North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

California LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

An LLC formed in California that wants to do business in North Carolina files Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also wants California's Certificate of Status ($5), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division from your California records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

California vs North Carolina: the paperwork

	California formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status	Form L-09
State fee	$5	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	California: online as a PDF within minutes, or on paper by mail or drop-off in Sacramento	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.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	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially	April 15
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: 5 to 10 business days
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our North Carolina registered agent

From California to North Carolina, step by step

Order the California certificate
The Certificate of Status ($5) is ordered from California separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. Ordered from California 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 California name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from California delays the North Carolina filing. After approval, your California LLC is registered with North Carolina.

First-year cost, California to North Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$253
Certificate of Status, paid to California	$5
Our service, with a year of North Carolina registered agent service	$199
First-year total, California certificate included	$457

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

Will your California name work for North Carolina?

North Carolina accepts your California name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. California 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 California one

North Carolina calls it a registered agent; California says agent for service of process. North Carolina papers come to us; California's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in California and North Carolina

California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20); North Carolina wants the Annual Report every year ($200). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, California to North Carolina

A corporation formed in California files Form B-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same). After that come California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: North Carolina into California

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with California files Form LLC-5 with $70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Questions California owners ask about North Carolina

Does my California company need to register in North Carolina?

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

How much does it cost to register a California LLC in North Carolina?

$452 at checkout plus $5 to California for the Certificate of Status, $457 in all (checkout is $253 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need California's certificate of good standing?

Yes: North Carolina wants California's Certificate of Status ($5), 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; California'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 California and North Carolina?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), California's report ($20, every two years) and North Carolina's report ($200).

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

A California 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 California agent for service of process stays, and ours covers North Carolina for year one.

Will North Carolina accept my California name?

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

Can I form a new North Carolina LLC instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files North Carolina's Annual Report ($203), and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12).

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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