Licensed professionals in North Carolina
Forming a PLLC or professional corporation in North Carolina
North Carolina has a separate track for licensed professionals. A professional LLC files Articles of Organization (Form PLLC-02) and a professional corporation files Form PC-05, each $125, but only after the licensing board issues a certificate of registration (G.S. 55B-10). These entities skip the Secretary of State annual report and renew with their board.
State fee
$125
Board registration
Up to $50
Board renewal
Up to $25
SOS annual report
Not required
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.
Step one is the licensing board, not the Secretary of State
Under G.S. 55B-10 a professional corporation cannot file until its licensing board issues a certificate of registration, and the board may charge up to $50. G.S. 57D-2-02 applies the same Chapter 55B rules to LLCs that render professional services.
Attach the board's certificate when you file. A filing without it is rejected.
Official sourceRenewals go to the board
Professional corporations are exempt from the Secretary of State annual report (G.S. 55-16-22(a2)), and professional LLCs are excluded as well. The board renewal fee is capped at $25 (G.S. 55B-11).
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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.
Who uses this track
- Physicians, dentists and other health professionals
- Attorneys
- CPAs
- Engineers, architects and land surveyors
- Other professions licensed under the boards listed in G.S. 55B-2
What the entity does not do
Your own malpractice stays personal
A PLLC or professional corporation can shield you from a colleague's malpractice and business debts, not from your own professional negligence.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just form a regular LLC for my practice?
Not if you render a licensed professional service through it. The professional rules in Chapter 55B apply.
SourceDoes a PLLC pay the $200 LLC annual report?
No. PLLCs are excluded from the Secretary of State annual report.
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.