North Carolina

Texas

Foreign registration · Form 304

North Carolina LLC Foreign Registration in Texas

To do business in Texas, an LLC formed in North Carolina registers there on Form 304, with $767.13 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Texas asks nothing of North Carolina here, not even the Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Texas Secretary of State from your North Carolina records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

North Carolina and Texas side by side

	North Carolina formed here	Texas registering here
Document	North Carolina Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form 304
State fee	$10	$767.13 at order (filing fee $750 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	North Carolina: online as a downloadable electronic certified document, or on paper	Filed with Texas
Required expedite		$50 at order (Texas Express)
Faster options		next-day $500, same-day $750
Office	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division	Texas Secretary of State
Official page	sosnc.gov	sos.state.tx.us
Name endings	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC	limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $203, every year	Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	April 15	May 15 each year
Agent	Your North Carolina registered agent	Our Texas registered agent

From North Carolina to Texas, step by step

We prepare and file Form 304
It names us as your Texas registered agent, with your North Carolina name and formation date. Nothing has to come from North Carolina first, so the Texas filing can go in right away. Once Texas approves it, the North Carolina company can do business there.

Your North Carolina name and Texas's rules

Texas accepts your North Carolina name if it includes limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either. North Carolina's list (limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC) is not the same, but an ending such as “limited liability company” works in both states. If Texas's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the North Carolina company. We check your exact North Carolina name against Texas's records before filing.

Agents: Texas and North Carolina

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

Staying in good standing in North Carolina and Texas

North Carolina wants the Annual Report every year ($203); Texas wants the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report every year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, North Carolina to Texas

A corporation formed in North Carolina files Form 301 with Texas ($767.13 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same). After that come North Carolina's Annual Report ($25) and Texas's Franchise Tax Report + Public Information Report (no fee). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Texas company in North Carolina

An LLC formed in Texas that registers with North Carolina files Form L-09 with $253 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Fact - Status ($15) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: North Carolina to Texas

Does my North Carolina company need to register in Texas?

Yes, once a North Carolina business operates there; Texas law lists 16 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Texas registration cost?

$1,016.13 at checkout, including the $50 required expedite, with nothing to pay North Carolina.

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

No, Texas takes Form 304 without it.

How long does the Texas registration take?

Typically 2 to 3 business days with Texas's required expedite; nothing comes from North Carolina first. Faster state options: next-day $500, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for North Carolina and Texas?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), North Carolina's report ($203) and Texas's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with Texas?

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

Does Texas require a registered agent?

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

Will Texas accept my North Carolina name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its North Carolina name at home. Texas names must include limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either; “limited liability company” works in both states.

Can I form a new Texas LLC instead?

Yes, but North Carolina keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Texas's Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, and the original keeps North Carolina's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Texas later?

North Carolina companies leave by filing Form 608, Certificate of Withdrawal of Registration ($15); until then, Texas's report stays due alongside North Carolina's filings.

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