North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

Washington LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

To do business in North Carolina, an LLC formed in Washington registers there on Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also wants Washington's Certificate of Existence ($20), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division from your Washington records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

What Washington and North Carolina each ask for

	Washington formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	Washington Certificate of Existence	Form L-09
State fee	$20	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Washington: online as an instant Express download, also emailed	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	ccfs.sos.wa.gov	sosnc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $70, every year	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due	Last day of the entity's anniversary month	April 15
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: 5 to 10 business days
Agent	Your Washington registered agent	Our North Carolina registered agent

How Washington companies register with North Carolina

Order the Washington certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($20) is ordered from Washington separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. Ordered from Washington on filing day, it easily meets North Carolina's limit of 180 days.
We prepare and file Form L-09
It names us as your North Carolina registered agent, with your Washington name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Washington delays the North Carolina filing. After approval, your Washington LLC is registered with North Carolina.

North Carolina costs for Washington companies

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

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

Will your Washington name work for North Carolina?

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

Agents: North Carolina and Washington

Washington and North Carolina both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Washington; ours takes North Carolina's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Washington and North Carolina

Each year your LLC files Washington's Annual Report ($70) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Washington plus North Carolina comes to $419 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Washington to North Carolina

A corporation formed in Washington files Form B-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same). After that come Washington's Annual Report ($70) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a North Carolina company in Washington

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with Washington files Washington's registration (no form number) with $200 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Questions Washington owners ask about North Carolina

Does my Washington company need to register in North Carolina?

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

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

$452 at checkout plus $20 to Washington for the Certificate of Existence, $472 in all (checkout is $253 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Washington's certificate of good standing?

Yes: North Carolina wants Washington'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; Washington's certificate is an instant download, so there is no wait before filing. Paid expedite: 24-hour $100, same-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for Washington and North Carolina?

$419 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $70 to Washington and $200 to North Carolina for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

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

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

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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