North Carolina Foreign Qualification

A Certificate of Good Standing, sometimes called a Certificate of Existence, is an official document from your business’s home state that proves your company is legally formed and compliant. 

Note: To be accepted by the state, the Certificate of Good Standing must be dated within 6 months of the date on which you submit your Foreign Qualification.

Before you can register, your company’s legal name must be unique and available for use in North Carolina. If another registered business is already using your name, you will need to operate under an “Assumed Name” (also known as a DBA).

IncNow’s team will conduct a name availability search with the North Carolina Secretary of State. If your company’s name is taken, we will immediately notify you and assist with registering an Assumed Name.

North Carolina law requires you to appoint a Registered Agent with a physical street address in the state to receive official legal and tax documents.

If you live in North Carolina, you can serve as your own Registered Agent. You can also hire a commercial registered agent to represent you.

This is the official form that registers your out-of-state business in North Carolina. It must be filed with the Secretary of State and requires precise details about your company, the nature of the business, and your appointed Registered Agent.

The form requires the following details:

• Your company’s exact legal name.
• The state where the company was originally formed. 
• The date when the company was formed. 
• The company’s principal office address.
• The name and address of the company’s Registered Agent in North Carolina.
• The names and addresses of the company’s Members and Managers if an LLC, or Officers and Directors if a corporation.
• A signature from an Authorized Person.

You need to pay a filing fee in order to submit the North Carolina Application for Certificate of Authority. The filing fee in North Carolina is $250 for foreign LLCs and corporations. State filing fees are included in the price of IncNow’s Foreign Qualification Service.

How IncNow Can Help

IncNow’s team prepares and files your company’s Application for Certificate of Authority in North Carolina. We ensure all of your information is accurate to prevent rejections.

After registering in North Carolina, you will need to keep up with ongoing compliance requirements in the state. The North Carolina Secretary of State will send official notices regarding these requirements to your Registered Agent in North Carolina.

Please Note: IncNow’s service covers the successful initial filing of your foreign qualification. Ongoing compliance management is not included for North Carolina.