North Carolina: the quick briefing
43rd
of 50 on what the state charges in one year
Registered agent required
Yes
Annual report
$200 / yr
Deadline, as the state states it: April 15.
sosnc.gov; we confirmed it in October 2026
What the state collects in 1 year
$200
One year of the report, plus any minimum tax
Services ranked for North Carolina
Every criterion and weight is on the
method page.
Ranked first
1. Mainstay Filing: best for one provider for the whole country
$149 for the first year, and the same after that
Mainstay Filing earns the top spot because it costs $149 a year here and the same everywhere else; renewal is $149.
Three years of this provider's fees run $150 above NC Registered Agent.org's; what you get for the difference is a broader set of filings done for you.
What your money gets you
- A physical address inside the state
- Scans anything served on the company the same business day and does not charge for it
- Scans your first three government letters each year at no cost
- Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs
What works
- $149 yearly, with no step up
- One provider whatever the state
What to weigh
- A yearly premium of $50 over NC Registered Agent.org
- Report filing comes with the formation package
One state
2. NC Registered Agent.org: best for a low flat agent price
$99 for the first year, and the same after that
NC Registered Agent.org takes second place because $99 a year buys an agent with a registered office inside the state.
What your money gets you
- A North Carolina street address for your registered office
- Online copies of whatever is served
What works
- A flat $99 a year
- A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing
What to weigh
- A different state needs a different agent
- Nobody here will file the annual report for you
One state
3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for North Carolina specialists
$99 for the first year, and the same after that
North Carolina Registered Agent.co takes third place because $99 a year buys an agent with a registered office inside the state.
Its prices are identical to NC Registered Agent.org's, so the two are close.
What your money gets you
- A North Carolina street address for your registered office
- Online copies of whatever is served
What works
- A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing
- A flat $99 a year
What to weigh
- A different state needs a different agent
- Nobody here will file the annual report for you
The 3 picks compared
All prices come from the companies' own pages, as they stood on November 13, 2026. Switching agents will not change what the state bills.
Upkeep calculator
This adds agent fees to the state's recurring charges (the annual report from year 2). Formation fees are not included.
How North Carolina compares with the states near it in the ranking
What North Carolina law says you need as a registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a physical registered office in North Carolina. A P.O. box can be added only as a mailing address.
People and companies allowed: A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself. See N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30.
The fees North Carolina bills every year
What keeps coming back is the annual report, at $200 every year, April 15.
Why the first pick is first
Mainstay Filing wins on upkeep the price covers, which counts 26%, and NC Registered Agent.org is next.
One agent for any state beat the single-state choice.
Your North Carolina questions answered
Do I have to name a registered agent for my North Carolina LLC?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who is allowed to be a registered agent for my North Carolina LLC?
A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself.
What will registered agent service cost me each year in North Carolina?
The agents on this page charge $99 to $149 a year.
Which state fees will I pay every year?
You will pay $200 a year on our yearly measure, which is the annual report ($200 every year).
Which registered agents does this page rank?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), NC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), starting at the top of our list.
Which registered agent should I choose?
Our ranking is Mainstay Filing, NC Registered Agent.org and North Carolina Registered Agent.co.
Where this briefing comes from
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Everything in this briefing about Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax report: what and rests on sos.arkansas.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax: amount and filing rests on sos.arkansas.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Everything in this briefing about Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services rests on tnbear.tn.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services rests on sos.tn.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source rests on sos.tn.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- North Carolina service page for Mainstay Filing was confirmed on the company site on November 13, 2026
- Pricing page for NC Registered Agent.org was confirmed on the company site on November 13, 2026
- Pricing page for North Carolina Registered Agent.co was confirmed on the company site on November 13, 2026