North Carolina LLC Annual Report 2026: $200 Fee, Due April 15

Due Date and Frequency

The Annual Report is an annual obligation — filed once per year. There is no biennial option in North Carolina. Every LLC, regardless of size, revenue, or activity level, must file every year to maintain good standing with the Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State typically sends reminder notices to the registered agent's address and/or email on file. However, receipt of a reminder is not a prerequisite for the filing obligation. It is your LLC's responsibility to file on time regardless of whether a reminder is received. Mark April 15 on your business calendar every year.

Annual Report Fee: $200 ($203 Online)

North Carolina charges a $200 annual report fee. When you file online and pay by credit card, the Secretary of State adds a $3 electronic filing fee, bringing the online total to $203 ($202 if you pay by ACH bank draft). The same $200 base fee applies to both domestic and foreign LLCs registered in North Carolina. This single fee applies each year and is due by April 15.

At $200 per year, North Carolina's annual report fee is on the higher end compared to many states. Because this is a recurring annual cost, it is worth budgeting for it well ahead of the April 15 deadline. The current fee is $200 ($203 online) — verify it at sosnc.gov before filing, as published fee schedules can be updated.

What Information Is Required

The North Carolina Annual Report requires you to confirm or update the following information:

• Registered Agent: The name and physical North Carolina street address of your registered agent. If your agent has changed or their address has changed, update it here.
• Principal Office Address: The main business address of your LLC. This must be a physical address, not a PO Box. The annual report is where you keep this address current with the state.
• Company Official Names and Addresses: The names and addresses of your LLC's company officials — typically the members or managers responsible for the LLC.
• Nature of Business: A brief description of what your LLC does. This is generally carried over from your prior filing and only needs updating if your business activity has changed.

You are not required to submit financial statements, revenue figures, tax information, employee counts, or detailed records of your business operations. The Annual Report is purely an administrative confirmation and update filing.

Step-by-Step: How to File the Annual Report Online

Filing your North Carolina LLC Annual Report online takes about 10 minutes. Here is the step-by-step process:

1. Go to sosnc.gov
   Navigate to the North Carolina Secretary of State website. Select the business registration / annual report filing portal, or use the business entity search to locate your LLC.
2. Search for your LLC
   Enter your LLC's name or SOSID number in the search field. Select your LLC from the results. Confirm this is your entity before proceeding.
3. Select "File Annual Report"
   On your LLC's detail page, you will see an option to file the Annual Report. Click it to begin the filing process. The system will pre-populate your current information from state records.
4. Review and update your information
   Confirm or update: registered agent name and address, principal office address, and company official names and addresses. Make any necessary corrections before proceeding.
5. Submit and pay the fee
   Review your information one final time, then pay the $200 fee by credit or debit card. The portal will show you the total due before you confirm payment.
6. Save your confirmation
   After payment, you will receive immediate online confirmation that your Annual Report was accepted. Print or save this confirmation as proof of filing. The Secretary of State will update your LLC's status to reflect the current year's filing.

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

North Carolina handles missed annual reports differently from many states. Importantly, North Carolina does not charge a separate monthly late fee on top of the $200 filing fee. Instead, the real risk builds over time toward administrative dissolution:

Because North Carolina's consequence is administrative dissolution rather than an escalating fee, the most important habit is simply filing every year and responding promptly if you ever receive a Notice of Grounds. Set a calendar reminder for April 1 each year as a prompt to file before the April 15 deadline.

How to Reinstate a Dissolved LLC in North Carolina

If your North Carolina LLC has been administratively dissolved for missed annual reports, reinstatement is possible. Here is the general process:

1. File all delinquent Annual Reports
   You must bring every missed Annual Report current at $200 each. An LLC that is two years behind, for example, owes $400 in back annual reports before reinstatement can proceed.
2. File the Application for Reinstatement (Form L-08)
   Submit the Application for Reinstatement Following Administrative Dissolution (Form L-08) and pay the $100 reinstatement application fee. Filing online has a lower rejection rate and faster turnaround than the paper form.
3. Confirm your registered agent is current
   Ensure your registered agent information is accurate and up to date at the time of reinstatement filing.
4. Await Secretary of State approval
   The Secretary of State will review your reinstatement application and, if all requirements are met, restore your LLC to good standing. You will receive written confirmation of reinstatement.

In total, a North Carolina LLC two years delinquent would pay roughly $500 to reinstate — the $100 application fee plus $400 in back annual reports. The exact total depends on how many years you missed.

Note that during the period of dissolution, your LLC could not legally enter contracts or sue in North Carolina courts. Any contracts entered during the dissolved period may be voidable. If significant business was conducted during dissolution, consult a North Carolina business attorney about potential exposure.

For more on staying in compliance, see annual report deadlines for every state, North Carolina Registered Agent Requirements 2026, and North Carolina LLC Taxes and Annual Fees 2026. To understand the consequences of missing a deadline in more detail, see North Carolina LLC Late Filing Penalties.