North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

Massachusetts LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

An LLC formed in Massachusetts that wants to do business in North Carolina files Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also asks for Massachusetts'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 from your Massachusetts records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Massachusetts vs North Carolina: the paperwork

	Massachusetts formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Massachusetts 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	Massachusetts: online, by mail or in person, delivered by mail or email depending on the certificate	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	sec.state.ma.us	sosnc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Limited Liability Company Annual Report, $520, every year	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due	On or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization	April 15
Agent	Your Massachusetts resident agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

How Massachusetts companies register with North Carolina

Order the Massachusetts certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Massachusetts separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. It comes as a short form ($12) or a long form ($25). North Carolina counts 180 days from the day Massachusetts issues it, so the order goes in shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form L-09
It names us as your North Carolina registered agent, with your Massachusetts name and formation date and the certificate attached. The Massachusetts certificate comes first; then the North Carolina filing goes in. After approval, your Massachusetts LLC is registered with North Carolina.

North Carolina costs for Massachusetts companies

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

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

Will your Massachusetts name work for North Carolina?

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

Agents: North Carolina and Massachusetts

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

Staying in good standing in Massachusetts and North Carolina

Each year your LLC files Massachusetts's Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($520) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Massachusetts plus North Carolina comes to $869 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Massachusetts to North Carolina

A corporation formed in Massachusetts files Form B-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same). After that come Massachusetts's Annual Report ($125) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: North Carolina into Massachusetts

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with Massachusetts files Massachusetts's registration (no form number) with $520 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Massachusetts to North Carolina

Does my Massachusetts company need to register in North Carolina?

Yes, once a Massachusetts 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 $25 to Massachusetts for the Certificate of Good Standing, $477 in all (checkout is $253 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: 24-hour $100, same-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for Massachusetts and North Carolina?

$869 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $520 to Massachusetts and $200 to North Carolina for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

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

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

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

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