Professional Corporations

Professional Corporations

In order to form a professional corporation (PA) or professional limited liability company (PLLC), you should submit to this office Form PC-1, along with a copy of the proposed Articles of Incorporation (or Articles of Organization) PC-05 and a check made payable to the Board in the amount of $50.00. You can find our mailing address in the footer of this page.

Form Links:



Upon receipt, the Board we will review it and send you a memo and Form PC-2 to be filed with your PC-05 Articles of Incorporation (or Articles of Organization) with the North Carolina Secretary of State.


When you receive the validation from the Secretary of State, return a copy to this office; and, we, in turn, will complete and issue the final form, P.C. 3. Please be aware that you must return the validation from the Secretary of State to this Board for your corporation to be complete and active.


Also, please refer to 21 NCAC 42C ,0104, "Naming Corporation or Limited Liability Company


If you have questions, would like pre-approval of your forms or need additional information, do not hesitate to contact this office at info@ncoptometry.org or 910-285-3160.


Renaming a Professional Corporation

The process is similar to that of the original formation.

You will need to forward to this office a copy of the Articles of Amendment (via email is acceptable).

Upon receipt, we will issue a new Form PC-2 which you will file along with the Articles of Amendment to the Secretary of State.

When you receive the validation from the Secretary of State, return a copy to this office; and, we, in turn, will complete and issue the final form, P.C. 3.


Filing for an Assumed Name or d/b/a

If you form a professional corporation or professional limited liability company, Board Rule requires that name to appear on any sign or advertisement. If you chose to do a DBA instead of renaming your corporation as outlined above, the name chosen for the DBA must also indicate to the public that it is an optometric practice, either by including "optometry", "optometrist", "optometric", or " doctor of optometry", or by using the optometrist's name followed by "O.D." In addition, you should file a certificate of assumed name in the county where your office is located and forward a copy of that to this office.


  1. Follow the Board’s naming conventions found in 21 NCAC 42C .0104 - Naming Corporation or Limited Liability Company when creating the “assumed business name” or d/b/a as entered in response to Item 1. on Secretary of State Form 66-71.5 (below)

  2. File form 66-71.5 with the Secretary of State

    1. Assumed Business Name Act

    2. Assumed Business Name Certificate Application (form)

  3. File the same form with your local county Registrar of Deeds

  4. Email the Board all documentation from both SOS and the Registrar (please send to info@ncoptometry.org)

  5. We will then add the assumed name and documentation to the original corporation in our database




Transferring Stock

North Carolina General Statute and Board rule requires that ownership of a professional corporation must be by a North Carolina licensed optometrist(s), so this office must be notified if there is a transfer of stock. Below, you will find a link to a form for the purpose of transferring said stock. Please email the completed form to info@ncoptometry.org . Once received we will update the corporation file in our database.


Transfer of Stock Form

Registering a Foreign Corporation

In order to register a foreign corporation, you should submit to this office Form PC-1 (sample HERE, being sure to tailor the wording to fit either a PLLC or a PA), along with a copy of the proposed Articles of Incorporation (or Articles of Organization) Including Articles of Conversion for a Professional Corporation (PC-05A with the Secretary of State) and a check made payable to the Board in the amount of $50.00. You can find our mailing address in the footer of this page.

Upon receipt, the Board we will review it and send you a memo and Form PC-2 to be filed with your Articles with the North Carolina Secretary of State.

When you receive the validation from the Secretary of State, return a copy to this office; and, we, in turn, will complete and issue the final form, P.C. 3.