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Registered agent guide · North Carolina

North Carolina Registered Agent Requirements (2026): State Fees on File and the 3 Best Agents

North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), NC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) is our order for a registered agent in North Carolina for 2026. Each North Carolina LLC needs a registered agent on file. The state bills $200 a year, 43rd of 50.

Desk note by LLC Data Desk ·

North Carolina: data sheet

43rdof 50 on one year of state fees1 = smallest bill. See the whole table
Registered agent required
YesPulled October 2026 from sosnc.gov
Annual report
$200 / yrDate set by the state: April 15. Pulled October 2026 from sosnc.gov
Total owed to the state, 1 yr
$200Yearly cost to the state after formation

North Carolina: desk picks

Five criteria set the order; three-year fees and filings covered weigh most (method has the rest).

1. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a small agent budget

Desk pickYr 1 $99, yr 2 $99

#1 is North Carolina Registered Agent.co: local agent for $99 a year; street address goes on the public record.

Cost decides it: three years here cost less than three years with Mainstay Filing.

What the fee covers

  • North Carolina address on the public record
  • Online scans of served documents

Pros

  • $99 yearly, no increase
  • Lower yearly fee than Mainstay Filing

Cons

  • North Carolina only; other states need their own agent
  • Annual report sits outside the fee entirely
Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. NC Registered Agent.org: best for North Carolina specialists

In-state optionYr 1 $99, yr 2 $99

NC Registered Agent.org takes second: local agent for $99 a year; street address goes on the public record.

Price for price, equal to North Carolina Registered Agent.co.

What the fee covers

  • North Carolina address on the public record
  • Online scans of served documents

Pros

  • $99 yearly, no increase
  • Lower yearly fee than Mainstay Filing

Cons

  • North Carolina only; other states need their own agent
  • Annual report sits outside the fee entirely
Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Mainstay Filing: best for one provider nationwide

All 50 statesYr 1 $149, yr 2 $149

#3 is Mainstay Filing: a flat $149 annual fee from a provider active nationwide.

Its three-year total runs $150 above North Carolina Registered Agent.co's, and cost is the heaviest weight.

What the fee covers

  • Physical in-state address
  • No fee for same-business-day scanning of papers served on the company
  • Government mail: first three pieces each year scanned, no fee
  • Also open to nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Pros

  • Any state, one fee
  • $149 a year, same at renewal

Cons

  • Yearly premium of $50 over North Carolina Registered Agent.co
  • Report filing sits with the formation package
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, side by side

#ServiceAnnual feeRenewal feeService fees, 3 yrs
1North Carolina Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2NC Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Fees as posted November 12, 2026. Switching agents does not change state fees.

Agent and state fees by year

Agent fees plus the state's recurring charges (the annual report from year two). Formation fees are left out.
North Carolina Registered Agent.co, 3 years: $697 ($400 state, $297 service).

North Carolina next to nearby ranks

RkStateYearly state fees
41stArkansas$150
42ndKentucky$190
43rdNorth Carolina$200
44thMaryland$300
44thTennessee$300
Full table: Registered agent rules by state, smallest bills first.

North Carolina registered agent rules, in the state's words

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: 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.

What North Carolina bills each year

Besides the agent: the annual report, every year, $200, April 15.

Why North Carolina Registered Agent.co leads

North Carolina Registered Agent.co wins on service bill over three years, worth 31%; NC Registered Agent.org is next.

Leads on cost: $297 over three years, $150 beneath Mainstay Filing.

Questions

A registered agent required for North Carolina LLCs?

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

Who can be the registered agent for North Carolina LLCs?

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

Yearly cost of registered agent service for North Carolina?

Agents on this page bill $99 to $149 annually.

Yearly state fees on an LLC?

$200 a year on our yearly measure: the annual report ($200 every year).

Which registered agents are ranked here?

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

Which registered agent do you pick?

North Carolina Registered Agent.co, NC Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing, by rank.

Other files

Basis for this page

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