North Carolina Foreign Registration Price and rush options
What North Carolina foreign registration costs, by speed and entity type
An LLC or business corporation pays the state $250. A 24-hour filing adds $100 and a same-business-day filing adds $200, so an LLC's state total is $350 or $450 when rushed. We add $199 for preparing and filing. Below are the fees for each entity type, each rush option and the costs that follow approval.
State fees by entity type and speed
| Entity type | Form | Regular | With 24-hour | With same-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLC | Form L-09 | $250 | $350 | $450 |
| Business corporation | Form B-09 | $250 | $350 | $450 |
| Foreign nonprofit | Form N-09 | $125 | $225 | $325 |
| Foreign limited partnership (LLLPs too) | Form LP-04 | $50 | $150 | $250 |
| Foreign registered LLP | Form LLP-02 | $125 | $225 | $325 |
The rush terms in the state fee schedule
| Option | Extra fee | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Filing fee only | 5 to 10 business days listed |
| 24-hour | $100 | Filing within 24 hours after receipt, excluding weekends and holidays |
| Same day | $200 | Filing by the end of the same business day for a document received by noon Eastern |
| Credit card online | $3 | Electronic filing fee, not refundable |
| ACH online | $2 | Electronic filing fee, not refundable |
| Returned check or failed online payment | $35 | Charged when payment does not clear |
The state guarantees the rush filing once it has the document in proper form and the fee, and a rejection counts as meeting the request.
Which speed is worth paying for
Regular handling is listed at 5 to 10 business days. When a contract, lease or license depends on the certificate and the date is close, $100 is the sensible spend. Keep the $200 option for the day itself, since the Division must have the document by 12:00 noon Eastern for it to count. Rush options quicken the examination of a sound application and do nothing for a stale certificate, a missing resolution or an unsigned page.
Other state charges you may meet
| Item | Form or filing | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| LLC amended certificate of authority | Form L-10 | $50 |
| Registered agent change | Form BE-06 | $5 |
| North Carolina certificate of authorization | Certificate for use elsewhere | $15 |
| Name reservation | Reservation of a name | $10 |
| LLC withdrawal | Form L-14 | $10 |
| Corporation withdrawal | Corporate withdrawal form | $25 |
| Reinstatement after revocation | Form L-09A | $450 |
| Any other LLC document | Chapter 57D filing | $10 |
The cost of staying registered
What recurs for an LLC is the annual report, at $200 by paper or $203 online (card fee included), due April 15. Corporations are billed $25 by paper or $21 online, and registered LLPs $200. The first report is due April 15 of the year after the certificate is issued, so a company that registers and withdraws within the same year pays nothing recurring, as in $260 for registration and withdrawal together. A North Carolina registered agent adds the agent's own yearly charge, which is separate from every state fee here.
Worked totals
| Scenario | Covers | State charge |
|---|---|---|
| LLC, regular, check | Form L-09 at $250 | $250 |
| LLC, regular, card | $250 plus the $3 card fee | $253 |
| LLC, 24-hour | $250 plus $100 | $350 |
| LLC, same day | $250 plus $200 | $450 |
| LLC with a North Carolina certificate | $250 plus $15 | $265 |
| LLC through its first report | $250 plus the first $200 report | $450 |
| Corporation, 24-hour | $250 plus $100 | $350 |
| Corporation through its first paper report | $250 plus $25 | $275 |
These are the state's charges only. Our fee, which includes the first year of our registered agent service, and any outside agent's fee are separate lines at checkout.
What our fee covers
For $199 we draft the application, order the original certificate of existence, collect the signer's details, file online and send you the issued certificate. The state's fees, and any rush option you pick, reach you at cost.
Budgeting the registration
Start from the state fee
$250 for an LLC or corporation, less for the other entity types.
Decide on a rush option
$100 or $200, if the date demands it.
Add the home certificate
It is billed by your formation state, not by North Carolina.
Plan the first report
$200 for an LLC, April 15 of the year after the certificate is issued.
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.
Price questions
Is the rush fee refundable if the filing is rejected?
No. A rejection counts as satisfying the rush request, and the rush fee is not refunded after the document has been processed.
Does the credit card fee apply to the rush fee too?
The $3 electronic filing fee is a flat charge for online credit card payments, and it is not refundable.
Why does a nonprofit pay less?
The state sets $125 for Form N-09 and $50 for Form LP-04, against $250 for Form L-09.
Is there a charge for the certificate from my home state?
Yes, but it is set by the formation state.
Do I pay again for the next year?
Not the registration fee. An LLC pays the $200 annual report each year.
Fixed fee, state fees at cost
- 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
- North Carolina Secretary of State, LLC fee schedule
- Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority (LLC)
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration fees (nonprofit, LLP, expedite, payment fees)
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration forms
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration Division (turn-around times)
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration forms list (nonprofit, LP and LLP forms)
- North Carolina Secretary of State, annual report due dates
- North Carolina Secretary of State, business corporation fee schedule
- North Carolina Secretary of State, limited partnership fee schedule
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 57D-7-20 (withdrawal of a foreign LLC)
- Form L-09A, Application for Certificate of Authority Following Administrative Revocation (LLC)
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Register a Foreign Business: maintaining registration
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.