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Registered agent guide · North Carolina

North Carolina Registered Agent Guide (2026): Rules, Fees and the 3 Best Agents

Short answer for North Carolina in 2026: NC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), in that order. A registered agent is mandatory in North Carolina; the state's own yearly charges are $200 (43rd of 50).
State Filing Data research desk

North Carolina: the figures

of 50 on yearly state fees

Least expensive state = 1st. The 50-state table

Registered agent required

Yes

per sosnc.gov, October 2026

Annual report

$200 / yr

Due date: April 15. per sosnc.gov, October 2026

Yearly state fees

$200

Recurring, per year

Services we'd use in North Carolina

Scored on five weighted criteria (methodology). Biggest weights: three-year service fees and filings covered.

Our first choice

1. NC Registered Agent.org: best for a low flat agent price

$99/yr, same at renewal

NC Registered Agent.org gets our first slot: an in-state agent at $99 a year with a North Carolina street address on the record.

Lower three-year service fees than Mainstay Filing put it on top; cost carries 35% of our method.

What you pay for

  • North Carolina street address for the registered office
  • Scans of served papers, online

For

  • Annual price $99, renewal price $99
  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing

Against

  • No coverage outside this state
  • No annual report filing
Visit NC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
In-state

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

$99/yr, same at renewal

North Carolina Registered Agent.co is our second choice: an in-state agent at $99 a year with a North Carolina street address on the record.

On price it is level with NC Registered Agent.org.

What you pay for

  • North Carolina street address for the registered office
  • Scans of served papers, online

For

  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing
  • Annual price $99, renewal price $99

Against

  • No coverage outside this state
  • No annual report filing
Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Widest coverage

3. Mainstay Filing: best for multi-state companies

$149/yr, same at renewal

Mainstay Filing is our third choice: $149 a year here or in any other state, renewing at $149.

A $150 gap over three years against NC Registered Agent.org keeps it out of first place.

What you pay for

  • Registered office address in North Carolina
  • Service of process scanned the same business day, no fee
  • First three government mailings a year scanned free
  • Works for LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

For

  • $149 a year, same at renewal
  • Same price in all fifty states

Against

  • NC Registered Agent.org is $50 a year less
  • The agent-only plan does not file reports
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 picks, side by side

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year service fees
1 NC Registered Agent.org $99$99/yr$297
Visit NC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 North Carolina Registered Agent.co $99$99/yr$297
Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Mainstay Filing $149$149/yr$447
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices as published by each company on November 12, 2026. Whichever agent you name, North Carolina charges the same.

Upkeep calculator

Years and agent in, total out. Recurring state fees only, no formation fee.

Total, 3 years, NC Registered Agent.org: $697. State $400, service $297.

North Carolina and its neighbors in the rank

RankStateYearly state fees
41st Arkansas$150
42nd Kentucky$190
43rd North Carolina$200
44th Maryland$300
44th Tennessee$300

See the 50-state table for every rank.

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. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30)

Yearly state fees for a North Carolina LLC

$200 every year for the annual report, due April 15; the state writes about it to your registered agent's address.

The reasoning

The split between NC Registered Agent.org and North Carolina Registered Agent.co sits in service fees over three years, which carries 35%.

At $297 over three years, $150 below Mainstay Filing, NC Registered Agent.org leads on cost.

North Carolina: questions

Does North Carolina require a registered agent?

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

Who can serve as the registered agent?

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

How much does a registered agent cost in North Carolina?

Expect $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

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

Which registered agents are on this page?

NC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), ranked in that order.

Which registered agent would you pick?

Our order is NC Registered Agent.org, North Carolina Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing. For NC Registered Agent.org: $99 a year flat, with served papers scanned to you online.

Related guides

Sources

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