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Formation Facts

What the state wants, and what it costs.

LLC cost guide · North Carolina

North Carolina LLC Fees (2026): What the State Charges and the 3 Best LLC Services

For anyone starting a limited liability company in North Carolina this year, 2026, we would go with Mainstay Filing ($199), NC Registered Agent.org ($199) and North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. Here is what the state itself will ask of you: $125 to file, then $200 every year for the annual report. Across three years, that puts North Carolina at 42nd of 50 on state cost.
Briefing by the Formation Facts team

The North Carolina basics

42nd

in the three-year state fee comparison

Rank 1 is the least expensive state. Compare all 50 states

  • Fee the state takes at filing

    $125

    sosnc.gov, as confirmed in October 2026

  • Annual report

    $200 / yr

    Deadline, as the state states it: April 15. sosnc.gov, as confirmed in October 2026

  • What the state collects in 3 years

    $525

    Filing in year 1, reports in years 2 and 3

North Carolina: the services we would choose

Every criterion and weight is on the method page.

First pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one price for filing and ongoing upkeep

$199 a year, renewing at $199

Our first choice is Mainstay Filing. One $199 price a year handles the formation, the registered agent and the annual report for you.

Three years of this provider's fees run $200 above NC Registered Agent.org's; what you get for the difference is a broader set of filings done for you.

Each renewal includes the annual report, and the $200 state fee is billed at cost.

What your money gets you

  • Prepares your formation papers and files them
  • Acts as your registered agent all year
  • Prepares and files your annual report
  • Applies for your EIN
  • The state fee is added at cost

What works

  • It takes care of your EIN too
  • A yearly bundle at $199
  • Still $199 next year

What to weigh

  • $100 more each year from year 2
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

One state

2. NC Registered Agent.org: best for a no-frills North Carolina formation

$199 to form, then $99 a year

In second place we put NC Registered Agent.org. You pay $199 plus the state fee, with your first agent year included, then $99 a year.

Set time aside for the annual report every year.

What your money gets you

  • Handles the LLC filing for you
  • First year of agent service

What works

  • $99 a year from year 2
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • A year of agent service is in the price

What to weigh

  • The annual report lands on your desk each time it is due
  • $99 more for the EIN
Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

One state

3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for forming close to home

$199 to form, then $99 a year

In third place we put North Carolina Registered Agent.co. You pay $199 plus the state fee, with your first agent year included, then $99 a year.

Set time aside for the annual report every year.

Its prices are identical to NC Registered Agent.org's, so the two are close.

What your money gets you

  • Handles the LLC filing for you
  • First year of agent service

What works

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • A year of agent service is in the price
  • $99 a year from year 2

What to weigh

  • The annual report lands on your desk each time it is due
  • $99 more for the EIN
Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices side by side

RankWhoYou pay in year 1Then per yearTheir fees across 3 years
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2NC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3North Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
These are the prices each company showed on November 13, 2026. You will also owe the $125 state fee on every row.

North Carolina LLC cost calculator

Pick how many years you want to total and which provider you would use. What the state takes is built from its own schedule: $125 when you form, then the annual report from year 2.
Your total over 3 years with Mainstay Filing is $1,122 ($525 state, $597 service).

How North Carolina compares with the states near it in the ranking

RankStateThree-year state fees
40thAlaska$350
41stFlorida$402.50
42ndNorth Carolina$525
43rdKentucky$595
44thMaryland$700
The full comparison ranks all fifty states in the same way.

What the state charges to form a North Carolina LLC (official source)

To form the LLC you send the Articles of Organization (Form L-01) and $125 to the North Carolina Secretary of State (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 57D-2-20). Every provider below adds it at cost. Count on Entity creation 5 to 10 business days.

The North Carolina annual report: cost, due date and late penalty

The annual report comes up once a year and costs $200; the state sets the deadline as April 15.

Why the North Carolina list is in this order

In North Carolina, Mainstay Filing beat NC Registered Agent.org on upkeep the price covers (26%).

On our weights, covering the annual report counts for more than a lower price.

Common questions

How much will North Carolina charge me to form an LLC?

You pay the state $125. The picks bill $199 on top of the state fee.

What will I pay for the North Carolina annual report?

You pay $200, every year, and the deadline reads April 15.

Is North Carolina a low-cost state for LLCs?

North Carolina ranks 42nd of 50 on three-year state fees, at $525. Rank 1 is the lowest total.

How long will the state take to process my LLC?

Processing takes Entity creation 5 to 10 business days.

Will I need a registered agent in North Carolina?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Which LLC service should I choose?

Our ranking is Mainstay Filing, NC Registered Agent.org and North Carolina Registered Agent.co.

Related briefings

Where this briefing comes from

  1. Everything in this briefing about North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State rests on sosnc.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  2. Everything in this briefing about North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State rests on sosnc.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  3. Everything in this briefing about North Carolina report due date rests on ncleg.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  4. Everything in this briefing about N.C rests on sosnc.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  5. Everything in this briefing about North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on sosnc.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  6. Everything in this briefing about North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on sosnc.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  7. Everything in this briefing about North Carolina registered agent statute rests on sosnc.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  8. Everything in this briefing about Alaska Stat. §§ 10.50.070, 10.50.075 rests on akleg.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  9. Everything in this briefing about Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development rests on commerce.alaska.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  10. Everything in this briefing about Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development rests on commerce.alaska.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  11. Everything in this briefing about Fla rests on flsenate.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  12. Everything in this briefing about Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on dos.fl.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  13. Everything in this briefing about Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on flsenate.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  14. Everything in this briefing about Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations rests on dos.fl.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  15. Everything in this briefing about Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations rests on dos.fl.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  16. Everything in this briefing about Florida yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source rests on flsenate.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  17. Everything in this briefing about KRS 275.025 rests on apps.legislature.ky.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  18. Everything in this briefing about Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on sos.ky.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  19. Everything in this briefing about Kentucky Secretary of State rests on sos.ky.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  20. Everything in this briefing about Kentucky Secretary of State rests on sos.ky.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  21. Everything in this briefing about Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official rests on revenue.ky.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  22. Everything in this briefing about Md rests on mgaleg.maryland.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  23. Everything in this briefing about Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on mgaleg.maryland.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  24. Everything in this briefing about Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on egov.maryland.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  25. Everything in this briefing about Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation rests on dat.maryland.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  26. Everything in this briefing about Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation rests on dat.maryland.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  27. Everything in this briefing about Processing, official source rests on sosnc.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  28. We looked at the Mainstay Filing website on November 13, 2026 to confirm North Carolina service page
  29. We looked at the NC Registered Agent.org website on November 13, 2026 to confirm pricing page
  30. We looked at the North Carolina Registered Agent.co website on November 13, 2026 to confirm pricing page