Foreign Entity Fees › North Carolina
North Carolina foreign entity fees
To register a foreign LLC in North Carolina you pay $250 to the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division; other entity types pay the fees in the table below.
Fee by entity type
| Entity | Foreign fee | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| LLC | $250 | Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company |
| For-profit corporation | $250 | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-1-22; § 55-15-03; NC SOS Business Corporations fee schedule |
| Nonprofit corporation | $125 | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55A-1-22; § 55A-15-03; NC SOS Business Registration fee schedule |
| Limited partnership | $50 | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 59-1106; Chapter 59 Article 9; NC SOS Limited Partnerships fee schedule |
| LLP | $125 | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 59-1106; § 59-91; NC SOS Business Registration fee schedule |
Non-LLC figures come from state research dated August 12, 2026; confirm with the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division before you file.
Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in North Carolina (2026)
If the entity is an LLC, these are the filing services for North Carolina.
| # | Service | Service fee | North Carolina fee | Agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $250 | Year one included, then $149/yr |
| 2 | NC Registered Agent.org | $199 | $250 | Year one included, then $99/yr |
| 3 | North Carolina Registered Agent.co | $199 | $250 | Year one included, then $99/yr |
Mainstay Filing: Its North Carolina checkout showed $452 in total on October 28, 2026, including $3 in state processing charges.
Service prices read from each provider’s North Carolina page on October 28, 2026. The state fee is the official figure below and is paid to the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division.
The LLC filing
- Form
- Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company
- Home-state certificate
- Certificate of existence (or similar document, such as a certificate of good standing), no older than 180 days
- Yearly filing
- Annual report (filed with the Secretary of State), $200 (due: april 15)
Questions about North Carolina
What does an LLC pay to register in North Carolina?
$250, with Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company.
Is the North Carolina corporation fee the same as the LLC fee?
Yes, both are $250.
Which service should an LLC use in North Carolina?
Mainstay Filing: $199 plus the $250 state fee, with the agent free for the first year.
Sources for the LLC fee
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration: www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration, checked October 8, 2026
- Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority: www.sosnc.gov/webfiles/documents/forms/Business_Registration/limited_liability_companies/application_for_certificate_of_authority.pdf, checked October 8, 2026
- Secretary of State guide to registering a foreign business: www.sosnc.gov/manual/Register_A_Foreign_Business, checked October 8, 2026
- G.S. Chapter 57D, Article 7 (foreign LLCs): www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_57D/Article_7.html, checked October 8, 2026
- Annual report due dates: www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report_due_dates, checked October 8, 2026