North Carolina LLC or Wyoming LLC?
If you run your business in North Carolina, here's what each route costs in state fees.
The short answer
For a business that operates in North Carolina, forming in Wyoming costs about $465 more over five years in state fees alone — before paying for a registered agent in Wyoming.
Form in North Carolina
North Carolina
Articles of Organization$125
Annual Report$200 / yr
Year one$125
Each year after$200
5-year total$925
Form in Wyoming, register in North Carolina
Wyoming
Articles of Organization$100
Annual Report (with license tax; see state_taxes)$0
Annual report license tax$60 / yr
North Carolina (foreign registration)
Application for Certificate of Authority$250
Annual Report$200 / yr
Year one$350
Each year after$260
5-year total$1,390
What the fees don't show
- Forming in Wyoming while operating in North Carolina means two sets of reports and two sets of deadlines, adding about $60 a year.
- You need a registered agent with a street address in Wyoming. If you don't have one there, that's a paid service every year.
- Out-of-state formation makes the most sense when you raise outside investment, operate in many states, or have a specific legal reason — not as a default.
State fees only, from each state's official fee pages. Not legal or tax advice.