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How do I form an LLC in North Carolina?
Filing the Articles of Organization creates a North Carolina LLC. In this lesson we will walk you through the process.
You must file an official document called the Articles of Organization to form a North Carolina LLC. This lesson will walk you through the process.
North Carolina LLC filing fee ($125)
The North Carolina LLC filing fee (the fee to create a North Carolina LLC) is $125. This is a one-time fee.
How much is an LLC in North Carolina explains all the fees you’ll pay, including the Articles of Organization filing fee.
Note: The “LLC filing fee” is the same thing as the “Articles of Organization fee”. The Articles of Organization are the document that, once approved by the Secretary of State’s office, creates your North Carolina LLC.
LLC University® prior lessons:
Before filing the Articles of Organization for your North Carolina LLC, make sure you have read these two lessons:
North Carolina LLC filing methods
You can file your North Carolina LLC Articles of Organization by mail or online.
The filing fee is $125 for both methods.
If you want to hire a company to form your LLC instead of filing it yourself, check out Best LLC Services in North Carolina.
If you form your LLC by mail, it will be approved in 2-5 business days (plus mail time). Your approval will be mailed to you.
If you form your LLC online, it will be approved in 2-5 business days. And your approval will be emailed to you.
Note: Filing times may take longer due to government delays. For the most up-to-date LLC processing times, check how long does it take to get an LLC in North Carolina.
LLC University® recommendation:
We recommend the online filing because it’s easier to complete and has a faster approval time.
Need to save time? Hire a company to form your LLC:
Northwest ($39 + state fee) or LegalZoom ($149 + state fee)
(Learn why Northwest is #1 in Northwest vs LegalZoom)
How do I file a North Carolina LLC by mail?
If you want to file the Articles of Organization by mail (instead of online), you will need to:
- Go to: North Carolina Secretary of State: Business Forms
- In the first menu, select the Division “Business Registration“
- In the second menu for which forms, select “Business Entities Common“
- From the documents listed below, click “Cover Sheet for Corporate Filings” (PDF will download)
- Back at the top of the page, in the second menu for which forms, change your selection to “Limited Liability Companies“
- Below, click “Articles of Organization” (PDF will download)
- Prepare a check or money order for the $125 filing fee and make it payable to “Secretary of State”
- Send your completed Cover Sheet, Articles of Organization, and filing fee to:
North Carolina Secretary of State
PO Box 29622
Raleigh, NC 27626-0622
Mail filing video instructions:
How do I file a North Carolina LLC Online?
First, you will need to create an online account with the North Carolina Secretary of State:
- Visit North Carolina Secretary of State: Create a New Account
- Create a username and password, enter your contact information, and click Register
- Visit North Carolina Secretary of State: Business Registration to get started
Next, follow the instructions below to file your Articles of Organization online.
Has this entity been created in another state or country?
If you are forming a new North Carolina LLC, select “No“.
If you are registering an out-of-state LLC as a Foreign LLC in North Carolina, select “Yes“.
Choose which type of entity you want to create or register to do business in North Carolina:
Select “Limited Liability Company“.
Name Availability
Enter your desired North Carolina LLC name, using your preferred capitalization. For example, if your desired LLC name is “cummings typewriters LLC” (and not “Cummings Typewriters LLC“), make sure you enter “cummings typewriters LLC” here.
Make sure to include the designator at the end of the name. As per Section 55D-20 of North Carolina LLC Act, the designators you can use are:
- LLC (most common)
- L.L.C.
- Limited Liability Company
- Ltd. Liability Co.
- Limited Liability Co.
- Ltd. Liability Company
Comma in LLC name: You can use a comma in your North Carolina LLC name or you can leave it out. For example, “Bayside Bicycles, LLC” and “Bayside Bicycles LLC” are both acceptable.
Registered Agent Information
- Prior lesson: Please read North Carolina Registered Agent before proceeding. You should also explore Is a Registered Agent a Member of an LLC?
If you or someone you know will be your LLC’s Registered Agent:
Select the option that says “you or a company not in the list will be the Registered Agent” and go to the next page.
Enter your Registered Agent’s email address.
Is the Registered Agent a business entity?:
If your LLC’s Registered Agent is a company (and not a Commercial Registered Agent), select “Yes” and enter the company’s name. Most people will select “No“, because it is not common to have a company (other than a Commercial Registered Agent) as your LLC’s Registered Agent.
If you select “No“, enter the Registered Agent’s first and last name.
Then on the next page, enter the address of the Registered Agent. If the Registered Agent’s physical and mailing address are the same, check the box at the bottom. If the Registered Agent has a mailing address that is different from their physical address, then don’t check the box.
If you hired a Commercial Registered Agent:
Select the Commercial Registered Agent’s name from the list and continue to the next page.
Principal Office Information
The Principal Office is the place where the actual business is conducted or a place where you keep your LLC’s business records.
A Principal Office address can be an actual office, a virtual office, a home address, a storefront, a warehouse, etc.
Does the business entity have a principal office?
Note: The reason the state gives you the option to say that you don’t have a Principal Office is in case your business is planning to lease space. The state allows you to skip the Principal Office address during LLC formation. However, you must enter a Principal Office address when you file your first North Carolina LLC Annual Report.
If your LLC has a Principal Office, select “Yes” and:
- Enter a phone number for your business (can be a work phone, home phone, or cell phone, VOIP phone, etc.)
- On the next page, enter the Principal Office address.
Organizers
- Related articles: LLC Organizer vs LLC Member and Registered Agent vs LLC Organizer
The Organizer is the person submitting the Articles of Organization to the state and signing the Articles of Organization.
Note: Your LLC only needs one Organizer to submit the Articles of Organization. As mentioned in the article linked above, simply being an LLC Organizer doesn’t mean that person owns the LLC. The LLC Members (owners) are listed in the North Carolina LLC Operating Agreement.
Click “Add Entity/Individual“.
Is this party a commercial entity?
Select “Yes” if the LLC Organizer is a company. Select “No” if the LLC Organizer is a person. Most people select “No“.
Enter the Organizer’s information and click “Save“. And then continue to the next page.
Company Officials (optional)
Note: Whether or not Company Officials are entered here, they won’t be signing the Articles of Organization.
In North Carolina, you do not have to list the LLC Members in the Articles of Organization (it’s optional). LLC Members are listed in the LLC Operating Agreement.
However, you may have a problem when you try to open a bank account for your LLC. Some bankers don’t know this and they get confused when the LLC Members aren’t on the Articles of Organization. The Secretary of State decided to help with this confusion, so they added this Company Officials section. It allows people forming an LLC to list the Members on the Articles of Organization.
Again though, it’s optional. And we have another solution if you want to keep the LLC Members private and still have an easy time when dealing with the bank.
If you prefer to have all the Members listed publicly:
Enter the Members in the Company Officials section.
If you want Member privacy:
- Leave the Company Officials section blank.
- Have the LLC Member(s) sign the LLC Operating Agreement, which is a private document (not on public records).
- Have the LLC Organizer(s) sign a Statement of LLC Organizer. This is also a private document in which the Organizer also lists the LLC Member(s).
- Read our LLC bank account page.
- Call the bank before you go to a branch location and ask to speak to the branch manager or a business specialist. Tell them you want to open a bank account for your LLC. Explain to them that LLC Members don’t have to be listed in the Articles of Organization in North Carolina. And tell them you have the LLC Operating Agreement and a Statement of LLC Organizer.
- Ask the banker for their email address and ask if they will review your paperwork before you arrive. This can save you a lot of time.
Registration Options
Attach, as a PDF, any other provisions which the business entity elects to include (optional):
If your LLC has special rules, those can be included in an attachment and uploaded here.
Most people don’t include an attachment unless they have been instructed to by their attorney.
Please provide a business email address (optional):
The email address entered here is kept private.
The state will use this email address to notify you of any documents that are filed for your LLC. It’s a security feature to prevent “business identity theft”. We recommend entering your email address here.
You can use any email address that you own. It doesn’t have to be a business email address. You can just use your primary email address.
Please indicate when you want the document to become effective:
- Related article: What is an LLC effective date?
An LLC Effective Date is the date your LLC officially comes into existence. Think of it as the day your LLC is “born”.
If you would like your LLC to come into existence on the date it is approved by the North Carolina Secretary of State, then select “Effective upon filing” from the drop down menu.
However, if you want your LLC to come into existence on a future date, then select “Effective on a future date“. Then select the date from the calendar. The date can’t be more than 90 days from the date of filing.
Note: You can’t back-date your filing.
Tip if you’re forming your LLC later in the year:
If you’re forming your LLC later in the year (October, November or December) and you don’t need your LLC open right away, we recommend using January 1st of the next year as an effective date.
This will save you $200 by pushing your LLC’s first Annual Report due date more than a year ahead. And depending on how your LLC is taxed, this can also push your tax filing due date more than a year ahead.
For example: Let’s pretend it’s currently November 2024 and you’re filing your LLC. If you don’t need to use the LLC right away, you can use an effective date for your filing of January 1, 2025. This means your 1st Annual Report is due by April 15, 2026 (instead of April 15, 2025). And depending on how your LLC is taxed, your tax filings are now due in March or April of 2026 (and not 2025).
Signature Page
The date the document was executed:
From the calendar, select today’s date (regardless of what date you used for the effective date). “Document” here means the Articles of Organization.
Executing Signature(s):
Who needs to sign the document?
- Only the person(s) listed in the Organizers section need to sign.
- If you listed any Company Officials, they don’t sign the document.
From the drop down lists, select the person(s) you entered in the Organizer section and then click “Next“.
You will only be using the blank field to the right if the “person” from the drop down is a company. If that’s the case, then you would enter the name and title of the individual signing on behalf of the company.
Most people forming their own LLC list themselves as the Organizer, so they will just be selecting themselves from the list on the left (and leaving the field on the right blank).
Review
A PDF preview of your online filing will show up in this section. Review the information you’ve entered and check for any typos.
If you need to make changes, click the “Previous” button and go back to the section where changes are needed.
If everything looks good, click “Next” to proceed.
Business email address to send receipt of filing:
Your email address will likely be auto-filled. You can leave it as-is or enter a different email address. This email address is where your North Carolina LLC approval documents will be sent.
Would you like your document to be expedited?
If you are comfortable with the usual approval time (and don’t want to pay extra), select “None” from the first drop down menu. This means you will just pay the standard filing fee of $125 and your LLC will be approved in 2-5 business days.
If you want your LLC approved faster, you can select “24 Hours (+$100)“. This will cost $225 total ($125 filing fee + $100 expedited fee). After the state receives your Articles of Organization, they will review and process it within 24 hours. If you pay for an expedited filing, you will have your LLC approval in about 2-3 business days.
If filing on behalf of a client, you may enter their Customer Reference Number here:
Leave this section blank. It doesn’t apply to people forming their own LLCs. It’s sometimes used by filing companies or law firms.
Fees and Payment
This section shows the total payment required for your filing. There is a small additional fee added for online filings.
You can pay with a credit card, debit card, or by ACH. Enter your payment information, click “Submit“, and finalize your payment to the state.
Congratulations! Your LLC Articles of Organization have been successfully submitted to the state. Now you just need to wait for approval.
North Carolina LLC Approval (online filing):
Your North Carolina LLC will be approved in 2-5 business days (regular filing) or 2-3 business days (expedited filing).
After your LLC is approved, you will receive an email with your stamped and approved Articles of Organization. You will also receive a Cover Letter confirming your filing. The stamped and approved Articles of Organization are your LLC’s official approval document.
Make sure to keep these documents in a safe place. We recommend making a physical copy as well as storing an electronic copy on your computer.
Congratulations on your new LLC!
North Carolina Secretary of State Contact Info
If you have any questions, you can contact the North Carolina Secretary of State at 919-814-5400.
Their hours are Monday through Friday, 8am – 5pm Eastern Time.
Once you’ve filed your Articles of Organization and your North Carolina LLC has been approved, you can draft your North Carolina LLC Operating Agreement.
Search your domain name
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References
North Carolina LLC Act: Chapter 55
North Carolina LLC Act: Section 57D-2-20
North Carolina LLC Act: Section 57D-2-21
North Carolina LLC Act: Section 57D-2-22
North Carolina LLC Act: Section 57D-2-23
North Carolina LLC Act: Section 57D-3-20
North Carolina LLC Act: Section 57D-3-21
North Carolina LLC Act: Section 57D-3-22
North Carolina LLC Act: Section 57D-3-23
North Carolina Secretary of State: Frequently Asked Questions
North Carolina Secretary of State: Launching a North Carolina Business
North Carolina Secretary of State: Organizing Your Limited Liability Company in North Carolina
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.
North Carolina LLC Guide
Looking for an overview? See North Carolina LLC
Your website was a tremendous resource. Thank you so much for the safety net for those of us wading into this for the first time!
Btw, the State of North Carolina registration can now be done entirely online. No need to print/scan anymore.
Hi Steve, you are very welcome! Thank you for the kind words :) We will be updating this page shortly to reflect the new online filing process. Thank you.
Hello! While this information has been extremely helpful, the online filing instructions need to be updated. There is nowhere to upload the Articles of Organization and all of the information has to be manually input. Thank you.
Hi Stephanie, you’re very welcome. We will be updating this lesson this week to reflect the Secretary of State’s updates to the online filing. Thank you :)
Hello Matt,
Just wanted to send you a quick note of thanks for all of the helpful information you’ve put out there.
I’ve filed for our LLC and am looking forward to the future. Wish us luck (and profits)!
Take care,
John Kirkand
Hey John! You’re very welcome :) I hope your business is a massive success! I always say: It’s not a matter of “if”, just a matter of “when”. Just stay the course ;)
Appreciate all the information on the website.
I am in the process of setting up an LLC with a partner for a vacation rental and we prefer not to have our names and addresses publicly available. How can we avoid this?
On form L01 will we both be classed as member and organizers?
Is the Business address on the form where all correspondence is sent or the address of the rental property?
Which address must be listed as the Principal Office on the form?
How do we start an LLC without any of our private information being public record and available online?
Thanks.
Hi Brit, you’re very welcome. Most correspondence is sent to the principal office address (or the principal office mailing address). On the North Carolina LLC Articles of Organization, Members are not required to be listed (see “Listing of Company Officials” section). If you want privacy, it would be best to hire a company to be your Registered Agent and also file the LLC for you (since they’ll sign as the LLC Organizer). Some Registered Agents will also let you use their address throughout the filing for more privacy. If you’re interested in that, we recommend Northwest Registered Agent. However, a North Carolina LLC can only be private for approximately its first year, since when you go to file the North Carolina LLC Annual Report, you’ll be required to list the Company Official(s), which would be LLC Member(s) or Manager(s). One way around this is to form an LLC in a state where no Members are required to be listed on the filing documents (Articles of Organization, Certificate of Organization, or Certificate of Formation) as well as the Annual Report forms. Hope that helps.
Awesome website.. made a nerve racking experience smooth as silk.. Great documentation! Thank You!
Thanks so much Ron! We’re so happy to hear that. You’re very welcome :)
Hi,
I am looking to do a single/Sole member LLC. Is this the same process as a regular one member LLC? I have found a Sole Member Operating Agreement online. Is there an official site with this document on it in NC?
Hi Starlett, yes, the process is the same. In fact, a one member LLC is the same thing as a Single-Member LLC. Single-Member LLC is just the more official term. The government of North Carolina doesn’t provide an Operating Agreement. They just provide the Articles of Organization, the document that forms the LLC. You can download an Operating Agreement template from our site if you’d like: North Carolina LLC Operating Agreement. Hope that helps.
Thanks for the awesome guide! Very helpful. I’ve completed a cover sheet and articles of organization for NC, and have just 1 question. About addresses, of course. I am starting an LLC as organizer-member, and I will be the only member, working out of my home. I am temporarily renting, and would rather not have to change any addresses with the SOS down the road when I buy another house and move. I got a PMB at a UPS Store, and am using that in every address on the cover sheet and articles of organization, except for 2 places – the registered agent address, for which I used Northwest, and the street office of the principal office, for which I used my apartment. I’ve seen you and others state you can use other addresses here, but frankly, it seems that is breaking the instructions given on page 1 from the SOS. Should that be a concern, or am I over-worrying about that? Thank you again, so much! Without your guide, I’d have a lot more questions.
Hey Edward, thanks for the compliment. The definition of principal office can be found in Chapter 55 of the NC Business Corporation Act. See Section 55-1-40 (#17). Hope that helps.
Your a very secure individual to share this information. Which could be intimidating for new venturer’s. You explained it so easy that a midle school teen could grasp. I was apprehensive going in because in DC the process is very complicated. Thank you so much for wanting to help.
Kim Barnes
Hi Kim, thank you for your nice comment :) Yes, D.C. is a quirky place to form an LLC lol! Glad you found the site helpful!
Hello Matt,
I had a North Carolina administratively dissolved. Is there any way to pay the back charges and return it to active status?
Great site–thanks, George
Hi Matt…I am in the process of filling the Articles of Organization form but I do not see the Cover Sheet document within the file. Is that no longer needed since you posted this instructional video?
Thanks,
Maria
Hi Maria, the Cover Sheet is not a part of the Articles of Organization PDF file, but rather, it’s a separate document. Please look above on this page for a section titled “Download the Cover Sheet for Corporate Filings”. Hope that helps.
Our North Carolina LLC would like to withdraw a member and add a new member. I found a statement in an answer provided in the Questions about changing the Articles that noted that the names of the initial organizers cannot be changed. What do we do?
I’ve filed and paid online my Articles of Organization Limited Liability at (NC state)
I haven’t received any E-notification filing or approval from them yet (today is March 3rd).
I’ve requested order status a few days ago and haven’t received any reply either.
When I check my submissions it shows filing and invoice numbers and I can download them. It seems everything is done correctly but it’s been 7 business day already.
Should I call them on Monday or wait for a couple of more days?
Will they email me if they reject the name or if any information was missing?
Thank you beforehand
Hi Richard, thank you for the details. I would certainly call the Secretary of State’s office either Monday or sometime next week. Either way, whether accepted or rejected, the state’s office will send you the proper correspondence. I wouldn’t worry too much though… they likely just got a little busy. Hope that helps :)
I am really struggling with the address section. I was going to list a PO Box for the business address of an online company that I am starting. I am not entirely sure yet if I can list the physical address for my home to run a home based business since I am renting. The lease is a little vague on this issue. Well, now I’m reading that I will eventually need to put a physical address. So, I would have to put my physical address as the street address and then the PO Box for the mailing address. But my question is will the street address be listed as public record that I am running the business out of my home or will records show the PO Box I have listed.
Hi Alicia, I feel you… the address part can certainly require a lot of strategic thinking and planning. It’s common. I understand the situation about the lease… it’s likely a “short-term address” and not reliable to use. Yes, the street address will be public record. Everything on the Articles of Organization will be public record (except for the principal office telephone number). Here’s something to consider. If you hire Northwest Registered Agent as your Registered Agent, they’ll let you use their physical address throughout your filing for privacy and reliability. Whatever mail they receive for you, they just scan and upload to your online dashboard. So you could use their address in #2, 4, 6, and 8. Hope that helps.
I don’t want my name listed on the NC website or on the documentation uploaded to the website; where or in what capacity should I list my name? Or should I just leave it off completely? thanks
Hey William, if you prefer privacy for your North Carolina LLC, then you really don’t want your name anywhere on the Articles of Organization. Some states require that owners (“members“) be listed, but North Carolina does not. The two things you’ll need to do are as follows: 1. Have a friend or family member organize your LLC. Or hire a filing company to do this (and let them know not to list your name on the Articles of Organization). The Organizer’s name will appear in #2 and #10 of your Articles of Organization. 2. Have a friend or family member act as your North Carolina Registered Agent. Their name/address will appear in #3, #4, and possible in #5 and #6 (if allowed). If you also want address privacy, I recommend hiring Northwest Registered Agent. They’ll let you use their mailing address throughout your entire Articles of Organization. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any followup questions.