How to File an LLC Annual Report in NC: Deadline, Fee, and Filing

Every North Carolina LLC annual report is due by April 15 of the year after the LLC was formed, carries a $200 filing fee, and is filed with the Secretary of State either online or by mail. Miss it long enough and the state can administratively dissolve your company, stripping its authority to do business.¹

When the Report Is Due

The deadline is April 15 each year, starting the year after your LLC was organized.¹ An LLC formed in June 2025, for example, files its first report by April 15, 2026. You do not file during the same calendar year you formed the company.

The information you submit must be current as of the date you complete the report, not as of some earlier point in the year.² If your registered agent changed in February, the April filing should show the new one.

The $200 Fee

The statutory filing fee is $200, whether you file online or by mail.³ The online portal may add a small processing surcharge for electronic payments, so the total at checkout can be slightly higher. The fee is non-refundable.

What the Report Asks For

Gather the following before you start the form:¹

The legal name of your LLC exactly as it appears in your articles of organization.
Your Secretary of State ID (SOSID), which is on your original filing confirmation and searchable in the state’s business database.
The name of your registered agent and the street address of the registered office in North Carolina.
The principal office address where the LLC conducts its executive and administrative activities, plus a mailing address if different.
The names and titles of the managers or members authorized to act for the LLC.

Registered Agent Rules

North Carolina requires every LLC to continuously maintain a registered agent and registered office in the state.⁴ The agent must be either a North Carolina resident or a business entity authorized to operate in the state, and the registered office must be at the same physical location as the agent’s business office. A P.O. box alone does not satisfy this requirement.

If your registered agent or office has changed, note the change directly on the annual report; no separate form is required.² If a change happens after you have already filed for the year, you can file an amendment at any time.

Filing Online

The fastest method is the Secretary of State’s online business registration portal. Search for your LLC using its SOSID after logging in. The system pre-populates fields from existing records, so you mostly verify and update information before paying by credit card or electronic check. Once payment is authorized, the portal provides a transaction receipt as proof of submission, and the filing is typically processed within a few business days.

Filing by Mail

You can download a pre-populated annual report form from the Secretary of State’s website and mail it with a check or money order for $200 payable to the North Carolina Secretary of State.⁵ Send it to:

North Carolina Business Registration Division
Department of the Secretary of State
P.O. Box 29622
Raleigh, NC 27626-0622⁶

Mailed reports take several weeks to process because of manual data entry. If you are filing close to the deadline, use a mailing method with delivery tracking. The person completing the form must sign it to confirm the information is true and correct.

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

North Carolina does not charge a late fee, but the state can move to administratively dissolve your LLC if the report is more than 60 days overdue.⁷ The process runs in two stages:

The Secretary of State mails a notice explaining the grounds for dissolution.
You have 60 days from the date that notice is mailed to file the overdue report and fix the problem. If you don’t act, the Secretary of State signs a certificate of dissolution and your LLC loses its legal standing.⁷

An administratively dissolved LLC can no longer conduct business in the state under its legal name. Dissolution does not change personal liability protections for managers or members, but claims against the dissolved LLC can be enforced against members up to the value of distributions they received after dissolution.⁸

Reinstating a Dissolved LLC

If your LLC has been administratively dissolved, you can apply to the Secretary of State for reinstatement. The application must state that the grounds for dissolution have been eliminated, which means filing all overdue annual reports and paying the associated fees.⁹ The reinstatement application itself costs $100.³

One catch: if another business registered a name identical or too similar to yours while your LLC was dissolved, you must change your LLC’s name before the Secretary of State will issue a certificate of reinstatement.⁷ Once reinstated, the LLC is treated as though the dissolution never occurred, and its legal existence is continuous.

Confirming Your Filing

After you file, use the Business Registration Search tool on the Secretary of State’s website to confirm the report was processed. Search by name or SOSID, and the results will show whether the business is active. A downloadable copy of the filed report is available through the search results.

If you need formal proof of good standing to open a business bank account, secure financing, or register in another state, request a Certificate of Existence from the Secretary of State. The state fee is $15.³ The certificate confirms your LLC exists and has met its filing obligations, including the most recent annual report.

1
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 57D-2-24 – Annual Report for Secretary of State
2
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 57D-2-24 – Annual Report for Secretary of State
3
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 57D-1-22 – Filing, Service, and Copying Fees
4
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 55D-30 – Registered Office and Registered Agent Required
5
NC Department of the Secretary of State. Organizing Your Limited Liability Company in North Carolina
6
NC Office of Administrative Hearings. Title 18 Chapter 04 – Business Registration Division Rules
7
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 57D-6-06 – Administrative Dissolution
8
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code Chapter 57D Article 6 – Dissolution
9
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 55-14-22 – Reinstatement Following Administrative Dissolution