Foreign LLC Filing › North Carolina
Filing a foreign LLC in North Carolina
To file a foreign LLC in North Carolina, send Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company and the $250 fee to the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division, with a home-state certificate.
The filing packet
| Item | North Carolina requirement | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Application | Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company | Download from the office |
| Filing fee | $250 | Paid to the state |
| Home-state certificate | Certificate of existence (or similar document, such as a certificate of good standing), no older than 180 days | Order from the home state first |
| Registered agent | A registered agent with a North Carolina street address | Named on the application |
Where it goes
- Application
- Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company
- Fee
- $250
Paying for it
Mainstay’s North Carolina checkout passes through $3 more in state processing charges than the $250 filing fee.
Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in North Carolina (2026)
A service can assemble and send this packet. For North Carolina these are the three we would choose.
1. Mainstay Filing
$199 + $250 state fee = $449
Registered agent free for the first year, then $149 a year. Its North Carolina checkout showed $452 in total on October 28, 2026, including $3 in state processing charges.
2. NC Registered Agent.org
$199 + $250 state fee = $449
Registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co
$199 + $250 state fee = $449
Registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
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.
North Carolina filing questions
Where do I file a foreign LLC in North Carolina?
With the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division. Its filing page is linked in the table above.
What do I attach to the North Carolina filing?
Certificate of existence (or similar document, such as a certificate of good standing), no older than 180 days, with Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company.
What does the North Carolina filing cost?
$250 to the state. A filing service adds its own $199.
Sources
- 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