North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

Delaware LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

An LLC formed in Delaware that wants to do business in North Carolina files Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also wants Delaware's Certificate of Good Standing ($50), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division from your Delaware records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Delaware and North Carolina side by side

	Delaware formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Delaware Certificate of Good Standing	Form L-09
State fee	$50	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Delaware: through the Division of Corporations request service, sent by first-class mail unless a FedEx or UPS account is supplied	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	corp.delaware.gov	sosnc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual LLC Tax, $400, every year	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due	On or before June 1	April 15
Turnaround	Certificate comes by mail	Standard processing: 5 to 10 business days
Agent	Your Delaware registered agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

How Delaware companies register with North Carolina

Order the Delaware certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($50) is ordered from Delaware separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. It comes as a short form ($50) or a long form ($175). Mail time from Delaware counts against North Carolina's limit of 180 days, so the order allows for transit.
We prepare and file Form L-09
It names us as your North Carolina registered agent, with your Delaware name and formation date and the certificate attached. The Delaware certificate takes days to arrive, so the North Carolina filing waits for it. After approval, your Delaware LLC is registered with North Carolina.

First-year cost, Delaware to North Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$253
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Delaware	$50
Our service, with a year of North Carolina registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Delaware certificate included	$502

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

Your Delaware name and North Carolina's rules

North Carolina accepts your Delaware name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. If the Delaware name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. North Carolina can hold a name for $10 before you file.

Agents: North Carolina and Delaware

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

Yearly filings: North Carolina and Delaware

Each year your LLC files Delaware's Annual LLC Tax ($400) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Delaware plus North Carolina comes to $749 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Delaware to North Carolina

A corporation formed in Delaware files Form B-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same). After that come Delaware's Annual Franchise Tax Report ($50) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: North Carolina into Delaware

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with Delaware files Delaware's registration (no form number) with $200 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Delaware to North Carolina

Does my Delaware company need to register in North Carolina?

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

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

$452 at checkout plus $50 to Delaware for the Certificate of Good Standing, $502 in all (checkout is $253 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Delaware's certificate of good standing?

Yes: North Carolina wants it ($50), 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, plus mail time for Delaware's certificate before filing. Paid expedite: 24-hour $100, same-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for Delaware and North Carolina?

$749 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $400 to Delaware and $200 to North Carolina for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

A Delaware 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 Delaware registered agent stays, and ours covers North Carolina for year one.

Will North Carolina accept my Delaware name?

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

Can I form a new North Carolina LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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