Alabama

North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

Alabama LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

North Carolina registers an LLC from Alabama as a foreign LLC on Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division using your Alabama records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

What Alabama and North Carolina each ask for

	Alabama formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence	Form L-09
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
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Name endings	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC
Yearly filing	Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due		April 15
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: 5 to 10 business days
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

How Alabama companies register with North Carolina

Order the Alabama certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($25) is ordered from Alabama separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. Ordered from Alabama on filing day, it easily meets North Carolina's limit of 180 days.
We prepare and file Form L-09
It names us as your North Carolina registered agent, with your Alabama name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Alabama delays the North Carolina filing. Once North Carolina approves it, the Alabama company can do business there.

First-year cost, Alabama to North Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$253
Certificate of Existence, paid to Alabama	$25
Our service, with a year of North Carolina registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Alabama certificate included	$477

North Carolina's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Your Alabama name and North Carolina's rules

North Carolina accepts your Alabama name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. Alabama uses the same endings, so it already fits. North Carolina can hold a name for $10 before you file.

Your North Carolina agent and the Alabama one

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

Yearly filings: North Carolina and Alabama

Alabama wants the Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report every year; North Carolina wants the Annual Report every year ($200). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to North Carolina

A corporation formed in Alabama files Form B-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same). After that come Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: North Carolina into Alabama

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees; no North Carolina certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Alabama to North Carolina

Does my Alabama company need to register in North Carolina?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; North Carolina law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does it cost to register an Alabama LLC in North Carolina?

$452 at checkout plus $25 to Alabama for the Certificate of Existence, $477 in all (checkout is $253 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Alabama's certificate of good standing?

Yes: North Carolina wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the North Carolina registration take?

North Carolina's standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days; Alabama's certificate is an instant download, so there is no wait before filing. 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 ($200).

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

An Alabama company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and North Carolina can add a penalty of $10 a day, up to $1,000 a year.

Does North Carolina require a registered agent?

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

Will North Carolina accept my Alabama name?

Yes, if no company there already uses it and it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC, the same endings Alabama uses.

Can I form a new North Carolina LLC instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files North Carolina's Annual Report ($203), and the original keeps Alabama's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

Alabama companies leave by filing Form L-14, Application for Certificate of Withdrawal ($10); until then, North Carolina's report stays due alongside Alabama's filings.

Official sources

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