North Carolina Foreign Registration DIY filing

Do your own North Carolina foreign LLC registration

You can register a foreign LLC in North Carolina yourself by ordering an original certificate of existence, completing Form L-09 and filing it with the Business Registration Division for $250, online or on paper. Allow for whatever time your home state needs to issue the certificate.

What to have in front of you

The LLC's name spelled as its home state spells it, ending included.
Its formation state, and either a principal office address or a decision to say it has none.
Each company official with a title and business address, and a decision about who signs.
An agent for service with an office at a North Carolina street address.
The authenticated certificate of existence, dated within 6 months.
A way to pay: a check payable to the North Carolina Secretary of State, or a card or bank account for online payment.

The route, in order

Order the certificate
Ask the formation state for a certificate of existence, authenticated by its official. Request an original, because North Carolina rejects photocopies.
Print and read Form L-09
The Secretary of State publishes Form L-09 and its instructions on its forms page. The Form L-09 page explains each of the eleven items.
Choose the agent
A North Carolina resident or an entity authorized here, at a street address in the state.
Complete the form
Type or print clearly, list the officials, and have a listed official sign.
Pick your speed
Regular is free of surcharge. For $100 the state guarantees 24-hour filing, and for $200 same-day filing when the document is in by 12:00 noon Eastern.
File
Online, by mail to P.O. Box 29622, Raleigh, NC 27626-0622, or in person in Raleigh during Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..
Diary the first report
The first annual report of $200 is due April 15 of the year after the certificate is issued.

Online or on paper

Filings can be made online, mail or courier, in person in Raleigh. Online filing has the advantage that the state's system takes payment as you file, with a $3 charge for cards or $2 for ACH. On paper you mail a check and the original certificate. In person puts the packet in the Division's hands the same day. A failed check or online payment costs $35.

How long it really takes

There are two clocks. The first is your home state's: how long the certificate of existence takes to arrive, which varies and is the one you control least. The second is North Carolina's, listed at 5 to 10 business days for regular handling. A rush option shortens only the second. If you are against a deadline, order the certificate first and choose the rush only when you are holding it. A rush on an application that has no certificate gets you a quick rejection.

Where DIY filers get stuck

The photocopy. The certificate has to be an original.
The age. More than six months old and it fails.
The signer. Someone not named in the officials item cannot sign.
The name. A name that differs from the certificate raises questions.
The agent address. It must be a North Carolina street address.
The check. Payable to the North Carolina Secretary of State, for the right amount.

After you are authorized

Do not stop at the certificate. Diary the first annual report, and learn the three sixty-day rules: report an agent or office change, tell the state about a new principal office address, and pay anything it bills you. Also answer interrogatories within 30 days. The April 15 page explains the report, and the agent page explains the changes.

When it is worth handing over

The certificate has to arrive fresh, the signer has to be on the list, and the rush choice has to match the document's real readiness. If you would rather not run that, our fee is $199 plus the state charges, and we order the certificate, prepare the form and file online.

A realistic schedule

On day one, request the certificate of existence and decide on the registered agent. While it is on its way, complete the application and have the signer review it. When the original arrives, check its date, attach it, and file. For a regular filing that is the whole of your effort, and the state's listed range of 5 to 10 business days runs after that. Do not file before the certificate is in hand; the form is incomplete without it, and a rush fee spent on an incomplete filing is wasted.

A checklist before you send it

Item 1 reads the same as the certificate of existence.
The registered office is a street in North Carolina, and the county is filled in.
Whoever signs is also listed as an official in item 7.
The certificate is the authenticated original and has not reached six months of age.
A resolution is enclosed if you chose a different name.
The payment matches the fee plus any rush option.

If the Division sends it back

A rejection tells you what to fix. Correct that item, check the others against the list above and file again. If you bought a rush option, the rejection counted as meeting it, so a second rush fee may be needed if you still have a deadline. If the problem is the certificate, order a new one before refiling, since the old one will be older still.

Registered agent: first year included, then $149 a year

$199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.

DIY questions

Do I need a lawyer to file?

No. The state publishes the form and instructions for direct filing, and a lawyer is for questions about whether the company needs to register at all.

Where is the form?

On the Secretary of State's forms page for limited liability companies.

Can I file by email?

The state lists online, mail and in-person filing. Email is not among them.

What does the state do if the form is wrong?

It rejects the document and tells the filer. If you paid for a rush option, the rejection still counts as meeting it.

Is it fine to name myself as agent?

Yes, if you reside in North Carolina. Be aware that your name and street address will be public.

Where do I mail a paper filing?

To P.O. Box 29622, Raleigh, NC 27626-0622, with a check payable to the North Carolina Secretary of State.

How much extra is an online payment?

$3 by card or $2 by ACH, and neither is refunded.

Can I choose a later effective date?

Yes, up to 90 days after filing. A date given alone is effective at 11:59:59 p.m..

Can I hold the name while I assemble the papers?

The state reserves a name for $10.

What happens if my payment fails?

A bounced check or a declined online payment costs $35 from the state.

What do I owe after the certificate issues?

The annual report of $200 each April 15, a report of any agent or office change within 60 days, and answers to interrogatories within 30 days.

What if the company misses the report?

The state can start revocation, and coming back costs $450 on Form L-09A.

How do I know when it is filed?

The state sends the filed certificate, and the free email alert (item 10) tells you a document has been filed in the company's name.

Or have us file it

Fixed fee, state fees at cost

Register in North Carolina

$199

+ $250 state fee

The state form for your entity type, completed from your answers
An original certificate of existence from your home state, requested for you
Filed electronically with the Business Registration Division in Raleigh
A North Carolina registered agent: ours, or the one you pick
Your issued certificate and the date of your first April 15 report
Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year

State filing fees and any rush option are charged at cost and listed apart from our fee. $199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.

State sources

Need to be registered in North Carolina soon?

Order online, choose a rush option if you need one, and we prepare and file the application.