Alabama

North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form B-09

Alabama Corporation Foreign Registration in North Carolina

A corporation formed in Alabama that wants to do business in North Carolina files Form B-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina may ask for Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25). We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division from your Alabama records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Alabama vs North Carolina: the paperwork

	Alabama formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence	Form B-09, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$25	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	sosnc.gov
Yearly filing	Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT), fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due		15th day of the 4th month following the close of the fiscal year
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: 5 to 10 business days
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

From Alabama to North Carolina, step by step

We prepare and file Form B-09
It names us as your North Carolina registered agent, with your Alabama name and formation date. If North Carolina wants the Alabama certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Alabama corporation is registered with North Carolina.

Your Alabama name and North Carolina's rules

North Carolina can hold a name for $10 before you file.

Agents: North Carolina and Alabama

Alabama and North Carolina both call it a registered agent. North Carolina papers come to us; Alabama's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Alabama and North Carolina

Alabama wants the Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) every year; North Carolina wants the Annual Report every year ($25). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to North Carolina

An LLC formed in Alabama files Form L-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($25)). After that come Alabama's Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). See the LLC filing.

The other way: North Carolina into Alabama

A corporation formed in North Carolina that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Alabama owners ask about North Carolina

Does my Alabama company need to register in North Carolina?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; North Carolina registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: North Carolina issues one to Alabama corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the North Carolina registration cost?

$452 at checkout; North Carolina may also want Alabama's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the North Carolina registration take?

North Carolina's standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days, plus time for Alabama's certificate if North Carolina asks for it. Paid expedite: 24-hour $100, same-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and North Carolina?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Alabama's report (fee set by the state) and North Carolina's report ($25).

Does North Carolina require a registered agent?

Yes: the Alabama registered agent stays, and ours covers North Carolina for year one.

Can I form a new North Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files North Carolina's Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT).

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

Alabama companies leave by filing Form L-14 ($25); until then, North Carolina's report stays due alongside Alabama's filings.

Official sources

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