North Carolina's business register sits with the Department of the Secretary of State. Inside it, the Business Registration Division accepts articles for LLCs, corporations and nonprofits, records annual reports and issues certificates. Lookups and most filings run through the division's online business services on the NC SOS site.
What stands out in North Carolina is the gap between entity types. An LLC owes $200 every year with its annual report, due on a fixed date of April 15. A business corporation pays $25, and its date moves with its own fiscal year.
NC SOS business search
The Business Registration search works from the company name. Use it to check a competitor, confirm a client's legal name or see whether a name you like is already in use. The state does not offer a separate name availability tool, so this search does both jobs.
| Official business search | sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Business_Registration (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Name availability check | Yes (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
Spell the name the way the company would file it, then try a shorter version if nothing comes up. Since designators such as LLC are ignored when names are compared, leave them out of your search too.
North Carolina filing fees
Forming a North Carolina LLC costs $125 for the Articles of Organization. A business corporation pays the same $125 for its Articles of Incorporation. Nonprofit articles cost $60. A company formed elsewhere pays $250 for a Certificate of Authority before it does business in the state.
| Form an LLC | $125 (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Form a corporation | $125 (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
| Form a nonprofit | $60 (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
| Register an out-of-state LLC | $250 (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
| Reserve a name | $30 (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
| Annual or biennial report | LLC: $200; corporation: $25 (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
| Good standing certificate | $15 (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
| Faster processing | 24 hours: $100; same day (received by noon ET): $200 (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
Rather not file it yourself? Ask our private filing service about forming or reporting in North Carolina. State fees are separate.
If you need a filing back fast, North Carolina sells two speeds by statute. The 24 hour service adds $100. Same day service adds $200, and the document must reach the office by noon Eastern.
Annual report to the NC Secretary of State
North Carolina's yearly filing is an annual report. LLCs file by April 15 and pay $200. Business corporations pay $25 and file by the 15th day of the fourth month after their fiscal year closes, which is April 15 for a calendar year company.
The fee, the due date, late penalties and the filing steps are in our North Carolina annual report guide.
The state did not publish a late fee on the pages we checked. What it does say is that a company that has not filed within 60 days of the due date can be dissolved administratively. Our guide on how to file an annual report covers the general steps.
Picking a name in North Carolina
An LLC name has to carry a designator such as limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. Shorter forms like ltd. liability co. are also accepted. The name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records, and the designator at the end does not count when names are compared. So "Oak Ridge Supply LLC" and "Oak Ridge Supply Inc." would be treated as the same name.
| LLC name must include | limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC, ltd. liability co., limited liability co., ltd. liability company (ncleg.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| How different a name must be | Name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State. Designators like LLC at the end are disregarded when comparing names. (ncleg.gov, checked ) |
| Reservation fee | $30 (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
Holding a corporation name costs $30, and nonprofits pay the same. How long a North Carolina reservation lasts was not on the pages we read, so check the office's name reservation page before you count on the date.
Certificate of Existence in North Carolina
When a bank or another state asks for proof of good standing, North Carolina issues a Certificate of Existence. A foreign LLC receives a Certificate of Existence or Authorization. The fee is $15.
What it costs, where to order it and what blocks it are in our North Carolina good standing guide.
A certificate reflects the record on the day it is issued. If an annual report is missing, file it before you order. Our guide to the certificate of good standing explains what these documents prove.
Contact the NC Secretary of State
| Office | North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Division | Business Registration Division (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
| Officeholder | Elaine F. Marshall (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
| Phone | 919-814-5400 (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
| Street address | 2 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-2903 (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
| Contact page | sosnc.gov/contact (sosnc.gov, checked ) |
The office at 2 South Salisbury Street in Raleigh opens Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. For questions about filing rules not covered here, such as registered agents or assumed names, call 919-814-5400 or use the contact page linked above.
Sources
- www.sosnc.gov/contact: office name, division, officeholder, street address, phone, contact page, hours. Checked .
- www.sosnc.gov/online_services/search/by_title/_Business_RegistrationLook: business search. Checked .
- www.sosnc.gov/manual/launching_a_business/selecting_a_name: name check. Checked .
- www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_57D.html: LLC name endings. Checked .
- www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/ByArticle/Chapter_55D/Article_3.pdf: name rule. Checked .
- www.sosnc.gov/fees/by_title/_Business_Registration_Business_corporations: name reservation fee, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, expedite fees. Checked .
- www.sosnc.gov/fees/by_title/_Business_Registration_limited_liability_companies: LLC filing fee, foreign LLC fee, report fee, certificate fee. Checked .