Massachusetts Corporation Foreign Registration in North Carolina

To do business in North Carolina, a corporation formed in Massachusetts registers there on Form B-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina may ask for Massachusetts's Certificate of Good Standing ($12). We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division using your Massachusetts records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

What Massachusetts and North Carolina each ask for

	Massachusetts formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Massachusetts Certificate of Good Standing	Form B-09, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$12	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Massachusetts: online, by mail or in person, delivered by mail or email depending on the certificate	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	sec.state.ma.us	sosnc.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $125, every year	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due	Within 2.5 months after the close of the corporation's fiscal year	15th day of the 4th month following the close of the fiscal year
Agent	Your Massachusetts resident agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

How Massachusetts companies register with North Carolina

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

Your Massachusetts name and North Carolina's rules

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

Agents: North Carolina and Massachusetts

North Carolina calls it a registered agent; Massachusetts says resident agent. North Carolina papers come to us; Massachusetts's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Massachusetts and North Carolina

Each year your corporation files Massachusetts's Annual Report ($125) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($25). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Massachusetts plus North Carolina comes to $299 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Massachusetts to North Carolina

An LLC formed in Massachusetts files Form L-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($25)). After that come Massachusetts's Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($520) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). See the LLC filing.

Common questions: Massachusetts to North Carolina

Does my Massachusetts company need to register in North Carolina?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the North Carolina registration cost?

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

What are the yearly costs for Massachusetts and North Carolina?

$299 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $125 to Massachusetts and $25 to North Carolina for the yearly reports.

Does North Carolina require a registered agent?

Yes: the Massachusetts resident agent stays, and ours covers North Carolina for year one.

Can I form a new North Carolina corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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