NC Secretary of State LLC

To complete NC secretary of state LLC creation, you will need to download the right documents and forms. Official documents needed to form your LLC in North Carolina can be found on the "All Forms for LLCs" page on the Secretary of State's website.

L-01 (North Carolina LLC Articles of Organization) and BE-01 (North Carolina Cover Sheet for Business Filings are the two forms that you will need.

Approval Time

Typically, you will need to wait between 7 and 10 days after the State has received your documents for your LLC to be approved. Upon approval, you will receive a Certified Copy of your Articles of Organization. 

Depending on your preferred delivery option, you will receive your Articles of Organization Certified Copy through the mail or in an email. You can choose your delivery method on your application Cover Sheet.

State Contact Information

You contact the Department of the Secretary of State by phone at 919-814-5400 between the ours of 8 AM and 5 PM EST or via email.

Reinstating a North Carolina Corporation

It is possible to reinstate a corporation in North Carolina by filing an Application for Reinstatement Following Dissolution, form B-08. This form can be filed after the North Carolina Secretary of State Corporations of Division (SOS) has dissolved your corporation.

The form for this can be submitted by mail or delivered personally. You will need to include any missing annual reports and required fees. To expedite your request for reinstatement, you should include a Cover Sheet for over the counter Corporate Filings.

All forms needed for reinstatement can be located on the NC SOS website, or in your registered agent service online account.

Drafting your own request instead of using the reinstatement forms is allowed. Also, you will not need the signatures from the application form.

Accepted Forms of Payment

Multiple forms of payment are accepted by the NC SOS. To pay your fees, you can use:

  • Checks
  • Money orders
  • Cash

All forms of payment must be made payable to the North Carolina Secretary of State.

North Carolina Secretary of State Contact Information

The North Carolina office is reachable by mail at:

PO BOX 29622

Raleigh, NC 27626-0622

The physical address for the Secretary of State is:

2 South Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27601-2903

You can also reach the Secretary of State by phone at (919) 807-2039 or by fax at (919) 087-2039.

North Carolina Corporation Reinstatement Cost

When you file your North Carolina Application for Reinstatement, you will need to pay a $100 fee.

Processing Time for Reinstatement

You can expect to wait between 7 and 10 business days for your reinstatement request to be processed. However, if you pay a $200 fee and submit your documents by noon, your reinstatement request can be processed on the same day that it is submitted.

While documents can be processed in 24 hours for a $100 fee, processing can take longer if you file on a weekend or holiday.

How Long Does Your Corporation Have to Be Inactive?

You do not need to start your corporation from scratch when seeking reinstatement, as any officer of the corporation can start this process. However, you do have the ability to form a new North Carolina corporation instead of applying for reinstatement.

After a corporation has been dissolved, its name is not available for use for five years after dissolution. If you choose to establish a new corporation instead of applying for reinstatement, you will need to choose a new and unique name for your corporation.

Changing your North Carolina Registered Agent at the Same Time

When you apply for reinstatement, you are not allowed to change your corporation's registered agent. Instead, changing your registered agent must be performed on the annual report form that is filed with your reinstatement form. Annual report forms must include up to date information for your corporation. 

The principal address of your corporation also cannot be changed on your reinstatement application. Your corporation's principal address can only be listed on your annual report when you request reinstatement.

It is not possible to change corporate directors or officers on your reinstatement form. This task can also be completed on your annual report.

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