The ordered tally
Ordered by our
value rule. No state fee depends on the agent.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies that may add states
Row one
Year one $149, renewals $149
- First year
- $149
- Renewal
- $149/yr
- Three-year tally
- $447
Best value for North Carolina is Mainstay Filing: $149 a year here and in whichever state the company registers next.
The $150 three-year gap to North Carolina Registered Agent.co is made up by the 28% jobs-covered column.
Included lines
- An office address inside the state
- Three government mailings a year scanned free
- Covers LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
Gains
- One price across all fifty states
- The entry stays at $149 a year
Minus column
- $50 per year above the local line
- Nothing beyond the agent role
2
2. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a low yearly agent entry
North Carolina only
Year one $99, renewals $99
- First year
- $99
- Renewal
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $297
In second place, North Carolina Registered Agent.co, where three years total $297 for a company that stays put.
Included lines
- An office address in the state
- Legal papers posted online
Gains
- Under Mainstay Filing on the yearly column
- The entry stays at $99 a year
Minus column
- A second state needs a second agent
- You would do the annual report on your own
3
3. NC Registered Agent.org: best for a second local option
North Carolina only
Year one $99, renewals $99
- First year
- $99
- Renewal
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $297
In third place, NC Registered Agent.org, where three years total $297 for a company that stays put.
Its published prices equal North Carolina Registered Agent.co's.
Included lines
- An office address in the state
- Legal papers posted online
Gains
- Under Mainstay Filing on the yearly column
- The entry stays at $99 a year
Minus column
- A second state needs a second agent
- You would do the annual report on your own
Totals carried year by year
Prices as booked on November 13, 2026; every column carries one more renewal. The ranking stays the same for ten years.
Break-even calculator
How long will you keep the company? Pick the years and compare.
North Carolina state fees (official)
State fees over three years, as booked here: filing, then the next two reports, then minimum tax where the state has one.
Reading the ranking
Mainstay Filing beat North Carolina Registered Agent.co on jobs ticked off, a 28% column.
One agent price in every state outranked North Carolina Registered Agent.co's lower one-state price.
North Carolina registered agent rules (official, 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. Rule: 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.
Source: see sosnc.gov, entered October 2026 in the ledger
If you file it yourself
A qualifying owner can skip the agent fee entirely. Hiring a service instead costs $99 to $149 a year.
North Carolina price questions
What does a North Carolina registered agent cost per year?
$99 to $149 a year across our rows.
What do three years of agent service cost?
Three years of service total $297 to $447.
Must an LLC in North Carolina name a registered agent?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Yes, once you qualify under the rules above.
What does the LLC pay the state each year?
$200 each year for the annual report, due April 15.
When does one service turn into the lower total?
The lines do not cross during the first ten years.
Which registered agent is the best value in North Carolina?
By our value sort the North Carolina rows run Mainstay Filing, North Carolina Registered Agent.co and NC Registered Agent.org, led on jobs ticked off by Mainstay Filing.
Record of sources
- North Carolina Department of the, recorded from sosnc.gov in August 2026
- North Carolina Department of the, recorded from sosnc.gov in August 2026
- North Carolina report due date, recorded from ncleg.gov in August 2026
- N.C, recorded from sosnc.gov in August 2026
- North Carolina formation fee: Filing, recorded from sosnc.gov in October 2026
- North Carolina formation fee: Filing, recorded from sosnc.gov in October 2026
- North Carolina registered agent statute, recorded from sosnc.gov in October 2026
- North Carolina service page at Mainstay Filing, booked November 13, 2026
- pricing page at North Carolina Registered Agent.co, booked November 13, 2026
- pricing page at NC Registered Agent.org, booked November 13, 2026