North Carolina business entity search and name check
Search business records
North Carolina's Business Registration Division, part of the Secretary of State, keeps the registry and runs the Business Registration Search. We don't query that search: it blocks automated tools and the Secretary of State says scripted searches aren't permitted, so we link you to it. North Carolina does publish the differences it ignores when comparing names (punctuation, spaces, articles and a designator at the end), and our name check uses them. Budget for the $200 LLC annual report due every April 15.
- Official search
- NC SOS Business Registration Search
- How we search North Carolina
- Official site only (we hand you off). North Carolina's search site runs a bot-protection check that blocks automated requests, and the Secretary of State says automated or scripted searches aren't permitted, so we link you to the official search.
- What a result can tell you
- Searching the official site shows names on record. North Carolina decides acceptance when you file.
- State fee to form an LLC
- $125 (Articles of Organization (Form L-01))
- Ongoing LLC filing
- Annual Report, $200. Due April 15 each year, starting the year after the LLC is formed
What the North Carolina search covers
The search covers corporations, nonprofits, LLCs, limited partnerships, LLPs, out-of-state entities, reserved names, and unincorporated nonprofit associations that have filed agent information. Inactive and historical entities are included, with statuses such as Admin. Dissolved, Merged or Withdrawn. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships aren't in it. Assumed business names have their own search, built from county filings collected into a statewide database.
You can search for names starting with your words, names containing all your words, or an exact name. The Secretary of State recommends 'starting with' or 'contains all words', because a name only has to be distinguishable on the record and close variations may already exist. An out-of-state entity may appear under both its home-state name and a North Carolina fictitious name.
Each record has a SOS ID. Search by number on the NC SOS Business Registration Search.
How to read North Carolina results
North Carolina uses its own status labels. We always show the official wording; here is what the common ones mean according to the state:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Current/Active | The entity is active and up to date on all required filings. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Active/Not Current | The entity is active but behind on one or more required filings, such as annual reports. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Admin. Dissolved | The state dissolved the entity for not filing required documents. It can't file anything except a registered agent change, but it can apply for reinstatement. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Withdrawn | An out-of-state entity gave up its authority to do business in North Carolina. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Merged | The entity merged into another one and didn't survive the merger. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Converted | The entity changed into a different entity type. This status appears on the original record. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Reserved Name | Someone has reserved this name, but no entity has been formed with it yet. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Judicial Dissolution | A court ordered the entity dissolved. Source: sosnc.gov |
A status describes the registry filing only. It isn’t evidence of a license, tax compliance or reputation, and a record with the same name as a company you know may be a different business. More on statuses.
North Carolina business name rules
An LLC name must include one of: Limited Liability Company
, L.L.C.
, LLC
, Ltd. Liability Co.
, Limited Liability Co.
, Ltd. Liability Company
. A corporation uses one of: Corporation
, Incorporated
, Company
, Limited
, Corp.
, Inc.
, Co.
, Ltd.
.
A name must be 'distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State' from other entity names and from reserved and registered names (G.S. 55D-21(b)). State rules list the differences that don't count, so names can be very close and still be accepted. (G.S. 55D-21; 18 NCAC 04 .0503) Source: sosnc.gov
When comparing names, North Carolina disregards: entity designators at the end of the name; articles (a, an, the); conjunctions (and, or); prepositions; punctuation; spaces; a numeral used in place of a word. Our name check applies these same rules.
Words that need approval or are restricted
| Words | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bank, Banker, Banking, Trust | Needs permission from the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks (G.S. 53C-1-3(b)). Source: sosnc.gov |
| Mutual | Only for entities formed under Chapter 54, Article 16 (G.S. 54-112). Source: sosnc.gov |
| Realtor | Needs approval from the North Carolina Real Estate Commission (18 NCAC 04 .0502(f)). Source: sosnc.gov |
| Architect, Architecture, Architectural | You must show you are qualified, through the North Carolina Board of Architecture. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Certified Public Accountant, CPA | Needs approval from the North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Engineer, Engineering, Surveyor, Survey, Surveying | Needs approval from the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Pharmacy, Prescription, Drug, Rx, Apothecary | Needs approval from the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Cooperative, Co-op | Only for entities formed under Chapter 54, Article 16 or 19. Source: sosnc.gov |
| Insurance, Wholesale | The Secretary of State rejects these unless the entity shows it is qualified to use them. Source: sosnc.gov |
Professional LLCs
Professional endings such as 'professional association', 'P.A.' or 'professional limited liability company' are ignored when comparing names, but only at the end of the name (18 NCAC 04 .0503(a)). Professional entities are licensed under Chapter 55B, and a licensing board can suspend or revoke one; you may see statuses such as 'PA Suspended' or 'Revoked Licensing Board'.
Using a similar name with consent
Yes. You can use a name that isn't distinguishable if the business holding it consents in writing and agrees, in a form the Secretary of State accepts, to change its own name. A final court judgment giving you the right to the name also works (G.S. 55D-21(c)).
Reserving a name in North Carolina
North Carolina lets you reserve a name before you form the business for $10, held for 120 days. It can't be renewed (G.S. 55D-23), but it can be transferred to someone else.
File an Application to Reserve a Business Entity Name with the Secretary of State, online or on paper. It costs $10 for an LLC and $30 for a business or nonprofit corporation.
North Carolina name reservation Source: ncleg.gov
Searching on this site doesn’t reserve anything. Only NC SOS Business Registration can.
Forming an LLC in North Carolina
- Document
- Articles of Organization (Form L-01)
- State filing fee
- $125
Optional expedited service costs $100 more for 24-hour processing, or $200 more for same-day processing if received by noon Eastern time. - File online
- NC SOS Business Registration filing
- Processing
- Expedited filing costs $200 extra for same-business-day service (documents received by 12:00 noon Eastern) or $100 extra for 24-hour service. Weekends and holidays don't count.
- Registered agent
- An LLC must always have a North Carolina registered office and agent. The agent can be a North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC (North Carolina or authorized out-of-state) whose business office is the registered office (G.S. 55D-30). The filing must give a street address and county (G.S. 55D-31).
- Out-of-state LLC registering here
- $250 (Application for Certificate of Authority (foreign LLC))
Fees change. Confirm them on the official North Carolina fee schedule before you file.
File it yourself or use a service
File directly with North Carolina
$125 state fee
You fill in the Articles of Organization (Form L-01) yourself and pay only the state. You’ll need a registered agent with a North Carolina street address; that can be you if you have one.
Use a formation service
A service prepares and files the paperwork, and most can act as your registered agent and send compliance reminders. You still pay the state fee on top of their price, and the state still decides whether to accept your name.
- Bizee: $0 plus the state fee (Basic); Standard $199, Premium $299, plus state fee
- LegalZoom: $0 plus state fees (Basic); Managed Service $249 plus state fees
- Northwest Registered Agent: $39 plus the state fee
- ZenBusiness: $0 plus the state fee (Starter); Pro $199 plus state fee, renews $199/yr
We don’t currently earn commissions from these providers. Prices from each provider’s site on Oct 30, 2026. We never send them your proposed name. Compare what each includes · Disclosure
An EIN (federal tax ID) is free from the IRS; you don’t need to pay anyone for one.
Keeping a North Carolina LLC in good standing
Annual Report: $200. Due April 15 each year, starting the year after the LLC is formed. Source: b2b.sosnc.gov
C and S corporations owe North Carolina franchise tax to the Department of Revenue: $1.50 per $1,000 of net worth, with a $200 minimum. LLCs don't owe it unless they choose to be taxed as corporations, and those get a credit for the difference between the LLC ($200) and corporation ($25) annual report fees.
Filing the annual report online adds a $3 card fee or a $2 bank-transfer (ACH) fee, so an LLC pays $203 online. Corporations pay $25 on paper ($21 online, according to the state's FAQ), and their reports are due on the 15th day of the 4th month after their fiscal year ends. We found no late fee, but a business that doesn't file is administratively dissolved, and reinstating an LLC costs $100.
Proof of status: Certificate of Existence (domestic) / Certificate of Authorization (foreign) ($15). Source: sosnc.gov
Assumed names (DBAs)
Since December 1, 2017, an assumed business name certificate is filed with the Register of Deeds in a county where you do business; one filing can cover several counties. The Registers send copies to the Secretary of State and add them to a statewide database you can search on sosnc.gov. The Register of Deeds sets the fee. Source: sosnc.gov
Good to know about North Carolina
- An LLC's annual report costs $200, far more than the $25 a corporation pays. LLC reports are due April 15; corporate reports are due on the 15th day of the 4th month after fiscal year end. Source: b2b.sosnc.gov
- North Carolina publishes which differences it ignores when comparing names, including punctuation, spaces, articles and a designator at the end. A designator in the middle of a name does count. Source: sosnc.gov
- A name reservation lasts 120 days and can't be renewed. It costs $10 for an LLC but $30 for a corporation. Source: sosnc.gov
- Assumed business names (DBAs) are filed with a county Register of Deeds, not the Secretary of State, but they end up in one statewide searchable database. Source: ncleg.gov
- Corporations owe North Carolina franchise tax (at least $200) to the Department of Revenue on top of Secretary of State fees. LLCs owe it only if they choose to be taxed as corporations. Source: ncdor.gov
- The Secretary of State sells the full business registry as a weekly data subscription: $2,000 per state fiscal year plus a $750 setup fee. Source: sosnc.gov
Sources and accuracy
We checked this page against official North Carolina sources on . Our monitor rechecks the official search, filing portal and fee pages daily and flags changes for review.
Items we couldn’t confirm on an official page (5)
- We couldn't confirm the format of North Carolina SOS ID numbers.
- The corporation annual report fee is unclear: the state's FAQ says $21 online and $25 on paper, while the fee schedule lists $25.
- We couldn't confirm the current Register of Deeds fee for an assumed business name. An older Secretary of State manual gives $26.
- The data subscription price comes from a manual dated March 19, 2024 and may have changed.
- The list of fields on a business record comes from the Secretary of State's descriptions, not from a record we viewed.
See something wrong? Tell us. We can fix how we present information, but only NC SOS Business Registration can change an official record.