Maryland

North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

Maryland LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

An LLC formed in Maryland that wants to do business in North Carolina files Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also asks for Maryland's Certificate of Status ($20), no older than 180 days. We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division using your Maryland records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

What Maryland and North Carolina each ask for

	Maryland formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Maryland Certificate of Status	Form L-09
State fee	$20	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Maryland: online through Maryland Business Express, emailed right away	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	businessexpress.maryland.gov	sosnc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1), $300, every year	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due	April 15	April 15
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: 5 to 10 business days
Agent	Your Maryland resident agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

From Maryland to North Carolina, step by step

Order the Maryland certificate
The Certificate of Status ($20) is ordered from Maryland separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. Ordered from Maryland 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 Maryland name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Maryland delays the North Carolina filing. After approval, your Maryland LLC is registered with North Carolina.

First-year cost, Maryland to North Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$253
Certificate of Status, paid to Maryland	$20
Our service, with a year of North Carolina registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Maryland certificate included	$472

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

Will your Maryland name work for North Carolina?

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

Agents: North Carolina and Maryland

North Carolina calls it a registered agent; Maryland says resident agent. North Carolina papers come to us; Maryland's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Maryland and North Carolina

Each year your LLC files Maryland's Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1) ($300) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Maryland plus North Carolina comes to $649 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Maryland to North Carolina

A corporation formed in Maryland files Form B-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same). After that come Maryland's periodic report ($300) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: North Carolina into Maryland

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with Maryland files Maryland's registration (no form number) with $104.50 in state fees and a $50 required expedite, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Maryland to North Carolina

Does my Maryland company need to register in North Carolina?

Yes, once a Maryland 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 $20 to Maryland for the Certificate of Status, $472 in all (checkout is $253 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Maryland's certificate of good standing?

Yes: North Carolina wants Maryland's Certificate of Status ($20), 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; Maryland'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 Maryland and North Carolina?

$649 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $300 to Maryland and $200 to North Carolina for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

A Maryland 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 Maryland resident agent stays, and ours covers North Carolina for year one.

Will North Carolina accept my Maryland 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 Maryland keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files North Carolina's Annual Report ($203), and the original keeps Maryland's Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1).

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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