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Statewise Business The state fee almanac for LLCs, sourced line by line.

Registered agent guide · North Carolina

North Carolina Registered Agents (2026): Official Rules, State Fees and the 3 Best Agents

Almanac pick for registered agent service in North Carolina, 2026: NC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), ranked first to last. North Carolina makes a registered agent compulsory. Recurring state fees: $200 yearly, 43rd of 50.

Entry by the Statewise Business almanac desk ·

North Carolina: the entry in figures

43rdof 50 states on yearly state feesLowest fees rank first. Compare all states
Registered agent required
Yessosnc.gov (read October 2026)
Annual report
$200 / yrFalls due: April 15. sosnc.gov (read October 2026)
State fees per year
$200Per-year state bill

Our North Carolina entries

Three-year service fees and filings covered count most; the methodology gives all five weights.

1. NC Registered Agent.org: best for a one-state company

Almanac first pick$99 yearly (renews $99)

NC Registered Agent.org is where the almanac starts: $99 a year flat, plus served papers scanned to you online.

Lower three-year service fees than Mainstay Filing put it first; cost is 32% of the method.

In the price

  • An in-state registered office address
  • Online scans of whatever is served

Strengths

  • A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing
  • A flat $99/yr

Weak points

  • A different state needs a different agent
  • The annual report is yours to send in
Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for multi-state companies

Works anywhere$149 yearly (renews $149)

Mainstay Filing holds second place: the same $149 agent price in each state, so one provider can follow the company.

NC Registered Agent.org beats it by $150 on three-year service fees.

In the price

  • Registered office address in North Carolina
  • Papers served on the company scanned within the same business day, free
  • Your first three government letters each year, scanned free
  • Serves LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits alike

Strengths

  • Good in every state
  • Yearly price $149, renewal $149

Weak points

  • NC Registered Agent.org charges $50 less each year
  • This agent-only plan leaves the reports to you
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for an in-state office address

North Carolina focus$99 yearly (renews $99)

Entry 3 is North Carolina Registered Agent.co: $99 a year flat, plus served papers scanned to you online.

NC Registered Agent.org and this service publish the same prices.

In the price

  • An in-state registered office address
  • Online scans of whatever is served

Strengths

  • A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing
  • A flat $99/yr

Weak points

  • A different state needs a different agent
  • The annual report is yours to send in
Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, side by side

#EntryPrice a yearRenewalService fees over three years
1NC Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3North Carolina Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company price pages, recorded November 12, 2026. Whichever agent you name, North Carolina charges the same.

Yearly cost calculator

Each agent's price is paired with the repeating state fees (the annual report from year two); formation fees are left out of the total.
3 years with NC Registered Agent.org comes to $697: $400 in state fees and $297 in service fees.

North Carolina among its neighbors in the rank

PositionStateYearly state fees
41stArkansas$150
42ndKentucky$190
43rdNorth Carolina$200
44thMaryland$300
44thTennessee$300
The whole table is on Registered agent rules by state; the lowest fees rank first.

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.

Who the state accepts: A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself. Authority: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30.

Yearly state fees for a North Carolina LLC

On top of the agent, the LLC files the annual report every year for $200, due April 15.

How the North Carolina order was set

Of the five criteria, added cost over three years (32%) is where NC Registered Agent.org pulled ahead of Mainstay Filing in North Carolina.

NC Registered Agent.org comes to $297 over three years, which is $150 under Mainstay Filing.

Questions on North Carolina

Is a registered agent compulsory in North Carolina?

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

Who is allowed to act as the registered agent in North Carolina?

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

What does a North Carolina registered agent charge each year?

$99 to $149 a year, going by this page.

What does the state charge an LLC every year?

$200 a year on the almanac's yearly measure, which is the annual report ($200 every year).

Which registered agents does this entry list?

NC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), from the first entry to the last.

Which registered agent should I choose?

We would file with NC Registered Agent.org: a North Carolina-only plan at $99 a year, renewing at $99. Next come Mainstay Filing and North Carolina Registered Agent.co.

Related entries

Citations for this entry

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