North Carolina Secretary of State office — contact & fees
Updated August 2026
Quick Answer
The North Carolina Secretary of State's Business Registration Division handles all entity formations, registered agent designations, annual reports, and amendments. Online filings through the SOS portal process faster than paper submissions. The April 15 annual report deadline applies to LLCs and most calendar-year corporations.
Open Official North Carolina Business Registration Division Portal ↗Office contact
- Street address
- 2 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
- Mailing address
- P.O. Box 29622, Raleigh, NC 27626-0622
- Phone
- (919) 814-5400
- Online filing portal
- sosnc.gov — Online Services
- Business Registration homepage
- sosnc.gov — Business Registration
Entity formation and filing fees
North Carolina charges slightly different fees for online versus paper filings on annual reports. Formation fees are the same regardless of channel. Verify current amounts at sosnc.gov before filing.
Domestic LLC — Articles of Organization
- Fee
- $125
Domestic LLC — Annual Report (due April 15)
- Fee
- Online: $203 / Paper: $200
Domestic For-Profit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation
- Fee
- $125
Domestic For-Profit Corporation — Annual Report
- Fee
- Online: $21 / Paper: $25
Domestic Nonprofit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation
- Fee
- $60
Limited Partnership — Certificate of Limited Partnership
- Fee
- $50
Name Reservation
- Fee
- $30
Certificate of Existence
- Fee
- $15
Online annual report totals include a $3.00 electronic filing fee for credit card payments ($2.00 for ACH/bank transfer); this is why the LLC online total runs higher than paper while the corporation online total runs lower than paper.
UCC filing, notary, and apostille services
The Secretary of State also handles UCC filings, notary commissions, and document authentication:
- UCC search and filing — handled by the UCC Section, searchable through the Secretary of State's office.
- Notary public commissions — a $50 nonrefundable application fee plus a $10 oath-of-office fee.
- Apostilles and authentications — $10 per document, issued by the Authentications Division in Raleigh by mail or in person.
Source: North Carolina Secretary of State notary and authentications pages (sosnc.gov).
Key North Carolina state licensing agencies
North Carolina Department of Revenue
- What it covers
- Sales and use tax registration, income tax withholding, privilege license tax
- Website
- ncdor.gov
North Carolina Division of Employment Security
- What it covers
- Unemployment insurance registration, employer accounts, wage reporting
- Website
- des.nc.gov
North Carolina Department of Insurance — Licensing Division
- What it covers
- Insurance producer licensing; contractor, occupational, and professional licenses
- Website
- ncdoi.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is North Carolina's online LLC annual report fee higher than the paper fee?
Online annual report totals include an added electronic filing fee — $3.00 for credit card or $2.00 for ACH — which pushes the LLC online total to $203 versus $200 by mail, while the corporation online total actually runs lower, at $21 versus $25 by mail.
How much does it cost to form an LLC in North Carolina?
Articles of Organization cost $125, the same as for a for-profit corporation. Nonprofit Articles of Incorporation cost $60, and a Certificate of Existence costs $15.
Which North Carolina agency handles contractor and insurance licensing?
The North Carolina Department of Insurance's Licensing Division covers insurance producer licensing along with contractor and other occupational and professional licenses.