Tennessee

North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

Tennessee LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

North Carolina registers an LLC from Tennessee as a foreign LLC on Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also asks for Tennessee's Certificate of Existence ($20), no older than 180 days. We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division using your Tennessee records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Tennessee and North Carolina side by side

	Tennessee formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Tennessee Certificate of Existence	Form L-09
State fee	$20	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Tennessee: online or by mail	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	sos.tn.gov	sosnc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $300, every year	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due		April 15
Agent	Your Tennessee registered agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

From Tennessee to North Carolina, step by step

Order the Tennessee certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($20) is ordered from Tennessee separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. North Carolina counts 180 days from the day Tennessee issues it, so the order goes in shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form L-09
It lists us as your North Carolina registered agent, next to your Tennessee name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Tennessee certificate comes first; then the North Carolina filing goes in. After approval, your Tennessee LLC is registered with North Carolina.

First-year cost, Tennessee to North Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$253
Certificate of Existence, paid to Tennessee	$20
Our service, with a year of North Carolina registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Tennessee certificate included	$472

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

Your Tennessee name and North Carolina's rules

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

Agents: North Carolina and Tennessee

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

Staying in good standing in Tennessee and North Carolina

Each year your LLC files Tennessee's Annual Report ($300) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Tennessee plus North Carolina comes to $649 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Tennessee to North Carolina

A corporation formed in Tennessee files Form B-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same). After that come Tennessee's Annual Report ($20) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a North Carolina company in Tennessee

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with Tennessee files Form SS-4233 with $300 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Tennessee to North Carolina

Does my Tennessee company need to register in North Carolina?

Yes, once a Tennessee 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 $20 to Tennessee for the Certificate of Existence, $472 in all (checkout is $253 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Tennessee's certificate of good standing?

Yes: North Carolina wants Tennessee's Certificate of Existence ($20), 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 Tennessee's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: 24-hour $100, same-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for Tennessee and North Carolina?

$649 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $300 to Tennessee and $200 to North Carolina for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

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

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

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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