Ohio

North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

Ohio LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

To do business in North Carolina, an LLC formed in Ohio registers there on Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also wants Ohio's Certificate of Good Standing ($5), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division from your Ohio records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Ohio vs North Carolina: the paperwork

	Ohio formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Ohio Certificate of Good Standing	Form L-09
State fee	$5	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Ohio: online or by mail	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	cogs.ohiosos.gov	sosnc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	No annual report	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due		April 15
Agent	Your Ohio statutory agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

From Ohio to North Carolina, step by step

Order the Ohio certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($5) is ordered from Ohio separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. North Carolina accepts it within 180 days of Ohio's issue date, so it is ordered shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form L-09
It names us as your North Carolina registered agent, with your Ohio name and formation date and the certificate attached. Once Ohio's certificate is in hand, North Carolina's filing goes in. After approval, your Ohio LLC is registered with North Carolina.

North Carolina costs for Ohio companies

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

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

Will your Ohio name work for North Carolina?

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

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

Yearly filings: North Carolina and Ohio

Ohio has no annual report for LLCs; North Carolina wants the Annual Report every year ($200). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Ohio to North Carolina

A corporation formed in Ohio files Form B-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same). See the corporation filing.

Registering a North Carolina company in Ohio

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with Ohio files Form 617 with $99 in state fees; no North Carolina certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Ohio to North Carolina

Does my Ohio company need to register in North Carolina?

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

How much does it cost to register an Ohio LLC in North Carolina?

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

Do I need Ohio's certificate of good standing?

Yes: North Carolina wants it ($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 Ohio's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: 24-hour $100, same-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for Ohio and North Carolina?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), no Ohio yearly report and North Carolina's report ($200).

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

An Ohio 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 Ohio statutory agent stays, and ours covers North Carolina for year one.

Will North Carolina accept my Ohio 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 Ohio keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files North Carolina's Annual Report ($203), and Ohio has no yearly report for the original.

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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