North Carolina

Maryland

Foreign registration · no form number

North Carolina LLC Foreign Registration in Maryland

To do business in Maryland, an LLC formed in North Carolina registers there on a paper registration (no form number), with $104.50 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Maryland also wants North Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10), dated within 60 days. We file it with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division from your North Carolina records, then serve as your resident agent there for year one.

North Carolina vs Maryland: the paperwork

	North Carolina formed here	Maryland registering here
Document	North Carolina Certificate of Existence	Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration (no form number)
State fee	$10	$104.50 at order (filing fee $100 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	North Carolina: online as a downloadable electronic certified document, or on paper	Filed on Maryland's paper form
Required expedite		$50 at order (7 business days)
Office	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division	Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division
Official page	sosnc.gov	egov.maryland.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $203, every year	Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1), $300, every year
Due	April 15	April 15
Agent	Your North Carolina registered agent	Our Maryland resident agent

How North Carolina companies register with Maryland

Order the North Carolina certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from North Carolina separately; it is not part of our Maryland order. Maryland accepts it within 60 days of North Carolina's issue date, so it is ordered shortly before filing.
We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your Maryland resident agent, next to your North Carolina name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The North Carolina certificate comes first; then the Maryland filing goes in. After approval, your North Carolina LLC is registered with Maryland.

Maryland costs for North Carolina companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$104.50
Required expedite (7 business days), paid at order	$50
Certificate of Existence, paid to North Carolina	$10
Our service, with a year of Maryland resident agent service	$199
First-year total, North Carolina certificate included	$363.50

Will your North Carolina name work for Maryland?

Maryland can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Agents: Maryland and North Carolina

Maryland calls it a resident agent; North Carolina says registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for North Carolina; ours takes Maryland's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Maryland and North Carolina

Each year your LLC files North Carolina's Annual Report ($203) and Maryland's Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1) ($300). With our $149 resident agent renewal, North Carolina plus Maryland comes to $652 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, North Carolina to Maryland

A corporation formed in North Carolina files its own registration with Maryland ($104.50 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same). After that come North Carolina's Annual Report ($25) and Maryland's Form 1 — Business Entity Annual Report and Business Personal Property Return ($300). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Maryland company in North Carolina

An LLC formed in Maryland that registers with North Carolina files Form L-09 with $253 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($20) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Questions North Carolina owners ask about Maryland

Does my North Carolina company need to register in Maryland?

Yes, once a North Carolina business operates there; Maryland law lists 8 activities that do not count on their own.

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

$353.50 at checkout plus $10 to North Carolina for the Certificate of Existence, $363.50 in all (checkout is $104.50 in state fees, the $50 required expedite and our $199).

Do I need North Carolina's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Maryland wants North Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10), no more than 60 days old at filing.

How long does the Maryland registration take?

7 business days with Maryland's required expedite, once North Carolina's certificate is in hand.

What are the yearly costs for North Carolina and Maryland?

$652 a year: our $149 resident agent renewal, $203 to North Carolina and $300 to Maryland for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Maryland?

A North Carolina company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Maryland require a registered agent?

Yes: the North Carolina registered agent stays, and ours covers Maryland for year one.

Can I form a new Maryland LLC instead?

Yes, but North Carolina keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Maryland's Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1) ($300), and the original keeps North Carolina's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Maryland later?

North Carolina companies leave by filing a Certificate of Cancellation of a Foreign LLC (no state fee); until then, Maryland's report stays due alongside North Carolina's filings.

Official sources

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