North Dakota § 54-09-04 - Fees

Full text of North Dakota North Dakota Century Code § 54-09-04 — Fees, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 54-09-04. Fees

1. The secretary of state shall charge and collect the following fees: a. Unless otherwise provided by law, for affixing the signature of the secretary of state, certificate, or seal, or combination thereof to any document, ten dollars. b. For searching records and archives of the state, five dollars. For the purposes of this section, a search of records conducted by the secretary of state for which a fee must be collected includes the following: (1) A search of a filed document that is active or archived, an archived index, or an index of business name changes to identify specific information to satisfy a request; (2) A search of any record for which written verification of the facts of the search is required; and (3) For every search of records when the request for the search is contained in a list compiled by the requester. The secretary of state may provide, at no charge, information from publications or reference materials published or maintained by the secretary of state and verbal confirmation of any element of information maintained in a computer database. c. For filing any transaction not otherwise provided for, ten dollars. d. For filing any process, notice, or demand for service, the fee provided in section 10-01.1-03. e. For preparing any listing or compilation of any information recorded or filed in the office of the secretary of state, forty dollars for each record type requested. Unless otherwise agreed to by the secretary of state, the information must be provided in an electronic format. If provided in a paper format, an additional fee of fifty cents per page may be charged. 2. An individual required to file an oath of office with the secretary of state may not be charged for filing the oath of office, nor may a state or county officer be charged for filing any document with the secretary of state when acting in the officer's official capacity. All fees when collected must be paid by the secretary of state into the state treasury at the end of each month and placed to the credit of the state. Unless otherwise provided by law, the secretary of state shall retain a handling charge from filing fees tendered when a document submitted to the secretary of state under any law is rejected and not perfected. The handling charge is five dollars or fifty percent of the filing fee, whichever is greater, but may not exceed one hundred dollars. 3. If, upon due presentment, any check, draft, money order, or other form of lawful payment provisionally accepted in payment of any filing fee authorized to be charged and collected by the secretary of state, is not honored or paid, or if no lawful form of payment accompanies the filing, any record of credit or payment must be canceled or reversed as though no credit had been given or payment attempted and the filing or action is void. The secretary of state may return to the last-known address of the filer any record or document that was attempted to be filed or may retain as unfiled the record or document for a reasonable time to permit proper payment and filing. 4. This section does not apply to fees submitted for filing in, or information obtained from, the computerized central notice system, to the computerized Uniform Commercial Code central filing database, or to the computerized statutory liens database.

Source: official North Dakota text · Last verified 2026-08-27

Frequently Asked Questions About North Dakota § 54-09-04

What does North Dakota Century Code § 54-09-04 cover?

Section 54-09-04 ("Fees") is part of the North Dakota Century Code, the codified statutory law of North Dakota. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

How do I cite North Dakota § 54-09-04?

A common citation format is "North Dakota Century Code § 54-09-04" (North Dakota). Legal writing may require the code abbreviation, section number, and year or edition. Match the style required by your court, professor, or publisher.

Is this the official text of North Dakota law?

No. This page is for research and education and may not include the most recent amendments. For official current law, check the North Dakota official source linked on this page or consult a licensed North Dakota attorney.

How does North Dakota § 54-09-04 apply to my situation?

Statutes are interpreted in context, and application depends on your specific facts. Only a licensed attorney in North Dakota can advise on how this section applies to you. Contact your state or local bar association for a referral.

Sources & Verification

Not legal advice. Verify against the official source and consult a licensed attorney in North Dakota.