New Hanover County · county seat Wilmington
New Hanover County business formation: LLCs, corporations and assumed names in Wilmington and beyond
Film and TV production crews, marine trades and charter fishing, a growing biotech and clinical-research cluster, and seasonal tourism at Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure beaches. Your company is filed once with the NC Secretary of State ($125); a trade name is recorded with the New Hanover County Register of Deeds for $26.
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.
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.
Your local license in New Hanover County
Wilmington and the beach towns do not sell general business licenses. Beach towns regulate signage, short-term rentals and vending tightly, so check the specific town before launching a seasonal business.
Cities we see most
Wilmington · Carolina Beach · Wrightsville Beach · Kure Beach
City guides: Wilmington business license
What New Hanover owners should know
- Title the boat and the insurance policy in the LLC's exact name.
- A seasonal business still owes the LLC annual report every April 15, even in the off-season.
- Beach towns are separate municipalities from Wilmington with their own zoning and vending rules.
Worked example: A charter fishing captain in Wrightsville Beach separating the boat business from personal assets
Entity: North Carolina LLC (G.S. Chapter 57D)
| Corp USA Pro package | $349 |
| NC Secretary of State filing fee | $125 |
| Assumed business name certificate (county recording fee) | $26 |
| Day-one total | $500 |
Next year: a $200 annual report (plus $3 online) due April 15. North Carolina cities no longer sell general privilege licenses, so there is no city business license line here; trade permits and zoning approvals are separate.
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.
Recording a New Hanover County assumed business name
If you will trade under a name other than the exact legal name, North Carolina requires an assumed business name certificate filed with the Register of Deeds in a county where you do business (G.S. 66-71.4). One filing covers the whole state. The assumed name filing fee is $26. Certificates can be filed in person, mailed with a check payable to NHCROD, or e-filed.
- New Hanover County Register of Deeds
- 320 Chestnut Street, Suite 102, Wilmington, NC 28401
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.
New Hanover questions
Do I need a separate LLC for each boat?
Some owners do for liability separation. Each LLC is $125 to form and $200 a year in annual report fees.
SourceCan I e-file my DBA in New Hanover?
Yes, New Hanover offers e-filing for assumed business name certificates.
Source