see yours.
Sources: tax.nd.gov, sos.nd.gov, tax.nd.gov, jobsnd.com
Formation comes first; tax, license and employer registrations wait on it. In your plan the first steps are:
- Maintain a registered agent in North Dakota
- File formation documents with the North Dakota Secretary of State
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Sources: tax.nd.gov, sos.nd.gov, tax.nd.gov
Known government fees for your plan: $0.00 one-time and $50.00 per year.
Steps without a recorded fee are not counted, so check each agency's fee schedule before you budget.
Sources: tax.nd.gov, sos.nd.gov, tax.nd.gov
In your plan for Fargo, requirements come from four levels. North Dakota sets formation, state taxes and employer rules; the city and county add local licenses and taxes.
- Federal (2): Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN); File federal income tax return: Form 1040 with Schedule C
- State (4): Maintain a registered agent in North Dakota; File Annual Report (North Dakota); Register for and file North Dakota entity-level taxes; File the annual unclaimed property holder report (North Dakota)
- City (2): City business license — Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Fargo
Sources: tax.nd.gov, sos.nd.gov, tax.nd.gov
- Register for unemployment insurance with Job Service North Dakota.
- Workers' compensation: North Dakota Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI). Required when: 1 employee
- Register to withhold North Dakota income tax from wages.
Sources: jobsnd.com, nd.gov, tax.nd.gov