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State Filing Data LLC fees by state, read from the source.

Foreign LLC guide · North Carolina

North Carolina Foreign LLC Registration (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services

In 2026 we'd hire North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and NC Registered Agent.org ($199) for foreign LLC registration in North Carolina, in that order. On the state's schedule a foreign LLC pays $250 up front and $200 per report, 39th of 50 over three years.
State Filing Data research desk

North Carolina numbers

of 50 for registering a foreign LLC

1st = least expensive. See all 50

Registration fee

$250

Source sosnc.gov (October 2026)

Yearly report

$200

Annual report

Home-state certificate

180 days

No older than this

Three-year state fees

$650

Years one to three, state fees only

North Carolina picks

Order from our methodology: three-year service fees 35%, state filings covered 30%, then renewal, state fit and transparency.

Number one

1. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for one extra state

$199 to register, $99 yearly after

North Carolina Registered Agent.co is where we'd go first: $199 plus the state fee, the first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.

Lower three-year service fees than Mainstay Filing put it on top; cost carries 35% of our method.

What you pay for

  • The registration paperwork
  • A year of agent service

For

  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 over the state fee
  • Then $99 a year

Against

  • Home state needs a separate agent
Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Most covered

2. Mainstay Filing: best for multi-state registrations

$199 to register, $149 yearly after

Mainstay Filing slots in second. What it offers: a $199 service fee in any state, the first agent year included.

It costs $100 more than North Carolina Registered Agent.co across three years, and cost is our heaviest criterion.

Agent service after year one: $149 a year, any state.

What you pay for

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Registered agent, free for the first year
  • Same service fee in every state

For

  • No agent fee in year one
  • Any state, one fee
  • $199 over the state fee

Against

  • Renewal $50 over North Carolina Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
North Carolina focus

3. NC Registered Agent.org: best for North Carolina registrations

$199 to register, $99 yearly after

NC Registered Agent.org is our third choice: $199 plus the state fee, the first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.

Same published prices as North Carolina Registered Agent.co.

What you pay for

  • The registration paperwork
  • A year of agent service

For

  • $199 over the state fee
  • Then $99 a year
  • No agent fee in year one

Against

  • Home state needs a separate agent
Visit NC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 picks, side by side

#ServiceYear oneFrom year twoThree-year service fees
1 North Carolina Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397
Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 NC Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397
Visit NC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Company prices read November 12, 2026. The $250 state fee is extra in every case.

Registration plus upkeep, by year

Choose a service and a period; the calculator adds the state's fees to the service fees.

North Carolina Registered Agent.co, 3 years: $1,047 ($650 to the state, $397 to the service).

North Carolina next to similar states

RankStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
37th Arkansas$570
38th Kentucky$645
39th North Carolina$650
40th Maryland$700
41st Mississippi$750

Five rows of fifty; the rest are in Foreign LLC fees by state.

The North Carolina filing for out-of-state LLCs

An LLC formed elsewhere files the Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company (Form L-09) with the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division and pays $250. Attach certificate of existence (or similar document, such as a certificate of good standing), no older than 180 days.

After that it files the annual report ($200), April 15.

What to have ready

  • Certificate of existence (or similar document, such as a certificate of good standing), dated within 180 days.
  • The exact legal name from the home state and the formation date.
  • An in-state registered agent, which each listed service supplies.
  • Funds for the $250 state fee.

Penalties for not registering in North Carolina

Lawsuits it tries to bring are blocked until the registration is on file (G.S. 57D-7-02(a)). Existing contracts stay enforceable (G.S. 57D-7-02(c)). Each day can add $10 can apply. Back fees for the unregistered period are due as well.

The reasoning

Service fees over three years is worth 35% of the score, and it put North Carolina Registered Agent.co ahead of Mainstay Filing here.

North Carolina Registered Agent.co's three-year service fees: $397 ($100 under Mainstay Filing).

North Carolina: questions

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

$250 to the state. Services on this page charge $199 on top.

Which form registers a foreign LLC in North Carolina?

File Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company (Form L-09) with the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence (or similar document, such as a certificate of good standing), dated within 180 days of filing.

What does a foreign LLC file after registering?

The annual report, $200.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

Lawsuits it tries to bring are blocked until the registration is on file (G.S. 57D-7-02(a)). Existing contracts stay enforceable (G.S. 57D-7-02(c)). Each day can add $10 can apply. Back fees for the unregistered period are due as well.

Is a registered agent needed there?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Who should file the registration?

Our order is North Carolina Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing and NC Registered Agent.org. For North Carolina Registered Agent.co: the North Carolina registration for $199 with a year of agent service and $99 yearly after.

See also

Citations

  1. sosnc.gov: North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State (checked August 2026)
  2. sosnc.gov: North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State (checked August 2026)
  3. ncleg.gov: North Carolina report due date (checked August 2026)
  4. sosnc.gov: N.C (checked August 2026)
  5. sosnc.gov: North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked October 2026)
  6. sosnc.gov: North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked October 2026)
  7. sosnc.gov: North Carolina registered agent statute (checked October 2026)
  8. sosnc.gov: North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration (checked October 2026)
  9. sosnc.gov: Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority (checked October 2026)
  10. sosnc.gov: Secretary of State guide to registering a foreign (checked October 2026)
  11. ncleg.gov: G.S (checked October 2026)
  12. sosnc.gov: Annual report due dates (checked October 2026)
  13. ncleg.gov: N.C (checked November 2026)
  14. sos.arkansas.gov: Arkansas Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms and (checked October 2026)
  15. sos.arkansas.gov: Form FL-01 (checked October 2026)
  16. arkleg.state.ar.us: Act 1041 of 2021, Uniform LLC Act (checked October 2026)
  17. sos.arkansas.gov: 2026 LLC franchise tax report and instructions (checked October 2026)
  18. sos.arkansas.gov: Form FL-04, application for cancellation (checked October 2026)
  19. sos.ky.gov: Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings (checked October 2026)
  20. web.sos.ky.gov: Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (checked October 2026)
  21. apps.legislature.ky.gov: KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority (checked October 2026)
  22. apps.legislature.ky.gov: KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required (checked October 2026)
  23. apps.legislature.ky.gov: KRS 14A.6-010, annual report (checked October 2026)
  24. sos.ky.gov: Kentucky Secretary of State, fee schedule (checked October 2026)
  25. revenue.ky.gov: Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official (checked October 2026)
  26. egov.maryland.gov: Maryland Business Express (checked October 2026)
  27. egov.maryland.gov: Business Express fee schedule (checked October 2026)
  28. mgaleg.maryland.gov: Corporations and Associations § 4A-1002, registration (checked October 2026)
  29. mgaleg.maryland.gov: Corporations and Associations § 4A-1009, activities that are (checked October 2026)
  30. mgaleg.maryland.gov: Corporations and Associations § 4A-1007, effect of not (checked October 2026)
  31. mgaleg.maryland.gov: Tax-Property § 11-101, annual report (checked October 2026)
  32. sos.ms.gov: Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services (checked October 2026)
  33. sos.ms.gov: Business filing fee schedule (checked October 2026)
  34. sos.ms.gov: Business FAQs (checked October 2026)
  35. sos.ms.gov: Start Your Business in Mississippi (checked October 2026)
  36. sos.ms.gov: Mississippi annual reports (checked October 2026)
  37. sos.ms.gov: Registered agents (checked October 2026)
  38. North Carolina Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 12, 2026
  39. Mainstay Filing North Carolina service page, read November 12, 2026
  40. NC Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 12, 2026