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Charts of what each state charges an LLC.

Registered agent guide · North Carolina

North Carolina Registered Agent Requirements (2026) and the 3 Best Agents

In search of a registered agent in North Carolina, our 2026 ranking runs Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and NC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year). A North Carolina LLC must list a registered agent. Recurring state charges come to $200 per year, which is spot 43rd of 50.
Charted by the State Biz Facts team

North Carolina, mapped in figures

43rd

of 50 when a year of state charges is added up

The map starts at the smallest bill. The full 50-state chart

  • Registered agent required

    Yes

    Taken from sosnc.gov on October 2026

  • Annual report

    $200 / yr

    Timing as the state words it: April 15. Taken from sosnc.gov on October 2026

  • State total, one year

    $200

    The state's bill in a typical year

North Carolina: the ranked providers

Criteria and weights behind this order are on the method page.

Best route

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies with more than one state

$149 per year; $149 once it renews

Start with Mainstay Filing, where $149 per year, no step up at renewal, and the same price on every state's map.

North Carolina Registered Agent.co is $150 lower over three years, and coverage is the criterion that pulls the other way.

Price covers

  • The registered office address is supplied
  • Court papers or notices served on the company are scanned the same business day, with no fee
  • Mail from government offices is scanned free, up to three pieces each year
  • Not just for LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits can use it

Upside

  • Fifty-state coverage
  • $149 yearly with no step up

Downside

  • North Carolina Registered Agent.co charges $50 less per year
  • An agent-only plan, so the reports stay with you
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Local to North Carolina

2. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for founders who live in North Carolina

$99 per year; $99 once it renews

Spot 2 is North Carolina Registered Agent.co: $99 per year gets an agent whose office address is inside the state.

Price covers

  • Street address the state can reach
  • Anything served is scanned and posted for you

Upside

  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 yearly, no increase

Downside

  • Covers North Carolina only; other states need a separate agent
  • Filing the annual report is not part of the deal
Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Local to North Carolina

3. NC Registered Agent.org: best for an office address in the state

$99 per year; $99 once it renews

Spot 3 is NC Registered Agent.org: $99 per year gets an agent whose office address is inside the state.

North Carolina Registered Agent.co and this provider publish the same prices.

Price covers

  • Street address the state can reach
  • Anything served is scanned and posted for you

Upside

  • $99 yearly, no increase
  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing

Downside

  • Covers North Carolina only; other states need a separate agent
  • Filing the annual report is not part of the deal
Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

North Carolina providers on one chart

OrderProviderPer yearAt renewalProvider charges, 3 years
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2North Carolina Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3NC Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as shown on November 12, 2026. Naming a different agent does not change what North Carolina charges.

North Carolina agent budget calculator

Each agent's price is added to the state charges that repeat (the annual report from year two). The formation fee is not part of the total.
3 years with Mainstay Filing cost $847 in all: $400 state, $447 provider.

North Carolina and the states beside it on the chart

SpotStateYearly state fees
41stArkansas$150
42ndKentucky$190
43rdNorth Carolina$200
44thMaryland$300
44thTennessee$300
Registered agent rules by state charts all fifty, least expensive on top.

North Carolina registered agent requirements (official, 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.

Eligible agents: A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself. The rule comes from N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30.

Yearly state fees on a North Carolina LLC

The state writes to your registered agent about the annual report, which costs $200 every year and is due April 15.

Basis for the order

Requirements handled (24%) is the criterion on which Mainstay Filing outscored North Carolina Registered Agent.co here.

Fifty-state coverage outweighed North Carolina Registered Agent.co on our weights.

Common questions

Is a registered agent required for every North Carolina LLC?

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

Who qualifies as the registered agent for a North Carolina LLC?

A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself.

How much does North Carolina registered agent service run each year?

Our picks cost $99 to $149 per year.

What does the state bill an LLC every year?

$200 per year by our yearly measure, which is the annual report ($200 every year).

Which registered agents does this chart rank?

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and NC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), starting with our top pick.

Which registered agent should I use?

Our route runs through Mainstay Filing: a single $149 agent plan that goes along when the company registers in another state. After it, North Carolina Registered Agent.co and NC Registered Agent.org.

Other maps

Where each number comes from

  1. Figure on North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State: sosnc.gov (seen August 2026).
  2. Figure on North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State: sosnc.gov (seen August 2026).
  3. Figure on North Carolina report due date: ncleg.gov (seen August 2026).
  4. Figure on N.C: sosnc.gov (seen August 2026).
  5. Figure on North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sosnc.gov (seen October 2026).
  6. Figure on North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sosnc.gov (seen October 2026).
  7. Figure on North Carolina registered agent statute: sosnc.gov (seen October 2026).
  8. Figure on Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax report: what and: sos.arkansas.gov (seen October 2026).
  9. Figure on Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax: amount and filing: sos.arkansas.gov (seen October 2026).
  10. Figure on Kentucky Secretary of State: sos.ky.gov (seen August 2026).
  11. Figure on Kentucky Secretary of State: sos.ky.gov (seen August 2026).
  12. Figure on Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official: revenue.ky.gov (seen October 2026).
  13. Figure on Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation: dat.maryland.gov (seen August 2026).
  14. Figure on Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation: dat.maryland.gov (seen August 2026).
  15. Figure on Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services: tnbear.tn.gov (seen August 2026).
  16. Figure on Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services: sos.tn.gov (seen August 2026).
  17. Figure on Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: sos.tn.gov (seen October 2026).
  18. North Carolina service page from Mainstay Filing (company page, November 12, 2026)
  19. Pricing page from North Carolina Registered Agent.co (company page, November 12, 2026)
  20. Pricing page from NC Registered Agent.org (company page, November 12, 2026)