Businesses

Professional Limited Liability Company Licensure

North Carolina General Statute 55B requires any limited liability company organized after June 5, 1969 to qualify in North Carolina as a Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC). To qualify as a Professional Limited Liability Company, ownership of the firm must meet N.C.G.S. 55B-6 and 55B-4(3), which requires at least 2/3 ownership by licensees and at least one North Carolina licensee for each profession that will be offered who is a member and manger in the limited liability company. Up to 1/3 of the limited liability company may be owned by non-licensed employees. No company may be an owner of the Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC).

In addition, all limited liability companies qualifying in North Carolina as professional limited liability companies must use the suffix “PLLC” after the company name.

If filing as a Domestic Professional Limited Liability Company, use Section A of the instructions. If filing as a Foreign Professional Limited Liability Company (all out-of-state entities), use Section B of the instructions.


Section A

Domestic Professional Limited Liability Company Applicants
  1. Complete the Professional Limited Liability Company Application – The name on the Application should be the name you will operate as in NC (Example: <<Company Name>> with PLLC after the name).
  2. Complete the North Carolina Secretary of State Form PLLC-02 (Articles of Organization – Professional Limited Liability Company) (see Related Forms).
  3. Mail or email the Professional Limited Liability Company Application to the address on the application cover sheet or to firms@ncbels.org. Along with the application, provide a copy of Form PLLC-02, copy of the proposed Operating Agreement and the $100 application fee made payable to the NC Board of Examiners or provide a completed Credit Card Information Sheet attached to the application. Keep the original of Form PLLC-02 to file with the NC Secretary of State after the application is approved by this office.
  4. Once the NC Secretary of State files their paperwork and a copy is returned to the firm, it is required that a copy of that recorded paperwork be provided to the Board in order for a firm license to be issued. The Secretary of State paperwork is not a license to practice. The recorded paperwork may be mailed or emailed to firms@ncbels.org.
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Section B

Foreign Professional Limited Liability Company (out-of-state) Applicants
  1. Complete the Professional Limited Liability Company Application below – The name on the Application should be the name you will operate as in NC (Example: <<Company Name>> with PLLC after the name)
  2. Complete the North Carolina Secretary of State Form PLLC-01 (Application for Certificate of Authority- Professional Limited Liability Company) below – On the first part of Line 1, put your actual company name with “LLC” after it. On the second part of Line 1, put your company name with “PLLC” after it. Once licensed in NC, any project that you perform will need to contain the title block of your company name with PLLC after it. NOTE: Lines 6-8 of the form asks for a NC Registered Agent, although you do not have to have an office in NC, you must maintain a Registered Agent with the NC Address where civil correspondence, subpoenas, etc. can be delivered on behalf of your firm. There are several national agencies that offer this service (see Related Forms).
  3. Mail or email the Professional Limited Liability Company Application to the address on the application cover sheet or to firms@ncbels.org. Along with the application, provide a copy Form PLLC-01 and the $100 application fee made payable to the NC Board of Examiners or provide a completed Credit Card Information Sheet attached to the application. Keep the original of Form PLLC-01 to file with the NC Secretary of State after the application is approved by this office. NOTE: See Number 4 for additional required documents.
  4. For Foreign (out-of-state) Professional Limited Liability Company Applicants Only – In addition to the above, also send a copy of the firms existing Articles of Organization and any amendments to present, a copy of a Certificate of Existence from the firm’s State of Organization that is less than 6 months old and a copy of the firm’s Operating Agreement and any amendments to present.
  5. Once the NC Secretary of State files their paperwork and a copy is returned to the firm, it is required that a copy of that recorded paperwork be provided to the Board in order for a firm license to be issued. The Secretary of State paperwork is not a license to practice. The recorded paperwork may be mailed or emailed to firms@ncbels.org.
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