Steadworthy

As of 2026-07-23 · verified against primary sources

North Carolina charitable solicitation registration: requirements, fees, and deadlines

RegistrationRequired
AgencyNorth Carolina Secretary of State — Charitable Solicitation Licensing Division
Initial fee$0–$200, tiered on contributions
Renewal fee$0–$200, tiered on contributions
Renewal / report due15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end
Filing channelElectronic filing available

Who must register

North Carolina generally requires charitable organizations to register with the North Carolina Secretary of State — Charitable Solicitation Licensing Division before soliciting contributions there, unless an exemption applies. Requirements attach to out-of-state charities soliciting North Carolina residents as well as local ones.

N.C.G.S. § 131F-5(a) · official source

How to register in North Carolina

  1. 01Obtain a license from the NC Secretary of State's Charitable Solicitation Licensing Division before soliciting: file the application via the Charities Division's online portal, get approval, and pay the fee. If the Division doesn't send a deficiency notice within 10 days, the application is automatically approved. Fees run $0 (under $5,000 in prior-year receipts) through $50/$100/$200 tiers topping out at $200,000+ in contributions.N.C.G.S. § 131F-5(a) (license by application, approval, and fee), (b) (10-day automatic approval); § 131F-8(a)-(b) (fee tiers, unchanged since 1994).
  2. 02Renew annually by the 15th day of the fifth calendar month after fiscal year end — or by any federal 990 extension date, whichever is later; the federal extension flows through automatically (forward the documentation within 7 days). Financial reporting is a Department form or your 990/990-EZ; North Carolina has no mandatory audit threshold.N.C.G.S. § 131F-5(c) (renewal by 15th day of 5th month after FYE or the federal extension date, whichever is later; restructured by S.L. 2023-119 s.2, eff. 2…

Form NC-CSL-APPLICATION (registration)

Charitable Solicitation License Application (combined initial/renewal)

N.C.G.S. § 131F-5(a), (c) — license application and annual renewal with the Secretary of State's Charitable Solicitation Licensing Division; combined form, f… · official form

Form NC-EXEMPTION-REQUEST (initial registration)

Request for Exemption under G.S. 131F-3(3) (optional)

N.C.G.S. § 131F-3(3); SOS · official form

Exemptions we check for

The state, not Steadworthy, decides whether an exemption applies.

If you use a paid fundraiser

North Carolina's small-organization exemption (under $50,000 in contributions, raised from $25,000 effective 2023-09-14) requires that NO officer, trustee, organizer, incorporator, fund-raiser, or solicitor be compensated — a single paid officer, not just a paid fundraiser, defeats it. Attorney and accountant professional fees don't count as compensation.

N.C.G.S. § 131F-3(3), as amended by S.L. 2023-119 s.1 (eff. 2023-09-14) — exemption conditioned on no compensation to any officer, trustee, organizer, incorp…

If you haven't registered yet

North Carolina's late fee is capped by statute at $25 for each month or part of one, set by rule. Soliciting without a license when one is required violates § 131F-5(a); a denied applicant may keep operating pending judicial review, which makes the front-end gate milder than approval states like Maryland.

N.C.G.S. § 131F-8(d) (late fee by rule, not to exceed $25/month); § 131F-5(a)-(b) (license required; operations continue pending review of a denial). · how to get current, calmly

Is your charity registered in North Carolina? Check free.

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North Carolina registration: common questions

Does a charity need to register to solicit donations in North Carolina?
Yes. North Carolina generally requires charitable organizations to register with the North Carolina Secretary of State — Charitable Solicitation Licensing Division before soliciting contributions in the state, unless an exemption applies. The requirement reaches out-of-state charities soliciting North Carolina residents.
How much does charitable registration cost in North Carolina?
The initial registration fee is $0–$200, tiered on contributions, and renewal is $0–$200, tiered on contributions. Fees are stated as the state sets them; where a fee varies with contributions, the tiers are cited on this page.
When is the North Carolina charitable registration renewal due?
15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end. The date is computed from the organization's own fiscal year end under the rule this page cites, so it differs between charities.
Are any charities exempt from registering in North Carolina?
North Carolina recognizes exemptions, and this page lists each one we check for with its statutory citation. The state, not a third party, decides whether an exemption applies.

Related: registration fees by state · renewal deadlines by state · exemptions · all state registration requirements

Nearby states

Fundraising rarely stops at a border — where North Carolina charities also commonly solicit:

Citations

Statuses and requirements reflect public records and cited sources as of the dates shown. Informational, not legal advice.