North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form L-09

West Virginia LLC Foreign Registration in North Carolina

An LLC formed in West Virginia that wants to do business in North Carolina files Form L-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina also asks for West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10), no older than 180 days. We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division from your West Virginia records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

West Virginia vs North Carolina: the paperwork

	West Virginia formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence	Form L-09
State fee	$10	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	sos.wv.gov	sosnc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Name endings	limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC, with limited abbreviated Ltd. and company abbreviated Co.	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $26, every year	Annual Report, $200, every year
Due	July 1 each year	April 15
Turnaround	Certificate takes a few days	Standard processing: 5 to 10 business days
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our North Carolina registered agent

From West Virginia to North Carolina, step by step

Order the West Virginia certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from West Virginia separately; it is not part of our North Carolina order. With West Virginia taking days and North Carolina counting 180 days from issue, the order is timed for both.
We prepare and file Form L-09
It lists us as your North Carolina registered agent, next to your West Virginia name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The West Virginia certificate takes days to arrive, so the North Carolina filing waits for it. Once North Carolina approves it, the West Virginia company can do business there.

First-year cost, West Virginia to North Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$253
Certificate of Existence, paid to West Virginia	$10
Our service, with a year of North Carolina registered agent service	$199
First-year total, West Virginia certificate included	$462

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

Your West Virginia name and North Carolina's rules

North Carolina accepts your West Virginia name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. West Virginia's list (limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC, with limited abbreviated Ltd. and company abbreviated Co.) is not the same, but an ending such as “limited liability company” works in both states. North Carolina can hold a name for $10 before you file.

Agents: North Carolina and West Virginia

North Carolina calls it a registered agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. North Carolina papers come to us; West Virginia's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in West Virginia and North Carolina

Each year your LLC files West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and North Carolina's Annual Report ($200). With our $149 registered agent renewal, West Virginia plus North Carolina comes to $375 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to North Carolina

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

Registering a North Carolina company in West Virginia

An LLC formed in North Carolina that registers with West Virginia files Form LLF-1 with $151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10). See that filing.

Common questions: West Virginia to North Carolina

Does my West Virginia company need to register in North Carolina?

Yes, once a West Virginia 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 $10 to West Virginia for the Certificate of Existence, $462 in all (checkout is $253 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need West Virginia's certificate of good standing?

Yes: North Carolina wants West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10), 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, plus a few days for West Virginia's certificate before filing. Paid expedite: 24-hour $100, same-day $200.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and North Carolina?

$375 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $26 to West Virginia and $200 to North Carolina for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with North Carolina?

A West Virginia 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 West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers North Carolina for year one.

Will North Carolina accept my West Virginia name?

Yes, if no company there already uses it and it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC; “limited liability company” works in both states.

Can I form a new North Carolina LLC instead?

Yes, but West Virginia keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files North Carolina's Annual Report ($203), and the original keeps West Virginia's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

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

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