Get an EIN for North Dakota LLC — Free at IRS.gov (2026)
Your EIN is your LLC's federal tax ID — required for banking, hiring, and North Dakota tax registration. It's 100% free at IRS.gov and takes about 15 minutes. Here's the North Dakota sequence, including the no-SSN path.
Apply for your EIN free at IRS.gov — never pay a third party. With an SSN or ITIN, the online application takes about 15 minutes and issues your EIN immediately. Without one, file Form SS-4 by fax (≈4+ business days) or mail (≈4+ weeks). Apply after your Articles are approved so IRS records match your exact legal name and formation date. North Dakota doesn't require a separate state tax ID number — but register with the Office of State Tax Commissioner for 5% sales tax if you sell taxable goods.
- Cost
- $0 — always free
- Where
- IRS.gov only
- Online time
- ~15 minutes
- Online issuance
- Immediate
- No SSN? (SS-4 fax)
- ~4+ business days
- ND state tax ID needed?
- No — not separately required
What an EIN Is (and Why Every North Dakota LLC Needs One)
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is the nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS assigns your business. You need one even with zero employees:
- Open a business bank account — every bank wants the EIN letter, your confirmed Articles, and your operating agreement.
- Register with the North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner — for sales tax if selling taxable goods, or withholding if hiring.
- File federal and North Dakota taxes — including the state's near-flat, low individual income tax.
- Protect your SSN — put your EIN on W-9s instead of your personal number.
Never pay for an EIN. The IRS charges nothing. Sites charging $50–$300 for "EIN filing" resell a free government form, often styled to look official. The only site you need is IRS.gov.
Which Application Method Should You Use?
EIN Path Picker — North Dakota Edition
2 questions · your exact path, timeline, and North Dakota next step
The IRS online assistant runs Mon–Fri during posted hours and issues one EIN per responsible party per day. All methods are free.
The Online Application, Step by Step
Wait for approval first
Your EIN must match your final legal name and formation date. File through FirstStop and you'll typically have approval quickly.
Go to the IRS EIN Assistant
IRS.gov → "Apply for an Employer ID Number." Choose "Limited Liability Company," then North Dakota.
Enter members and responsible party
Member count sets your default classification — disregarded entity for one member, partnership for two-plus — and the responsible party provides their SSN/ITIN.
Complete in one session
The application times out after 15 idle minutes with no save. Keep your confirmed Articles in front of you.
Download the CP 575 immediately
Your confirmation letter displays once. Banks will ask for it; a replacement means calling the IRS for Letter 147C.
No SSN? You Can Still Get an EIN
Non-US founders complete Form SS-4, write "Foreign" on line 7b, and submit by fax (~4+ business days) or mail (~4+ weeks). Line-by-line help in our guides to EINs without an SSN and foreign-owned LLCs. Foreign-owned single-member LLCs: remember Form 5472 — a $25,000 penalty applies even at zero income.
After You Get Your EIN — the North Dakota Sequence
- Open your business bank account — CP 575, confirmed Articles, operating agreement.
- No separate state tax ID needed — but register with the Office of State Tax Commissioner if you sell taxable goods (5% sales tax) or hire employees.
- Calendar November 15 for your annual report next year.
Ahmad Adil's Take: the EIN is the one step where "cheap" and "right" are the same thing — free, from the source, in fifteen minutes. If any site or upsell asks you to pay for it, that tells you exactly how they make money. North Dakota's follow-up step is genuinely simple: there's no separate state tax ID number to apply for, so your next move is just deciding whether the sales tax or withholding registrations actually apply to your business. Handle that in the same sitting while your EIN letter is open, and your compliance stack is essentially done.
- ✓Forms your North Dakota LLC for $39 + the $135 state fee
- ✓Files online with the Secretary of State (FirstStop)
- ✓Free North Dakota registered agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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North Dakota LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $135 Articles of Organization, the $50 annual report due November 15, and North Dakota’s near-flat 1.95% income tax — reflect current North Dakota Secretary of State and Office of State Tax Commissioner guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
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