North Carolina LLC Annual Report
LLCs formed in North Carolina need to file this report with the North Carolina Secretary of State each and every year. i.e., annually. Read about how to file this report.
File report online
Visit the official state government’s website to submit annual report online.
Visit North Carolina official website
What is an LLC?
Limited Liability Company
LLC is a business entity in the U.S that provides limited liability to its members. It has characteristics from both corporation and sole proprietorship. LLCs are permitted under State statutes of each US state.
Limited liability
Personal assets are protected for people with limited liability when they are sued.
Corporation
A business entity that can issue shares and give limited liability to shareholders.
Members
Owners of an LLC are referred to as members. They own membership interest in the LLC.
Sole proprietorship
Where an individual engages in business activity without formal organization.
Why file the report?
North Carolina LLC Annual Report
An annual report is used to confirm or update basic information about your LLC and to to keep your business records up to date with the State of North Carolina.
Filed every year
Each and every LLCs formed in North Carolina must file this report every year.
Update your business information
The annual report is primarily used to update business data such as the names and addresses of the Registered agent and/or LLC officials. i.e., members or managers
File Online or via mail
Annual report can be filed either online or by mail.
Change in Business Address
You can also change your company address by updating it on the annual report when it is due.
North Carolina actions
Here are some of the actions business owners can take in North Carolina:
How to file Annual Report in North Carolina?
Follow these steps:
1. Visit official website
Every North Carolina LLC is required to file an Annual Report each year. The North Carolina Annual Report is due on April 15th of each year.
Due
annually by April 15
The Annual Report must be postmarked, complete and compliant, before April 15 to avoid late fees.
LLC Annual Report
Every LLC has to file this report in North Carolina to stay compliant with the state laws.
Filing Annual Report
North Carolina LLC is expected to file this report annually by April 15
File it online on North Carolina Secretary of State website
Visit
Mail a form to North Carolina Secretary of State website
PDF
Address
Secretary of State
P.O. Box 29525
Raleigh, NC 27626
Online fee
$203
Mailing fee
$200
Failure to pay
North Carolina does not charge late fees if you miss your filing deadline. But, it will dissolve your LLC within 60 days for failure to file an annual report.
Note
It is due annually by April 15. The first report is due in the calendar year following initial registration.
Articles of Organization
In North Carolina, Articles of Organization is the form you file with the Secretary of State to form an LLC. It contains the articles of formation for the LLC.
Filing Articles of Organization
There are a couple of ways to file
File it online on North Carolina Secretary of State website
Visit
Mail a form to the state department
PDF
Address
The Secretary of State
Business Registration Division
P.O. Box 29622
Raleigh, NC 27626
Online fee
$125
Online processing time
2 weeks
Mailing fee
$125
Mail processing time
2 weeks
Entity name
Every LLC should have a unique name in North Carolina. North Carolina maintains a list of names of entities in the state. Go through it to check if your chosen name is available.
Search for names
Go to the official website of the North Carolina corporate name search tool to see if the name you want is available.
Searching fee
Free
Reservation
You can reserve a name for your LLC for a specific duration by paying reservation fees to the North Carolina corporations division. You will have to file your LLC formation documents within this period to keep the name. Alternatively, you can directly go ahead with the LLC formation without any reservation. That's fine too.
Reservation fee
$30
Reservation period
120 days
LLC naming guidelines
The name you choose for your LLC must the official naming guidelines.
NC General Statutes § 55D-20(a)
Visit
Here are some of the guidelines in simple language:
- 1
Must contain the words "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC", or the combination "ltd. liability co.", "limited liability co.", or "ltd. liability company".
- 2
Don’t include terms that indicate that you are doing an activity that you are not authorised to do.
- 3
Your name should be ‘distinguishable’ in the Secretary of State records. Adding a punctuation or ‘the’ does not make it distinguishable.
- 4
Don’t use words that makes it seems like you are a governmental entity or has an affiliation.
Frequently asked questions
LLC Annual Report in North Carolina
It is very important to maintain full compliance in North Carolina. Filing these reports helps you protect your personal assets by maintaining limited liability and also to be in good standing with the state. Read our guides to learn how to start and manage a business in North Carolina.
North Carolina LLC
North Carolina Business search