North Carolina Foreign Registration N-09 for nonprofits

Filing Form N-09 as a foreign nonprofit in North Carolina

Q: What if the nonprofit is a professional association?

Contact us first. Professional entities may have licensing steps that go beyond the form.

Form N-09 is the Application for Certificate of Authority for Nonprofit Corporation, and its fee is $125, which is $225 with 24-hour filing. It has 13 numbered items, including a question about whether the corporation has members. Our fee for preparing it is $199 plus the state charges, and we handle these orders by email.

Form N-09 summary

Filed by: A nonprofit corporation formed outside North Carolina that will conduct affairs here
State fee: $125; $225 with 24-hour filing; $325 same day
Enclosure: An authenticated certificate of existence from the home state
Replacement name: Board resolution certified by the secretary
Unique question: Whether the corporation has members
Send to: P.O. Box 29622, Raleigh, NC 27626-0622

The thirteen items

Item	What it asks	Note
1	The corporation's name, and a different name for North Carolina if needed
2	The state or country of incorporation
3	Incorporation date together with the duration	Both go on one line
4	Where the principal office is, by street address
5	A separate mailing address for it, only if needed
6	Registered office in North Carolina, with its county
7	A separate mailing address for that office, only if needed
8	Who the registered agent is
9	Each current officer, with business address
10	Members or no members	Tick exactly one box
11	Statement that the authenticated certificate is enclosed
12	Resolution adopting a replacement name, if you need one	Certified by the secretary
13	A later effective date or time, if wanted

A signature block follows: the date, the corporation's name, the signature and the printed name and title.

The members question

The form asks the corporation to check one box, stating that it has members or that it does not. The answer should match the home-state governing documents. Some nonprofits have no members and are run by a board alone, and others have voting members. A corporation that is unsure should read its bylaws before ticking a box, since the answer becomes part of the public record in North Carolina.

Why the fee is lower

The state sets $125 for N-09, half of what an LLC or business corporation pays for its form. That does not make the rest of the process lighter. The certificate of existence must still be authenticated, the registered agent still needs a North Carolina office and the other items are the same in kind. What the nonprofit does not have is the share and duration detail on the business form, since item 3 combines the incorporation date and the duration.

Certificate, name and signer

The home-state certificate is authenticated by the Secretary of State or the official who keeps corporate records in the state or country of incorporation. This form does not repeat the six-month limit that appears on the LLC and business corporation forms. If the corporation needs a different name here, the board approves a resolution and the secretary certifies it (item 12). The instructions let the board's presiding officer or any officer execute the document, adding a printed name and title.

Annual obligations

After approval, a nonprofit corporation is subject to the annual report rules for corporations.

Speed

The Division's listed range for regular handling is 5 to 10 business days. The same-day option is $200 extra for a document that reaches Raleigh by 12:00 noon Eastern, and the 24-hour option is $100 extra. Because the filing fee is lower, the rush can be the larger part of the bill, so decide whether the date really needs it.

Completing Form N-09

Confirm the entity type
Nonprofit corporations use N-09, not B-09.
Answer the members question
Check the box that matches the governing documents.
Order the certificate
Authenticated by the home-state official.
Complete items 1 to 9
Names, offices, agent and officers.
Sign and file
$125 plus any rush option.

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.

Form N-09 questions

Does a nonprofit need N-09 if it only fundraises here?

That is a question about whether it conducts affairs in North Carolina. Ask a lawyer licensed here before deciding either way.

Is N-09 cheaper than B-09?

Yes. N-09 is $125 against $250 for B-09.

What if the nonprofit is a professional association?

What is the state total for a same-day nonprofit filing?

$325: the $125 fee plus $200 for same-day handling.

What is the state total with 24-hour filing?

$225: the $125 fee plus $100 for filing within 24 hours.

Who may sign Form N-09?

Any officer, including the board's presiding officer. A printed name and title go under the signature.

Can the effective date be later?

Yes, up to 90 days after filing.

How much is a later agent change?

$5 on Form BE-06.

Does N-09 ask for a duration?

It does. Item 3 combines the incorporation date and the duration in one entry.

We file Form N-09 for you

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.