North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

Montana LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

North Carolina registers an LLC from Montana as a foreign LLC on Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also asks for Montana's Certificate of Existence ($5), no older than 180 days. We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division using your Montana records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Montana and North Carolina side by side

	Montana formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Montana Certificate of Existence	Form L-09
State fee	$5	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Montana: online	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Montana Secretary of State, Business Services	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	biz.sosmt.gov	sosnc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $20, every year	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due	April 15	April 15
Agent	Your Montana registered agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

From Montana to North Carolina, step by step

Order the Montana certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($5) is ordered from Montana separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. North Carolina counts 180 days from the day Montana 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 Montana name and formation date and the certificate attached. The Montana certificate comes first; then the North Carolina filing goes in. After approval, your Montana LLC is registered with North Carolina.

North Carolina costs for Montana companies

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

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

Will your Montana name work for North Carolina?

North Carolina accepts your Montana name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. If the Montana 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 Montana one

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

Staying in good standing in Montana and North Carolina

Each year your LLC files Montana's Annual Report ($20) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Montana plus North Carolina comes to $369 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Montana to North Carolina

A corporation formed in Montana files Form B-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same). After that come Montana's Annual Report (no fee) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a North Carolina company in Montana

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with Montana files Montana's registration (no form number) with $70 in state fees; no North Carolina certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Montana owners ask about North Carolina

Does my Montana company need to register in North Carolina?

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

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

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

Do I need Montana's certificate of good standing?

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

What are the yearly costs for Montana and North Carolina?

$369 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $20 to Montana and $200 to North Carolina for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

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

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

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

Official sources

People also search

LLC into North Carolina, by home state (48)

Montana into other states (47)

The same move for a corporation