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How do I form an LLC in North Carolina?
In order to form an LLC in North Carolina, you must file a form called the Articles of Organization.
This is the document that, once filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State, creates your LLC.
In this lesson we will walk you through the process, step-by-step.
North Carolina LLC filing fee ($125)
The North Carolina LLC filing fee (the fee to create your LLC) is $125.
This is a one-time fee paid to the North Carolina Secretary of State for filing your Articles of Organization.
How much is an LLC in North Carolina explains all the fees you’ll pay, including the Articles of Organization filing fee.

(North Carolina Secretary of State, Corporations Division Building)
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 file yourself, you’ll find the instructions below.
Or, if you want to hire a company to form your LLC for you, 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).
If you form your LLC online, it will be approved in 2-5 business days.
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:
- Download and complete the Cover Sheet for Corporate Filings.
- Download and complete the Articles of Organization (Form L-01).
- 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 an Account.
- Create a username and password, enter your contact information, and click “Register“.
- Sign in with your new account, and click Business Registration: Creation Filing to get started.
Next, follow the instructions below to file your Articles of Organization online.
Business Registration: Creation Filing
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“.
And then click “Begin Creation Filing“.
Articles of Organization
Click “Start Filing” (don’t click the PDF link).
On the next page, click “Start online filing” to begin. (Don’t click “Upload a signed copy”.)
Business Name
Prior LLC University® lesson: Did you search your LLC name to see if it’s available? Make sure you read our North Carolina LLC Name Search lesson before proceeding.
Enter your desired North Carolina LLC name, exactly as you would like it.
Include your preferred capitalization, as well as the designator (ending). In North Carolina, you can use any of these designators:
- LLC (most common)
- L.L.C.
- Limited Liability Company
- Ltd. Liability Co.
- Limited Liability Co.
- Ltd. Liability Company
Note: You can use a comma in your LLC name or you can leave it out. For example, “Bayside Bicycles, LLC” and “Bayside Bicycles LLC” are both acceptable.
Click “Save the name” when you’re done with this section.
Is the Registered Agent a North Carolina Resident or an existing North Carolina business entity?
A Registered Agent is a person or company who agrees to accept legal mail and state notices on behalf of your LLC.
Pro Tip: If you haven’t chosen a Registered Agent yet (or you aren’t sure what the best option is), we recommend reading North Carolina LLC Registered Agent.
If you want to be your own Registered Agent (or use a friend or family member):
- Click “Agent is a North Carolina resident“.
- Enter their name, then click “Save“.
- Enter their email address, then click “Save“.
- Enter their street address and click “Save“.
- If the Registered Agent’s mailing address is the same as the Registered Agent’s street address, click “Yes”. If not, click “No” and enter their mailing address.
If you hired a Registered Agent Service (aka Commercial Registered Agent):
- Click “Agent is a business entity“.
- First, look in the “Common registered agents” list at the bottom to see if your Registered Agent is there. If so, click on their name and click “Save“.
- If not, use the search feature to find your Registered Agent, then click “Save“.
Principal Office Information
The LLC’s 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 corporation have a Principal Office?
(Note: Don’t worry that it says “Corporation”. They mean for your LLC. It’s just a small typo.)
Select “Yes“.
Pro Tip: While it looks like you can skip this, you actually can’t. The state will require an address when you file your North Carolina LLC Annual Report. So if you have an address, just select “Yes”. They only give you the option to say “No” in case your business is leasing office space, but the lease isn’t finalized yet (or you don’t know the address).
Oh, also, they ask for a phone number, and this is really annoying for two reasons. One, this goes on public record and exposes your number to spam. And two, they never even call you anyway! If you don’t care, then just enter your phone number. But if you want to keep your number private, you can use our North Carolina phone number (919-746-8010) and enter that instead.
Enter your phone number (or use ours).
Enter your address and click “Save“.
Is the principal mailing address the same as the street address?
- If your LLC’s Principal Mailing Address and the street address are the same, click “Yes”.
- If not, click “No” and enter your LLC’s mailing address.
Additional Documents
This section is used to add additional provisions, articles, or rules to your LLC filing.
Most filers don’t add additional provisions unless they’ve been instructed by their attorney.
Just click “Confirm the document or continue“.
LLC Organizer
- Related articles: LLC Organizer can be a confusing term. We recommend reading LLC Organizer vs LLC Member and Registered Agent vs LLC Organizer before proceeding.
- Related articles: LLC Organizer vs LLC Member and Registered Agent vs LLC Organizer
The LLC Organizer is the person who submits the Articles of Organization to the state and signs the document.
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. Instead, the LLC Members (owners) are listed in your LLC’s Operating Agreement.
Click “Add organizer“.
Name or Entity Name: Enter the Organizer’s name.
Capacity: Select the Organizer’s capacity from the dropdown:
- If the person is both the Organizer and an LLC Member, select “Both (Member and Organizer)”.
- If the person isn’t a Member of the LLC, select “Organizer”.
Address: Enter the Organizer’s address.
Then click “Save“.
Confirm the Organizer’s information is correct by clicking “Save organizers“.
Company Officials (optional)
In North Carolina, you don’t have to list the LLC Members (aka “Company Officials”) in your Articles of Organization.
Pro Tip: If this were my LLC, I wouldn’t list the LLC Members (or Managers) publicly. It’s not required. And instead, this information would just be listed in the LLC Operating Agreement.
- If you don’t want to list LLC Member(s) or Manager(s) publicly, then just click “Save” to skip this section and go to the next step.
- If you prefer to list your LLC Member(s) or Manager(s) publicly, click “Add company officials“, enter their information, and click “Save“.
Will this statement be effective upon filing? (LLC Effective Date)
The state is asking for your LLC’s 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 “Yes“.
- If you want your LLC to come into existence on a future date, select “No“. Then enter that date. The date can’t be more than 90 days ahead.
Note: You can’t back-date your filing.
Tip: 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 your effective date.
This will save you $200 by pushing your first LLC 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 say it’s currently November 2025 and you’re filing your LLC. If you don’t need to use the LLC right away, you can use an effective date of January 1, 2026.
This means your 1st Annual Report is due by April 15, 2027 (instead of April 15, 2026). And depending on how your LLC is taxed, your tax filings are now due in March or April of 2027 (and not 2026).
Email address
Enter the email address where you’d like to receive notifications about your Articles of Organization filing (like your approval email).
Then click “Save the email address“.
Signature
From the first dropdown, select the name of the Organizer or Company Official who you want to sign the document.
Then enter their name for the e-signature.
Then check the certification boxes and click “Save the signature“.
Employees
If you are planning to hire 1 or more employees (not counting yourself), click “Yes”.
If not, click “No” or “I Don’t Know”.
Note: If you click “Yes”, you’ll see a Department of Labor notice reminding you to download some required posters for workplaces that have employees. For now, just click “Next“.
Federal Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Filing Requirement
There’s nothing to do or select on this page. The NC Secretary of State is just reminding you about a federal filing called the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report.
The BOI Report tells the federal government basic information about who owns your LLC. That said, business owners are fighting this requirement in court, and it may go away entirely.
For now, just click “Next”.
Note: For more information on the BOI Report, see our article on the Corporate Transparency Act & Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report.
Preview Filing
Review your filing in this section. Double-check that the info is correct and look for any typos.
If you need to make any changes, use the “Back” button.
If all looks good, check the box agreeing that the document is correct, and click “Next” to proceed.
Expedited option
Normally, your Articles of Organization will be approved in 2-5 business days.
If you need it faster, you can pay extra for expedited processing. Just select your expedited option from the list.
If you want to save money and wait for regular approval, leave this set to “No”.
Then click “Checkout”.
Payment Details
Select your payment type.
Then enter your billing and payment information.
Click “Pay and Submit” to send your filing and payment to the state.
Approval
Congratulations. You’ve successfully filed your North Carolina Articles of Organization. Now you just have to wait for it to be approved.
North Carolina LLC Approval (online filing):
Your North Carolina LLC will be approved in 2-5 business days (regular filing) or 1-2 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.
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.
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.
Search your domain name
If you plan on building a website, you can quickly register your domain name. Creating a website with your business name as the domain name can help people find your business online. You can easily search and purchase a domain name through GoDaddy.
Find a domain name
References
North Carolina LLC Act: Chapter 55 North Carolina LLC Act: Section 55D-20
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.