Skip to your options
Price Your LLC Budget for your LLC before you pay for it.

What a registered agent costs by state / North Carolina

3 Best Registered Agents in North Carolina (2026): What You Pay

Mainstay Filing ($149/yr), NC Registered Agent.org ($99/yr) and North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99/yr) give you the best value among North Carolina registered agents for 2026, in that order. Year one costs $99 to $149 with these agents. Over three years, you are looking at $297 to $447.
Written by the Price Your LLC editorial team

↓ Ranked for you by: Best value for you comes first, using our five-part ranking

Budget snapshot

Is it required? Yes sosnc.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)
Opening cost range $99 to $149 Per year
What three years cost you $297 to $447 First year and both renewals
Annual report $200 a year sosnc.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)
Bills cross in No crossover Order never flips

North Carolina ranking

Ranked by how we rank. The agent you name has no bearing on state fees.

1
Start here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for the same price in every state

$149 a year, moving to $149
You pay in year 1 $149
You pay at renewal $149/yr
You pay over 3 years $447

Mainstay Filing ranks first. The price stays $149 a year wherever your company registers next.

Three years cost you $150 more than NC Registered Agent.org, but the extra work it covers counts for more in the ranking.

Your price covers

  • A street address located in the state
  • Up to three government mailings a year, scanned for you free
  • Covers LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

What you get

  • Valid in every state
  • Constant $149 per year

What to watch

  • $50 more per year than the local option
  • Covers the agent role only
2
North Carolina focus

2. NC Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that never leave one state

$99 a year, moving to $99
You pay in year 1 $99
You pay at renewal $99/yr
You pay over 3 years $297

NC Registered Agent.org takes spot 2 because $99 yearly, with a street address in the state on file.

Your price covers

  • A physical in-state office
  • Served papers appear in your login

What you get

  • Costs you less than Mainstay Filing each year
  • Constant $99 per year

What to watch

  • North Carolina only
  • The annual report is your own job
3
North Carolina focus

3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a nearby alternative

$99 a year, moving to $99
You pay in year 1 $99
You pay at renewal $99/yr
You pay over 3 years $297

North Carolina Registered Agent.co takes spot 3 because $99 yearly, with a street address in the state on file.

No price gap from NC Registered Agent.org.

Your price covers

  • A physical in-state office
  • Served papers appear in your login

What you get

  • Costs you less than Mainstay Filing each year
  • Constant $99 per year

What to watch

  • North Carolina only
  • The annual report is your own job

What you pay by year

Pick Service You pay in year 1 You pay by year 2 You pay by year 3 You pay by year 5
1 Mainstay Filing $149 $298 $447 $745 Price out Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 NC Registered Agent.org $99 $198 $297 $495 Price out NC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 North Carolina Registered Agent.co $99 $198 $297 $495 Price out North Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Service fees only, from each company's prices as of November 13, 2026. Ranked by running total, the order is steady for ten years.

Cost calculator

Choose your years and the calculator adds year one to each renewal for every service.

Your spend for 3 years: Mainstay Filing $447, NC Registered Agent.org $297, North Carolina Registered Agent.co $297. Least you would pay: NC Registered Agent.org.

State fees with sources

What you pay for Amount Source
Articles filing $125 sosnc.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)
Annual report $200 every year sosnc.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)
What the state collects by year 3 $525 Added up from the lines above

Only amounts the state fixes go into the total: the filing, the next two reports and any minimum tax. Costs the state leaves unpriced are explained instead.

Notes on the order

Upkeep the price covers put Mainstay Filing first. That factor is 31% of the ranking, and your three-year spend, year-two surprise, where the bills cross and price you can see make up the remainder.

Coverage put it ahead of NC Registered Agent.org.

What North Carolina requires of your registered agent (North Carolina Secretary of State)

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

A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself. The law is N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30.

The address has to be a physical registered office in North Carolina. A P.O. box can be added only as a mailing address.

As written: sosnc.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)

Doing it alone

Qualifying owners pay nothing extra to go without a service. The prices above, $99 to $149 a year, buy you convenience.

Common questions

How much will a North Carolina registered agent cost me per year?

Expect $99 to $149 a year.

What do three years of agent service cost?

$297 to $447 across the services, not counting state fees.

Do I have to have a registered agent for a North Carolina LLC?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Yes, if you meet the eligibility and address rules above.

What will the state charge my LLC each year?

Once your LLC exists, North Carolina will bill you for the annual report each year at $200, April 15.

When does one service end up costing more than another?

There is no crossing within ten years, so no service overtakes another.

Which registered agent is the best value for me in North Carolina?

Start with Mainstay Filing, then NC Registered Agent.org, then North Carolina Registered Agent.co.

Related pages

What a registered agent costs by state for all 50 states Best registered agents for anyone How we rank your options

Where we looked

  1. You can verify North Carolina Department of the at sosnc.gov, which we looked at in August 2026.
  2. You can verify North Carolina Department of the at sosnc.gov, which we looked at in August 2026.
  3. You can verify North Carolina report due date at ncleg.gov, which we looked at in August 2026.
  4. You can verify N.C at sosnc.gov, which we looked at in August 2026.
  5. You can verify North Carolina formation fee: Filing at sosnc.gov, which we looked at in October 2026.
  6. You can verify North Carolina formation fee: Filing at sosnc.gov, which we looked at in October 2026.
  7. You can verify North Carolina registered agent statute at sosnc.gov, which we looked at in October 2026.
  8. Mainstay Filing North Carolina service page, as we saw it on November 13, 2026
  9. NC Registered Agent.org pricing page, as we saw it on November 13, 2026
  10. North Carolina Registered Agent.co pricing page, as we saw it on November 13, 2026