How To File Your LLC North Carolina Annual Report (Mar. 2026)

To keep your North Carolina Limited Liability Company (LLC) in good standing, you have to submit the North Carolina Annual Report and pay the $200 fee. The report is due each year by April 15 following your LLC’s formation date.

You can file it by opening an account with the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office. In this article, I cover everything you need to know about the North Carolina LLC Annual Report and provide step-by-step instructions for completing your filing.

North Carolina Annual Report Overview

Each year, LLCs must file an Annual Report in North Carolina online and pay a $200 fee to keep their business details current with the Secretary of State under GS § 57D-2-24.(a). You can only file this online.

This filing verifies essential information about your LLC, which includes the business name, principal office address, Registered Agent, and registered office. Plus, it confirms the names and addresses of company executives.

1. When Is The North Carolina Annual Report Due?

Under G.S. § 57D-2-24(b), the Secretary of State will send a reminder 30 days before the deadline. They either do this by email (If on file) or by mail to your Registered Agent.

However, even if your LLC doesn’t get a notice, you’re still responsible for filing on time.

For example, if your LLC is accepted on March 15, 2026, you’ll need to file your first Annual Report by April 15, 2027.

You can submit it as early as January 1 of the applicable filing year. For instance, the 2027 Annual Report, due April 15, 2027, can be submitted starting January 1, 2027.

This annual filing schedule continues each year after that.

How To File Your LLC Annual Report In North Carolina Online?

Your Annual Report and the required fee must be filed online with the North Carolina Secretary of State via the Annual Report online portal.

To get started, you need to open an account with the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office. Read the instructions in the sections below to register your account.

1. Locate Your LLC’s Annual Report

After logging in, you’ll be taken to the homepage. Click the File Your Business Annual Report button to start the filing process.

2. Search Business Registration

Before completing the Annual Report, you need to locate your LLC’s record.

a. Use The Search Tool

You can leave the boxes Search For and Words selected by default.

Enter the first one or two words of your LLC’s name in the Organizational Name field, then select Search.

b. Choose Your LLC Details

On the Search Results page, find your LLC and click File Annual Report to begin the filing process.

3. Certify Your Authorization Of Filing

You’ll be prompted to certify that you are authorized to submit the Annual Report on behalf of the LLC.

4. Pick The Report Year

Choose the appropriate report year from the dropdown menu.

5. Answer The Veteran-Owned Business Question

Give the required information regarding veteran-owned small businesses. You’ll do this by indicating whether at least 50% of the LLC is owned by a U.S. military veteran.

If you select No, proceed to the next step.

If you select Yes, you will be prompted to answer additional questions. These concern disabled veteran ownership and whether the company’s net receipts are under $1,000,000.

6. Enter Your Registered Agent Details

At this stage, you will choose one of the following three options:

• Keep the existing Registered Agent listed in your Articles of Organization.
• Appoint a new commercial Registered Agent already on file with the state.
• Designate a new individual or entity not listed, provided they have consented to act as Registered Agent.

a. Keeping Your Current Registered Agent

If you continue with your existing Registered Agent, you can continue to the next step by clicking Next.

b. Appointing A New Commercial Registered Agent

If you’re selecting a new commercial Registered Agent, locate and choose the agent from the dropdown list.

c. Designating A Registered Agent That Isn’t Listed

It’s possible that the new Registered Agent has given their consent, but doesn’t appear in the list. Or, you could also want to correct the spelling of the present agent’s name. In those cases, you can enter the updated Registered Agent details at this step.

c1. New Commercial Registered Agent

For a commercial entity, enter the agent’s name and email address.

c2. New Individual Registered Agent

For an individual acting as your Registered Agent, provide the agent’s full name and email address.

c3. New Registered Agent Street Address

After you input the name and email, provide the Registered Agent’s physical street address. P.O. boxes are not permitted in this section.

Next, specify whether this address is the same as the mailing address.

c4. New Registered Agent Mailing Address

If your Registered Agent’s mailing address differs from the physical address, complete the mailing address fields. P.O. boxes are permitted for mailing addresses.

7. Input The Principal Office Information

At this stage, provide a short description of your LLC’s activities, including the products or services it offers.

You’ll also be asked to enter your LLC’s phone number.

Entering a principal office email address and a contact email for receiving your Annual Report receipt is optional.

That said, I still highly recommend you fill out these fields. Providing these emails helps ensure you receive timely state notifications and filing confirmations.

8. Enter The Principal Office Street Address

Then, complete the fields for your LLC’s principal office street address. P.O. boxes are not permitted for this section.

Note that the principal office address doesn’t have to be located within North Carolina.

You will then need to confirm whether the street address is the same as the mailing address.

9. Enter The Principal Office Mailing Address

If your mailing address differs from the street address, complete all required mailing address fields. P.O. boxes are allowed for the mailing address.

10. Verify The LLC’s List Of Officials

At this stage, you can confirm your LLC’s list of officials on record.

For this, you can select the blue buttons to add, modify, or remove your LLC’s officials.

a. Add An Official

If you need to add a new official, you have to specify the person’s or entity’s role. You’ll also be required to indicate whether the official is an individual or an entity (Type of official).

Let’s suppose the official you’re adding is a member or manager of your LLC. In this case, remember to choose the title that matches your LLC’s management structure. These are as follows:

Next, you need to complete the fields for the newly added official, including:

• The official’s name, which can be the legal name for an entity or the full name for an individual.
• The official’s physical address. P.O. boxes are not permitted.

b. Modify An Official

If you need to update an official’s details, review their information page and make the necessary corrections.

c. Remove An Official

Deleting an official will permanently remove their details from your LLC’s records.

11. Enter Filing Executor Details

At this stage, choose the entity responsible for submitting the filing from the dropdown menu, then enter the executor’s full name.

12. Preview The Filing

At this stage, you can view a PDF version of your Annual Report for review purposes. This preview is unofficial until you complete the payment.

Carefully review all entered information before proceeding to payment.

13. Checkout

Next, you’ll submit payment for your Annual Report.

The total amount is $203, which includes both the filing fee and the electronic transaction fee.

You can pay using one of these two methods:

• A checking account.
• A debit or credit card.

Enter your chosen payment details to finalize the checkout.

14. Annual Report Approval

Once your payment is processed, the filing is completed within a few minutes. You will then get an email confirmation from the state.

How To Create A North Carolina Online Filing Account

To start filing your North Carolina LLC’s Annual Report, you first need to create an online account. Here’s how you can create one.

1. Enter Your Account Information

Begin by entering your account details, including your username and password. Then, complete the required fields with your chosen login credentials.

When setting your password, make sure it meets the following criteria:

• At least 8 characters long.
• Contains at least one number.
• Includes both uppercase and lowercase letters.
• Comprises at least one special character.
• Permitted special characters: @ # $ % & * !?.

Be sure to re-enter the same password in the Confirm Password field.

2. Enter Your Name

Next, enter your name in the portal.

Complete all required fields containing an asterisk for your first and last name.

Fields for middle name, suffix, and entity name are optional. However, I suggest filling them out to ensure your information is fully captured by the state.

3. Input Your Mailing Address

Enter your mailing address in the fields shown on the page. P.O. boxes are acceptable for this address.

4. Enter Your Contact Information

Finally, enter your contact details by completing all mandatory fields. You need to provide your contact, notification, and billing email addresses in the fields marked with an asterisk.

Adding a phone number is optional, but including one is recommended to receive timely updates and communications from the North Carolina.

Late Filing Sanctions For Your Annual Report

Missing your Annual Report deadline can lead to increasing consequences. The following sections explain the potential outcomes of a missed filing.

1. Loss Of Good Standing

If you miss the deadline, your LLC will fall out of good standing.

When this happens, no immediate penalty applies, and you only owe the standard $200 fee. That said, continued failure to file can result in more severe consequences.

2. Administrative Dissolution

During the 4th quarter of every year, the state will send you a Notice of Grounds for Administrative Dissolution. Once the notice is issued, you have 60 days to file with no additional penalty.

Failing to file within that period allows the Secretary of State to administratively dissolve your LLC.

Under GS § 57D-6-06(a), the North Carolina Secretary of State can dissolve an LLC that doesn’t meet ongoing requirements.

This includes failing to submit the Annual Report within 60 days of the due date or neglecting to pay required annual fees.

To avoid administrative dissolution, your LLC must file the Annual Report and pay the North Carolina LLC Annual Report fee of $200. If the LLC is dissolved, you must also submit a reinstatement application and pay a $100 reinstatement fee to regain good standing.

Filing your Annual Report on time helps prevent administrative dissolution and ensures your LLC remains in good standing.

Contact Details For The North Carolina Secretary Of State

If you need assistance with your LLC’s Annual Report, reach out to the North Carolina Secretary of State – Business Registration Division.

Frequently Asked Questions