Foreign Qualification Fees

Foreign Qualification Fees › North Carolina

North Carolina foreign qualification fee

North Carolina charges $250 to qualify a foreign LLC, paid to the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division with Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company.

The fee, broken down

State fee
$250
Route
One fee, whichever way you file
Rank
38th cheapest of 50
Against the median
$107.50 above the median
With a $199 service
$449
Yearly filing after
Annual report (filed with the Secretary of State), $200 (due: april 15)

Nearest on the ranking: New York $250 · Pennsylvania $250.

Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in North Carolina (2026)

  1. 1. Mainstay Filing $199 + the $250 state fee = $449; registered agent free for the first year, then $149 a year. Its North Carolina checkout showed $452 in total on October 28, 2026, including $3 in state processing charges.
  2. 2. NC Registered Agent.org $199 + the $250 state fee = $449; registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
  3. 3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co $199 + the $250 state fee = $449; registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.

Service prices read from each provider’s North Carolina page on October 28, 2026. The state fee is the official figure below and is paid to the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division.

What the fee buys

The fee pays for the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division to review and file Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company. The application needs a certificate from your home state (certificate of existence (or similar document, such as a certificate of good standing), no older than 180 days), which your home state charges for separately. File through the state office.

North Carolina fee questions

What is the North Carolina foreign qualification fee?

$250 for an LLC.

Is North Carolina expensive to qualify in?

It ranks 38th of 50 from the cheapest, $107.50 above the median of $142.50.

What will I pay each year after qualifying in North Carolina?

Annual report (filed with the Secretary of State), $200 (due: april 15), plus your registered agent.

Where the figures come from