3 Best Registered Agents in North Carolina (2026): Fee Schedule
Best value among North Carolina registered agents in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($149/yr), North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99/yr) and NC Registered Agent.org ($99/yr), ranked in that order. A year of agent service starts at $99 to $149; three years cost $297 to $447.
Prepared by the Agent Fee Tables editorial team ·
Schedules ordered by: Ordered on five measures: charges 39%, duties 31%, three smaller ones after that
North Carolina charges at a glance
Is one mandatory?Yessosnc.gov {fee list dated October 2026}
Year-one fees$99 to $149Fee per year
Charges, three years$297 to $447First year with two more
Annual report$200 yearlysosnc.gov {fee list dated October 2026}
Break-evenNot in ten yearsOrder holds to year 10
North Carolina: schedules, best value first
Ordered by how we order. The agent you name has no bearing on state fees.
#Opening chargeRenewal chargeCharges, three years
1
1. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs in more than one state
Schedule one
$149 to begin; $149 each renewal
Opening charge
$149
Renewal charge
$149/yr
Charges, three years
$447
Mainstay Filing has the best schedule in North Carolina: $149 a year today and again wherever the company registers next.
Paying $150 above North Carolina Registered Agent.co across three years takes the repeating filings off your plate.
Duties the charge covers
A physical address on file
Up to three government mailings a year, scanned free
Covers LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
Charges in its favor
Fifty-state reach
Constant $149 per year
Charges against it
$50 a year above North Carolina Registered Agent.co
To get the state figure, add the filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax. Open-ended costs get a mention but no number.
The order behind North Carolina
Mainstay Filing wins duties inside the charge, worth 31%, with North Carolina Registered Agent.co right behind.
On reach across states, North Carolina Registered Agent.co cannot compete.
What North Carolina requires of a registered agent (North Carolina Secretary of State), in the state's own words
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. Law cited: 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.
Official text: sosnc.gov {fee list dated October 2026}
Without a service
Eligible owners pay nothing extra to go without a service. The schedules above charge $99 to $149 a year for the convenience.
About these fees
What does a North Carolina registered agent charge per year?
Roughly $99 to $149 yearly.
What do three years of agent service cost?
$297 to $447 in service fees, with state fees on top.
Does the state insist that a North Carolina LLC have a registered agent?
Yes, it does. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
May the owner act as the registered agent?
If you qualify, yes; the requirements section has the rules.
What does the state charge the LLC every year?
The line that repeats is the annual report, at $200 annually (April 15).
When does one schedule pass another in total charges?
They keep one order for ten years.
Which registered agent is the best value in North Carolina?
Mainstay Filing, which wins on duties inside the charge. North Carolina Registered Agent.co and NC Registered Agent.org follow.