Corporation formation
Form a North Carolina Corporation
North Carolina business corporations file Articles of Incorporation (Form B-01) under the North Carolina Business Corporation Act, Chapter 55. The fee is $125 and there is no publication requirement. The annual report is due the 15th day of the fourth month after fiscal year end. Packages start at $149 plus the state fee.
North Carolina fees re-checked against the SOS schedule: October 30, 2026
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits North Carolina filings for owners. We are not the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state and county charge passes through at the exact amount billed, and anyone can file directly with the Business Registration Division for no service fee.
- Filed online with the NC Secretary of State
- We track your April 15 annual report
- Cited to NC General Statutes 57D and 55
- Talk to a filer: (386) 465-3937
Form a North Carolina Corporation: the North Carolina specifics
Articles of Incorporation (B-01)
$125 under G.S. 55-1-22. Out-of-state corporations pay $250 for a certificate of authority.
Check it: North Carolina General StatutesName endings (G.S. 55D-20)
The name must contain "corporation", "incorporated", "company" or "limited", or "corp.", "inc.", "co." or "ltd.". A corporate name reservation is $30.
Check it: North Carolina General StatutesAnnual report timing
Due by the 15th day of the fourth month after the fiscal year closes (G.S. 55-16-22). Calendar-year corporations file by April 15. The fee is $25 on paper; filing electronically costs less.
Check it: North Carolina General StatutesCorporate kit and stock ledger
Add an embosser seal, stock certificates and a minutes binder for $129 plus shipping at checkout.
Check it: NC Department of the Secretary of StateWhat a missed report sets in motion
If a report has not arrived within 60 days of its due date the Secretary of State may treat it as delinquent, and a delinquent annual report is a ground for administrative dissolution (G.S. 55-14-20 for corporations). Reinstatement costs $100 plus every report that was skipped.
Check it: North Carolina General StatutesForm a North Carolina Corporation: questions
No. North Carolina has no publication step for new corporations or LLCs.
Check it: North Carolina General StatutesOnly if the fiscal year ends December 31. A June 30 fiscal year means the report is due October 15.
Check it: North Carolina General StatutesYes. Every filing on this site can be made directly with the NC Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division, for the state fee alone. We charge a separate service fee to prepare and file it for you.
Check it: NC Department of the Secretary of StateNo. State registration does not cover zoning or home-occupation approval, NC Department of Revenue sales and withholding registration, or occupational licensing. North Carolina cities no longer sell general privilege licenses (G.S. 160A-211 was repealed effective July 1, 2015), but zoning and trade permits still apply.
Check it: North Carolina General StatutesReady when you are, North Carolina.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits North Carolina filings for owners. We are not the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state and county charge passes through at the exact amount billed, and anyone can file directly with the Business Registration Division for no service fee.