North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

Florida LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

North Carolina registers an LLC from Florida as a foreign LLC on Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also wants Florida'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 Florida records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Florida and North Carolina side by side

	Florida formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Florida Certificate of Status	Form L-09
State fee	$5	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Florida: online, emailed as a PDF once payment goes through	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	dos.fl.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	Annual Report, $138.75, every year	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due	May 1	April 15
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: 5 to 10 business days
Agent	Your Florida registered agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

From Florida to North Carolina, step by step

Order the Florida certificate
The Certificate of Status ($5) is ordered from Florida separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. Ordered from Florida on filing day, it easily meets North Carolina's limit of 180 days.
We prepare and file Form L-09
It lists us as your North Carolina registered agent, next to your Florida name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Florida delays the North Carolina filing. After approval, your Florida LLC is registered with North Carolina.

North Carolina costs for Florida companies

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

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

Will your Florida name work for North Carolina?

North Carolina accepts your Florida name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. Florida's list (Limited Liability Company, L.L.C. or LLC) is not the same, but an ending such as “limited liability company” works in both states. North Carolina can hold a name for $10 before you file.

Your North Carolina agent and the Florida one

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

Staying in good standing in Florida and North Carolina

Each year your LLC files Florida's Annual Report ($138.75) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Florida plus North Carolina comes to $487.75 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Florida to North Carolina

A corporation formed in Florida files Form B-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same). After that come Florida's Annual Report ($150) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a North Carolina company in Florida

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with Florida files Form CR2E027 with $125 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Questions Florida owners ask about North Carolina

Does my Florida company need to register in North Carolina?

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

How much does the North Carolina registration cost?

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

Do I need Florida's certificate of good standing?

Yes: North Carolina wants Florida'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; Florida'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 Florida and North Carolina?

$487.75 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $138.75 to Florida and $200 to North Carolina for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

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

Will North Carolina accept my Florida name?

Yes, if no company there already uses it and it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC; “limited liability company” works in both states.

Can I form a new North Carolina LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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