LLC in Another State

LLC in Another State › North Carolina

Living in North Carolina with an LLC formed elsewhere

If your LLC was formed outside North Carolina and does business here, it generally registers with the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division as a foreign LLC. The fee is $250.

Do I have to register?

North Carolina expects an out-of-state LLC doing business here to register. What counts as doing business is set by statute; the sources below cite it. The registration is Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company.

Formed in Wyoming, Delaware or Nevada?

The state fees add up like this before any service fee or yearly charge.

LLC formed inFormation feeNorth Carolina foreign feeState fees together
Wyoming$100$250$350
Delaware$110$250$360
Nevada$425$250$675

Formation fees are the state’s published figures; Nevada’s includes the initial list and state business license filed with the articles.

Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in North Carolina (2026)

Want it handled? For North Carolina, in order.

  1. 1. Mainstay Filing $199 + the $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. 2. NC Registered Agent.org $199 + the $250 state fee = $449; registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
  3. 3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co $199 + the $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.

What you keep up

Annual report (filed with the Secretary of State), $200 (due: april 15). You also keep a registered agent in North Carolina.

North Carolina questions

Can I run an LLC from North Carolina if it was formed in another state?

You can, but North Carolina generally expects the LLC to register as a foreign LLC if it does business there. The the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division takes the filing.

What does North Carolina charge a foreign LLC?

$250.

Do I need paper from the state where I formed?

Yes. Certificate of existence (or similar document, such as a certificate of good standing), no older than 180 days.

Sources