North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

Louisiana LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

North Carolina registers an LLC from Louisiana as a foreign LLC on Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also asks for Louisiana's Certificate of Good Standing ($25), no older than 180 days. We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division using your Louisiana records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Louisiana vs North Carolina: the paperwork

	Louisiana formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Louisiana Certificate of Good Standing	Form L-09
State fee	$25	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Louisiana: online or by mail	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	sos.la.gov	sosnc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $40, every year	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due	On or before the anniversary date of organization	April 15
Agent	Your Louisiana registered agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

From Louisiana to North Carolina, step by step

Order the Louisiana certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Louisiana separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. North Carolina accepts it within 180 days of Louisiana's issue date, so it is ordered shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form L-09
It names us as your North Carolina registered agent, with your Louisiana name and formation date and the certificate attached. Once Louisiana's certificate is in hand, North Carolina's filing goes in. After approval, your Louisiana LLC is registered with North Carolina.

North Carolina costs for Louisiana companies

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

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

Will your Louisiana name work for North Carolina?

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

Your North Carolina agent and the Louisiana one

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

Yearly filings: North Carolina and Louisiana

Each year your LLC files Louisiana's Annual Report ($40) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Louisiana plus North Carolina comes to $389 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Louisiana to North Carolina

A corporation formed in Louisiana files Form B-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same). After that come Louisiana's Annual Report ($30) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a North Carolina company in Louisiana

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with Louisiana files Form 972 with $190 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Louisiana to North Carolina

Does my Louisiana company need to register in North Carolina?

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

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

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

Do I need Louisiana's certificate of good standing?

Yes: North Carolina wants it ($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, once Louisiana's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: 24-hour $100, same-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for Louisiana and North Carolina?

$389 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $40 to Louisiana and $200 to North Carolina for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

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

Will North Carolina accept my Louisiana 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 Louisiana keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files North Carolina's Annual Report ($203), and the original keeps Louisiana's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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