Raleigh · Wake County
Starting a business in Raleigh: LLC filing, assumed names and local rules
Your company is formed once with the NC Secretary of State ($125). If you trade under a brand, record an assumed name with the Wake County Register of Deeds for $26. Raleigh has no general business license.
State filing
$125 (G.S. 57D)
Assumed name
$26, Wake County
Local license
None (zoning applies)
LLC annual report
$200, April 15
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits North Carolina filings for owners. We are not the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state and county charge passes through at the exact amount billed, and anyone can file directly with the Business Registration Division for no service fee.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits North Carolina filings for owners. We are not the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state and county charge passes through at the exact amount billed, and anyone can file directly with the Business Registration Division for no service fee.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits North Carolina filings for owners. We are not the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state and county charge passes through at the exact amount billed, and anyone can file directly with the Business Registration Division for no service fee.
Doing business in Raleigh
The capital, home to state government, the Secretary of State's Business Registration Division and a growing Research Triangle tech workforce.
Raleigh has no general business license. Home-based businesses follow the city's home occupation rules in the Unified Development Ordinance, and food, alcohol and childcare businesses need their own state or county permits.
Official sourceRecording an assumed name in Wake County
Wake County Register of Deeds: Wake County Justice Center, 300 S. Salisbury St., Suite 1700, Raleigh, NC 27601. Phone: 919-856-5460.
Recording, amending or withdrawing an assumed name is $26 each. Wake also takes assumed name certificates through an online submittal, and processes mailed ones within one business day.
Official sourceSolve this in 5 minutes
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits North Carolina filings for owners. We are not the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state and county charge passes through at the exact amount billed, and anyone can file directly with the Business Registration Division for no service fee.
Step-by-step in Raleigh
- Search the name with the Secretary of State.
- File Articles of Organization or Incorporation ($125).
- Record a trade name at the Wake County Register of Deeds ($26) if needed.
- Get an EIN and register with NCDOR for sales or withholding tax.
- Register as a state vendor in the LLC's exact name if you sell to agencies.
Two different downtown offices
The Secretary of State and the Wake Register of Deeds are both downtown, and owners routinely bring the wrong document to the wrong one. Formation goes to the state; assumed names go to the county.
Worked example: A government IT contractor leaving a state agency job to consult
Complete includes the first year of registered agent service so your home address stays off the record.
Next year: the LLC annual report is $200 (plus $3 online) by April 15. We file it for $149 plus the state fee.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Corp USA Complete package | $479 |
| NC Articles of Organization (state fee at cost) | $125 |
| Known day-one total | $604 |
Doing it yourself vs. having us file
| Task | On your own | With Corp USA |
|---|---|---|
| Name check and Articles | You, with the Business Registration Division | We prepare and file the same day |
| Registered agent | Your address goes public | Our NC address, $199/yr |
| Assumed name | You, at the county | $149 + $26 |
| April 15 annual report | You | We track and file |
Frequently asked questions
Can I walk my LLC filing into the Secretary of State in Raleigh?
The Business Registration Division accepts filings online and by mail; we file electronically the same day.
SourceWhere do I record a Raleigh DBA?
Wake County Register of Deeds, 300 S. Salisbury St., Suite 1700. $26.
SourceReady when you are
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits North Carolina filings for owners. We are not the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state and county charge passes through at the exact amount billed, and anyone can file directly with the Business Registration Division for no service fee.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits North Carolina filings for owners. We are not the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state and county charge passes through at the exact amount billed, and anyone can file directly with the Business Registration Division for no service fee.