No.1
Number one here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 yearly, no change
Score9.2out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. One plan at $149 a year goes wherever the company goes, renewing at $149.
For a company not yet formed, the $199 yearly package adds the North Carolina filing and the annual report.
Its three-year total exceeds NC Registered Agent.org's by $150; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- A physical registered office address inside the state
- Papers served on the company are scanned within the business day, free
- No fee to scan your first three government mailings annually
- Compliance reminders
Why pick it
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
- $149 a year, unchanged at renewal
- Accepts LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
Weak spots
- The agent plan runs $50 a year above NC Registered Agent.org
- The agent plan does not file your annual report; the formation package does
No.2
Best local option
2. NC Registered Agent.org: best for the least expensive year among these agents
$99 yearly, no change
Score8.8out of 10
Second place: NC Registered Agent.org. It charges $99 a year, holding that price at renewal, the lowest yearly charge on this list.
Under this plan NC Registered Agent.org stands as the company's registered office with a state street address, and served papers reach you as online scans.
In the price
- The in-state street address that the state requires
- Served legal papers are delivered to you as scans online
Why pick it
- A lower yearly charge than Mainstay Filing
- $99 a year, with no change at renewal
- Can form the LLC and cover agent service in year one
Weak spots
- The annual report is yours to file
- Built for North Carolina; elsewhere you need another agent
No.3
Built for North Carolina
3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for North Carolina specialists
$99 yearly, no change
Score8.6out of 10
Third place: North Carolina Registered Agent.co. It charges $99 a year, holding that price at renewal, the lowest yearly charge on this list.
North Carolina Registered Agent.co provides the in-state registered office and posts scans of any legal papers served there to your account.
No difference in price or features separates NC Registered Agent.org from North Carolina Registered Agent.co; choose whichever you prefer.
In the price
- A street address in the state, on the public record
- Papers served on the company are scanned and uploaded to your account
Why pick it
- LLC formation offered, year-one agent service included
- A lower yearly charge than Mainstay Filing
- A yearly charge of $99 that stays the same
Weak spots
- The annual report is yours to file
- Built for North Carolina; elsewhere you need another agent
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Yearly charge | Renewal | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.2 | $149 | $149/yr | An agent usable in all fifty states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | NC Registered Agent.org | 8.8 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | North Carolina Registered Agent.co | 8.6 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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Every mark out of 10 reflects the editorial team's reading of the criteria on
How we rank, not any customer rating.
North Carolina registered agent charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Price unchanged at renewal |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $149 | $447 | Yes |
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| NC Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
|---|
| North Carolina Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
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Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. North Carolina's own fees are the same whichever agent is chosen.
Why Mainstay Filing is placed first
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 work taken off the founder.
Mainstay's plan reaches further: papers served on the company are scanned within the same business day at no cost, the price is identical across all fifty states, and three government letters a year are scanned free. NC Registered Agent.org charges less, so the margin is narrow.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
What North Carolina requires of a registered agent (source: North Carolina Secretary of State)
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. Authority: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30.
The North Carolina annual report: its fee and due date
In North Carolina, the annual report comes due every year. $200 is payable to the state, and the deadline is April 15. Notices about it are sent to your registered agent.
Questions on North Carolina registered agents
Is a North Carolina LLC obliged to appoint a registered agent?
Yes. North Carolina law expects every LLC to appoint a registered agent with a physical address in the state, and that appointment is public.
What is the going yearly rate for a North Carolina registered agent?
Yearly charges fall between $99 to $149, and every provider holds its price at renewal.
Is the owner permitted to serve as the registered agent?
Yes, when the state's conditions are met. A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself.
What is the deadline for the North Carolina annual report?
$200 goes to the state, and the filing falls due April 15.
Which registered agents were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), NC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), ruled upon in that order.
Which North Carolina registered agent does the record favor?
Mainstay Filing, since the charge is $149 a year whether the company stays in one state or spreads out, and three government letters a year are scanned at no cost.
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
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, North Carolina service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: NC Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: North Carolina Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026