Iowa Corporation Foreign Registration in North Carolina

To do business in North Carolina, a corporation formed in Iowa registers there on Form B-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina may ask for Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5). We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division from your Iowa records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Iowa vs North Carolina: the paperwork

	Iowa formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence	Form B-09, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$5	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	sosnc.gov
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $60, every two years	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due	April 1 of even-numbered years	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 Iowa registered agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

From Iowa to North Carolina, step by step

We prepare and file Form B-09
It names us as your North Carolina registered agent, with your Iowa name and formation date. If North Carolina wants the Iowa certificate, it is ordered first. Once North Carolina approves it, the Iowa company can do business there.

Will your Iowa name work for North Carolina?

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

Your North Carolina agent and the Iowa one

Iowa and North Carolina both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Iowa; ours takes North Carolina's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Iowa and North Carolina

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($60); North Carolina wants the Annual Report every year ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to North Carolina

An LLC formed in Iowa files Form L-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($5)). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($30) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). See the LLC filing.

Registering a North Carolina company in Iowa

A corporation formed in North Carolina that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0110A with $100 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Iowa owners ask about North Carolina

Does my Iowa company need to register in North Carolina?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does it cost to register an Iowa corporation in North Carolina?

$452 at checkout; North Carolina may also want Iowa'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 Iowa's certificate if North Carolina asks for it. Paid expedite: 24-hour $100, same-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and North Carolina?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($60, every two years) and North Carolina's report ($25).

Does North Carolina require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new North Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Iowa keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files North Carolina's Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Iowa's Biennial Report.

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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