Register a Foreign LLC in North Carolina
Got an LLC from another state and want to do business in North Carolina? When a foreign LLC wants to do business in North Carolina, it must file an Application for Certificate of Authority with the North Carolina Secretary of State, and pay $250 in state fees ($253 if you file online).
We’ll take care of the paperwork and filing for just $225 plus state fees. Your formation includes a registered agent, free domain registration, web hosting with SSL security, a local phone number, a professional email address, and a North Carolina business address. Everything your business needs to get going in North Carolina. Basically, we handle the boring stuff so you can focus on growing your business.
$225 Foreign Registration
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How to Register a Foreign LLC in North Carolina
Registering a foreign LLC is called foreign qualification. This process requires you to submit an Application for Certificate of Authority ($250) to the North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration Division. To register as a foreign LLC in North Carolina, you can follow the steps below:
Along with your registration application, you’ll need to include a certificate of good standing to conduct business in North Carolina as a foreign entity. This certificate confirms that you’re in good standing to do business. Usually, you must be in compliance with your LLC’s state laws to receive a certificate. In some states, this certificate is known by other names, such as a certificate of existence, status certificate or subsistence certificate.
No matter what your state calls it, you can typically request this document from the same governing agency that approved your original articles. Fees for this certificate vary by state.
Your North Carolina Registered Agent can be an individual North Carolina resident or business with a physical address there. This individual or business must be available to accept your LLC’s legal mail during business hours. Many businesses prefer to use a Registered Agent Service, such as Northwest, to handle important business aspects.
Once your business is set up in North Carolina, connecting with local customers is key. A strong, localized online presence builds trust and makes your brand look established—even if you’re brand new to the area. We’ll help you launch with a custom, securely hosted website, a unique domain, a local phone number, and a professional email address to give your business a legit North Carolina presence.
Learn more about how to launch your business identity in a new state.
To foreign register your LLC in North Carolina, you must complete the Application for Certificate of Authority and file it with the Secretary of State. Here’s what to include:
- LLC’s name. If that name isn’t available in North Carolina or doesn’t meet its naming requirements, write the name you wish to use in North Carolina instead.
- State where you formed your LLC
- Principal office address, if there is one
- Your North Carolina registered agent
- North Carolina registered agent’s office address
- Names, titles, and usual business addresses of your LLC’s officials
- Attach your certificate of existence or similar document from your LLC’s home state
- Signature, name, and title of the principal company official executing this document.
Filing online? If you don’t yet have an online account, create one HERE.
If you’re ready to get started, you can register your foreign LLC in North Carolina today with Northwest.
After submitting this document, a copy of the official filing will be made available in your online account, which you can access here. You may monitor your foreign LLC’s application by visiting the Online Business Services, which is when you rehome your business entirely.
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North Carolina Foreign Registration FAQs
It depends. Do you physically reside in North Carolina year-round? If the answer is no, then you can’t be your own registered agent there. While you could appoint someone you know for this role (as long as they live in North Carolina), the majority of business owners hire a registered agent service when conducting business outside their home state.
Well for one, you’re required by law to have a registered agent that resides in North Carolina. Two, when you hire a registered agent service, you can trust that you’ll receive important legal notices in a timely manner. And three, some professional registered agents will let you use their address on your registration documents, helping you protect your privacy.
Hint: Northwest does all of this and MORE!
It costs $250 to file a foreign LLC application in North Carolina. Online filings are also subject to an electronic transaction fee of $3. Expedited service is available for an extra $100.
You can file your application for foreign LLC registration online or by mail. In-person submissions are currently unavailable.
Online:
North Carolina Secretary of State
Note that you’ll need to fill out a paper form, scan it, scan your certificate of good standing, and save the two documents as a single PDF. Then you will upload and submit the PDF through the state’s Online Business Services portal.
By Mail:
Business Registration Division
P.O. BOX 29622
Raleigh, NC 27626-0622
Most filings take about 12 business days to be processed. You can also pay $100 for expedited two-day service.
No, you will not need to file Articles of Organization for your North Carolina foreign LLC.
North Carolina considers the following activities to be doing business in the state:
- Maintaining an office or place of business
- Maintaining a storage place for your products
- Directly distributing or selling merchandise to North Carolina customers from a company-owned or operated vehicle
- Having your employees render services or products to North Carolina clients
- Owning, renting, or operating income-producing property, including trademarks and computer programs
Want to know if your LLC needs to foreign qualify? Visit our guide on doing business in another state to learn more.
To amend your North Carolina Foreign LLC, you’ll need to fill out and file an Application for Amended Certificate of Authority. It costs $50 to file.
Withdrawing your foreign LLC in North Carolina requires you to file an Application for Certificate of Withdrawal and pay a $25 filing fee.
By default, all North Carolina LLCs are taxed as a pass-through entities. This means that the profits (and losses) of the business pass through the LLC to each LLC member. Any profits are then reported on the tax returns of the individual members. Each LLC member is also on the hook for self-employment taxes of 15.3% (12.4% for social security and 2.9% for Medicare). LLCs can also elect to be taxed as an S-corp or C-corp.
Not typically—unless your LLC is taxed as a corporation. For example, if your LLC is taxed as a C-corp—and a member of the LLC conducts business activities in the state—the member will have to file a franchise tax return. The minimum franchise tax is $200. The general tax rate is $1.50 per $1,000 of net worth, but if it results in higher tax, the tax base could be on the investment or appraised value of tangible property in the state.
Foreign LLCs taxed as C-corporations are subject to North Carolina’s franchise taxes as a privilege for being able to do business in the state. These businesses are allowed a tax credit of $175, which is the annual report fee amount ($200) minus the paper annual fee report ($25).
Yes, every North Carolina LLC, foreign and domestic, must file a North Carolina Annual Report. Annual reports are due April 15 of the year following your registration and every year afterward. You may file your annual report online or download and mail a pre-populated annual report form to North Carolina’s Secretary of State. The annual report costs $200 to file. There is an additional fee of $3 if you file online.
