How Much Does an LLC Cost in North Carolina?
Forming an LLC in North Carolina costs $125 to file the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State. After that, the state's annual report runs $200 every April 15, a recurring bill every LLC has to plan for.
A handful of other charges show up along the way. A registered agent, an optional expedite fee, a possible foreign registration if the LLC started elsewhere. None of them are mysterious once you know when each one hits.
Some hit once at formation. Some come back every year. A few only apply if a specific situation fits your business.
Quick Summary
- The Articles of Organization filing is the only mandatory step to create the LLC. Everything else on this page is optional, recurring, or conditional.
- Paid tiers exist to speed up formation processing when a deadline is tight.
- A default pass-through LLC owes North Carolina no franchise tax at all. That trips up owners moving in from states that do charge one.
| Cost Item | Amount | Frequency | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization | $125 | One-time | Yes |
| Expedited Filing | $100 (24-hour) / $200 (same-day) | One-time | No |
| Name Reservation | $30 | One-time | No |
| Registered Agent Service | $0 self / $80-$300 hired | Every year | Yes |
| Annual Report | $200 ($2-3 online surcharge) | Every year | Yes |
| Franchise Tax | $0 (unless corporate election) | N/A for default LLCs | No |
| Business/Sales Tax Registration | $0 | One-time | If applicable |
| Federal Self-Employment Tax | 15.3% of profit share | Every year | If applicable |
| Business and Professional Licenses | Varies | Varies | If applicable |
| Assumed Business Name / DBA | Typically $26 (county fee) | One-time | No |
| Certified Copies | $12 online / $15 mail + $1/page | As needed | No |
| Certificate of Existence | $12 online / $15 mail | As needed | No |
| Foreign LLC Registration | $250 | One-time | If applicable |
| Operating Agreement | $0-$1,000+ | One-time | No |
| EIN | $0 | One-time | No |
Cost to Form a North Carolina LLC
Two things happen before an LLC exists on paper, the first stop on this LLC cost breakdown. One mandatory fee applies, plus a couple of optional steps worth understanding up front.
1. Articles of Organization ($125 - Required)
The North Carolina Secretary of State charges $125 to file Articles of Organization. That document legally creates the LLC. You can file online, mail it in, or drop it off in Raleigh.
Filings go in the order they arrive. The state doesn't publish a fixed wait time. Build in some buffer if a deadline matters. Or pay for expedited service instead.
2. Expedited Filing ($100 24-Hour / $200 Same-Day - Optional)
Two paid tiers move a filing to the front of the line. A $100 fee gets a document filed within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. A $200 fee moves anything received by noon Eastern into same-day processing.
3. Name Reservation ($30 - Optional)
Locking in a name before filing costs $30. It holds the name for 120 days, a non-renewable window. The Application to Reserve a Business Entity Name sets that limit.
Most owners skip this step. Filing the Articles of Organization claims the name at that same moment, for no extra fee. Before reserving anything, confirm the name is actually free. The North Carolina LLC lookup guide walks through that search.
4. Registered Agent Service ($0 Self / $80-$300 Hired - Required to Have, Optional to Hire)
State law requires every LLC to keep a registered agent with a North Carolina address on file, at all times. That comes from North Carolina General Statutes § 57D-2-40 [1]. The agent generally needs to be around during normal hours, to take legal mail for the LLC.
Acting as your own agent costs nothing. Hiring the job out is the optional part. Keeping the spot filled is not.
Plenty of owners still pay for a North Carolina registered agent service. It typically runs $80 to $300 a year, billed every year rather than once. Most who hire one want a home address kept off the public record.
Costs After Your North Carolina LLC Is Approved
Once the LLC exists, a different set of bills starts on a schedule. A handful more only apply in specific situations. This is where the state's costs run higher than many owners expect.
1. Annual Report ($200 - Required)
Every LLC here files an annual report and pays $200 by April 15 each year. The clock starts the year after formation.
The fee is identical whether you mail it in or file online. Paying by credit card online does add a non-refundable $3 surcharge. ACH costs $2 instead. So the online total usually lands at $202-$203.
Miss the deadline and nothing is charged automatically. A 60-day grace period follows April 15. Only after that can the Secretary of State mail a notice under North Carolina General Statutes § 57D-6-06 [2]. That notice still gives the LLC another chance to file before dissolution starts.
2. Franchise Tax (None by Default - Optional Election)
Most LLCs here use the default tax setup. That's a pass-through partnership or disregarded entity. It owes no franchise tax to the state [3]. The tax only kicks in with a corporate election. Most owners never make that switch.
3. Business/Sales Tax Registration ($0 - Required If Applicable)
Selling taxable goods or services requires a Certificate of Registration from the North Carolina Department of Revenue. That certificate is the license to collect sales tax. It costs nothing. Apply online or by mail.
4. Federal Self-Employment Tax (15.3% - Required If Applicable)
A pass-through LLC sends its profit to each member's personal return. Each member then owes federal self-employment tax on their share. The rate is 15.3% total. It covers Social Security and Medicare.
5. Business and Professional Licenses (Varies - Required If Applicable)
Certain cities, counties, and trades layer on their own rules. A contractor, a cosmetologist, and a restaurant owner each answer to a different board. Costs shift with the field and the place. Check local rules first, since the state filing alone won't cover everything.
6. Assumed Business Name / DBA (Typically $26 - Optional)
Operating under a name other than the LLC's legal one takes its own filing. Assumed-name filings go through the county Register of Deeds rather than the Secretary of State [4]. One county's filing covers the LLC, even if it works in several.
The fee is set at the county level, so it can shift slightly by location. $26 is the figure most counties charge.
7. Certified Copies of Business Documents ($12 Online / $15 Mail - Optional)
A certified copy costs $12 online, plus $1 a page. Online orders process the same day. Mail costs $15 a copy, plus $1 a page. Mail takes a few extra days. Banks and lenders sometimes ask for a copy before closing a deal.
8. Certificate of Existence ($12 Online / $15 Mail - Optional)
Other states call this a Certificate of Good Standing. It confirms an LLC is current with its state filings. It costs $12 online with instant processing, or $15 by mail with a few extra days added.
9. Foreign LLC Registration ($250 - If Applicable)
An LLC formed outside North Carolina has to register first, before it can operate here. That means filing an Application for Certificate of Authority and paying $250. It also needs a Certificate of Existence from the home state, issued within the past six months. Once registered, the same $200 annual report applies going forward, just like a domestic LLC.
10. Operating Agreement ($0 Template / $100-$1,000+ Attorney - Optional but Recommended)
The state doesn't require an operating agreement to be filed, or even to exist. Skipping one still leaves ownership splits and exit terms undefined right up until a dispute forces the question.
The cost table above links a free template with no price tag attached. Hiring an attorney to draft one instead typically costs $100 to $1,000 or beyond. The price scales with how many members and provisions the agreement has to cover.
11. Employer Identification Number ($0 - Recommended)
An EIN from the IRS costs nothing. It takes minutes to get online. A bank asks for it to open an account. The LLC needs it before hiring its first worker too.
Multi-member LLCs need one, no matter what. A single-member LLC can often skip it at first. Apply the moment a bank account or a hire makes it necessary.
Related article: LLC processing time in North Carolina
FAQs
Does North Carolina's Annual Report Stay the Same Size No Matter How Big My LLC Gets?
Yes, North Carolina's annual report fee stays the same size regardless of revenue, employee count, or how many members the LLC has. A single-member LLC with no income pays the same amount as a multi-location company with dozens of employees.
What If I Realize I'm Past the Grace Period Before the State Mails a Notice?
Filing during the grace period, before the state mails any notice, is the simplest fix. It skips the paperwork of responding to a dissolution notice and keeps the LLC's status clean in the meantime.
Does Registering as a Foreign LLC Replace What I Owe in My Home State?
No, registering as a foreign LLC in North Carolina does not replace obligations owed to the home state. It adds a separate set of requirements on top of whatever that state already requires, including its own registered agent, annual report, and any home-state taxes.
Do I Need to File a Beneficial Ownership Information Report?
No, domestic LLCs formed in the United States do not currently need to file this report, called a Beneficial Ownership Information report, with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. An interim final rule removed the requirement for domestic companies. Check FinCEN.gov/boi for updates.
References:
- https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_57D/GS_57D-2-40.html
- https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_57D/GS_57D-6-06.html
- https://www.ncdor.gov/taxes-forms/corporate-income-franchise-tax/directives-and-technical-advice-memoranda/directive-cd-02-1
- https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/ByArticle/Chapter_66/Article_14A.pdf
