North Carolina Certificate of Authority/Cost
What a North Carolina certificate of authority costs
The state fee is $250 for an LLC or a business corporation. A nonprofit pays $125, a limited partnership $50 and a registered LLP $125. We add $199 for preparing and submitting it. The state fee covers the filing and the certificate. The bill that follows each year is the annual report, so this page prices year one as well.
North Carolina filing fees for a foreign entity
| Entity type | Form | State fee |
|---|---|---|
| Business corporation | Form B-09 | $250 |
| Limited liability company | Form L-09 | $250 |
| Registered limited liability partnership | Form LLP-02 | $125 |
| Limited partnership or LLLP | Form LP-04 | $50 |
| Nonprofit corporation | Form N-09 | $125 |
| LLC amended certificate (name or jurisdiction change) | Form L-10 | $50 |
| LLC certificate of withdrawal | Form L-14 | $10 |
| Corporation certificate of withdrawal | Corporate withdrawal form | $25 |
Paying for speed and paying online
| Option | State charge | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Regular handling | No extra charge | 5 to 10 business days listed for entity creation, online faster |
| 24-hour expedite | $100 | Filed within 24 hours of receipt in proper form, weekends and holidays excluded |
| Same-day expedite | $200 | Filed the same business day when it reaches Raleigh by 12:00 noon Eastern |
| Credit card online | $3 | Electronic filing fee, non-refundable |
| ACH online | $2 | Electronic filing fee, non-refundable |
| Returned check or uncollectable online payment | $35 | Charged by the state |
The state refunds none of the expedite charge once a document has been processed. Filing a rejected document counts as satisfying an expedite request, since the state either files it or tells you why it cannot.
What our fee covers
Beyond the state fee, $199 pays for the work: choosing between Form L-09, Form B-09 and the partnership forms, checking the name for a fictitious name need, ordering the original certificate of existence, completing every item, getting the signature of a listed company official and submitting the package. Our North Carolina registered agent is included when you pick that option.
Charges beyond the filing fee
The certificate of existence comes from the formation state, which sets its own price. A Delaware good standing certificate costs $50; Wyoming issues its certificate online at no charge. North Carolina's own certificate of existence or certificate of authorization is $15, which is the paper a bank or licensing office may want later. Other filings carry small fees: $10 for articles of correction, $5 for a registered agent change on Form BE-06, and $10 for most other documents under the LLC Act. An advisory review of a document before filing is $200.
Worked totals
| Scenario | North Carolina charges | Made up of |
|---|---|---|
| LLC, regular handling | $250 | The Form L-09 fee alone |
| LLC, paid online by card | $253 | $250 plus the $3 card fee |
| LLC, 24-hour expedite | $350 | $250 plus $100 |
| LLC, same-day expedite | $450 | $250 plus $200 |
| LLC with a North Carolina certificate of authorization | $265 | $250 plus $15 |
| LLC, application plus the first annual report | $450 | $250 plus the $200 report |
| Corporation, application plus the first paper annual report | $275 | $250 plus the $25 report |
| Corporation, application plus the first online annual report | $271 | $250 plus the $21 online report, which includes the card fee |
The totals above cover state charges alone. Our fee has its own line at checkout, and the home-state certificate is bought separately.
What the annual report and a lapse cost
An LLC's annual report is $200 on paper, or $203 online with the card fee, due April 15 each year after the year of authorization. A business corporation pays $25 on paper or $21 online, and an LLP or LLLP pays $200. If an LLC's certificate is revoked, getting it back on Form L-09A costs $450, which is the $250 application plus a current $200 annual report. The Secretary of State warns that vendors charge extra for "priority" or "early" annual report filing on top of the statutory fee, and it points owners to the free online filing after January 1.
Registered agent: first year included, then $149 a year
$199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
North Carolina cost questions
Is there a separate fee for the registered agent?
Not at the state. The $250 covers the application, and a registered agent company, if you use one, charges its own fee.
Does North Carolina charge less for a corporation?
No. A business corporation pays the same $250, but its annual report is $25 on paper, against $200 for an LLC.
Is the card fee part of the state fee?
It is an extra $3 on top, charged by the state for online card payments. ACH payments carry $2.
Simple pricing
We file your certificate of authority
- Form L-09 for LLCs, Form B-09 for corporations
- The certificate of existence, ordered from the state where you formed
- Submission to the Business Registration Division
- Our North Carolina registered agent, or one you name
- Your issued certificate of authority, sent to you
- Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year
$199
, plus the $250 state fee
Apply for my certificateState fees are charged at cost and listed on their own line at checkout. $199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Where these facts come from
- North Carolina Secretary of State, LLC fee schedule
- Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority (LLC)
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration forms
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration Division (turn-around times)
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration fees (nonprofit, LLP, expedite, payment fees)
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration forms list (nonprofit, LP and LLP forms)
- North Carolina Secretary of State, annual report due dates
- North Carolina Secretary of State, limited partnership fee schedule
- North Carolina Secretary of State, business corporation fee schedule
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 57D-7-20 (withdrawal of a foreign LLC)
- Delaware Division of Corporations fee schedule (PDF)
- Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division fee schedule
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Register a Foreign Business: maintaining registration
- Form L-09A, Application for Certificate of Authority Following Administrative Revocation (LLC)
Doing business in North Carolina?
Apply online today and we will prepare, submit and track your certificate of authority.