No.1
Number one here
1. NC Registered Agent.org: best for a North Carolina LLC that intends to stay put
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score9.4out of 10
First place: NC Registered Agent.org. Its North Carolina formation is $199 plus the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The annual report lies outside its published prices, so you file it with North Carolina every year.
It comes in under Mainstay Filing across three years.
In the price
- LLC filing done for you
- Year-one registered agent service
Why pick it
- The first year as registered agent is free
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
- $199 to form the LLC, state fee on top
Weak spots
- The annual report is not prepared for you
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.2
All-in price
2. Mainstay Filing: best for the formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge
$199 a year plus the state fee
Score9.1out of 10
Second place: Mainstay Filing. $199 a year buys the North Carolina filing, registered agent service and the annual report, and renewal is $199.
At renewal Mainstay prepares and files the annual report for you. North Carolina charges $200 every year for it, due April 15; Mainstay passes the state fee along at cost.
NC Registered Agent.org costs $200 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.
In the price
- The formation document prepared and filed on your behalf
- Registered agent service for the year
- Annual report prepared and filed on your behalf
- EIN application prepared
Why pick it
- Covers the EIN application
- One yearly charge of $199 that covers the annual report
- North Carolina's fee is passed along at cost
- Renews at $199 with nothing added
Weak spots
- Its agent charge after year one is $100 a year above NC Registered Agent.org's
No.3
Best for a North Carolina-only company
3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a filing made only in North Carolina
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score8.9out of 10
Third place: North Carolina Registered Agent.co. Its North Carolina formation is $199 plus the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The annual report lies outside its published prices, so you file it with North Carolina every year.
No difference in price or features separates NC Registered Agent.org from North Carolina Registered Agent.co; choose whichever you prefer.
In the price
- LLC filing done for you
- The first year of registered agent service
Why pick it
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
- Forms the LLC for $199 and the state's fee
- Year-one registered agent service is included
Weak spots
- The annual report is not prepared for you
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | NC Registered Agent.org | 9.4 | $199 | $99/yr | A North Carolina business holding down its costs | Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | 9.1 | $199 | $199/yr | The formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | North Carolina Registered Agent.co | 8.9 | $199 | $99/yr | A North Carolina business holding down its costs | Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
Every mark out of 10 reflects the editorial team's reading of the criteria on
How we rank, not any customer rating.
North Carolina LLC service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Files the annual report |
|---|
| NC Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199 | $199 | $597 | Yes |
|---|
| North Carolina Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. North Carolina's $125 filing fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
What decided the order
Two criteria carry 31% each in this ranking, charge over three years and work taken off the founder. Renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight share 38%, and in North Carolina the decisive one was charge over three years.
Over three years NC Registered Agent.org totals $397, $200 less than Mainstay Filing. Mainstay would file the annual report as well, yet an owner can do it alone for the state fee, so the lower charge carried the ruling.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
The North Carolina LLC filing fee and form (official figures)
To file the Articles of Organization (Form L-01) with the North Carolina Secretary of State, budget $125. Each provider on this page adds that state fee at cost to its own charge.
Processing time quoted by the state: Entity creation 5 to 10 business days.
Obligations after the North Carolina filing is accepted
File the annual report every year; the date is April 15. $200 goes to the state. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Questions on North Carolina LLC services
What does it take, in dollars, to form an LLC in North Carolina?
The state filing fee is $125; service charges run $199.
What is filed to bring the company into existence?
The Articles of Organization (Form L-01), lodged with the North Carolina Secretary of State.
How long does the state take to process a new North Carolina LLC?
The published standard is Entity creation 5 to 10 business days.
Does a North Carolina LLC have to name a registered agent on its formation paperwork?
Yes. The company names a registered agent when it forms and keeps one on file afterward, with a street address in North Carolina.
Which recurring filings follow formation?
One: the annual report, filed every year, due April 15, at a state fee of $200.
Does the quoted price cover the EIN application?
At Mainstay Filing it does; the application sits inside the yearly price. NC Registered Agent.org and North Carolina Registered Agent.co add $99 for the application. Applying directly with the IRS carries no fee.
Which North Carolina LLC service does the record favor?
NC Registered Agent.org, since North Carolina formation costs $199 beyond the state's fee, with the registered agent free the first year, and $99 yearly keeps the agent.
The record
- North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division, on the record as of August 2026
- North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division, on the record as of August 2026
- North Carolina report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 57D-2-20, on the record as of August 2026
- North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- North Carolina registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Processing, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: NC Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, North Carolina service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: North Carolina Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026