Skip ahead to the table
LLC Price TablesLLC service prices, set out in tables.

LLC formation price tables - North Carolina

3 Best LLC Services in North Carolina (2026): Price Table

The best-value LLC formation services in North Carolina for 2026 are Mainstay Filing ($199), North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) and NC Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked here from first to third. Three years of service charges fall between $397 to $597, and North Carolina collects $125 to file on top of whichever you choose.

Compiled by the LLC Price Tables editorial team ·

Table order: Sorted by three-year cost (40%) and filing work covered (30%), then renewal gap, crossover year and cell clarity. Table method

Key cells

  • Government formation fee$125sosnc.gov [read October 2026, table note]
  • First-year cells$199Services only
  • Three-year cells$397 to $597Opening year plus two more
  • What the state takes in 3 years$525Filing, reports and any minimum tax
  • Ranks change inEntries keep their placesSteady ranking

Ranked entries

Columns give year one, the price after that and the three-year total. Add North Carolina's $125 to whichever entry you pick.

  1. 1. Mainstay Filing: best for the most filing work per dollar

    Entry one
    • Year-1 cell$199
    • Cell for later years$199/yr
    • Three-year cell$597

    $199 annually, and $199 again at renewal

    For North Carolina, Mainstay Filing is the best value because $199 a year includes the annual report and stays flat at renewal.

    North Carolina Registered Agent.co is $200 lower at year three; the 30% weight on coverage still places this entry first.

    You skip the annual report; the only extra is the state's $200.

    Price buys

    • Articles of organization, filed
    • Registered agent for twelve months
    • Annual report, filed when due
    • EIN application prepared
    • No markup on government fees

    In its favor

    • EIN application covered
    • The same $199 after year one
    • $199 a year includes filing and agent and report

    Against it

    • From year two, $100 above North Carolina Registered Agent.co
    See Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

  2. 2. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for plain formation, nothing added

    North Carolina only
    • Year-1 cell$199
    • Cell for later years$99/yr
    • Three-year cell$397

    Year one $199; later years $99

    North Carolina Registered Agent.co is ranked second. $199 in year one, $99 each year after that.

    Its price stops before the annual report.

    Price buys

    • Articles of organization, filed
    • Agent service for the first year

    In its favor

    • First agent year included
    • Starts at $199
    • $99 yearly from year two

    Against it

    • You would prepare the annual report yourself
    • EIN application adds $99
    See North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

  3. 3. NC Registered Agent.org: best for a local formation service

    North Carolina only
    • Year-1 cell$199
    • Cell for later years$99/yr
    • Three-year cell$397

    Year one $199; later years $99

    NC Registered Agent.org is ranked third. $199 in year one, $99 each year after that.

    Its price stops before the annual report.

    Cell for cell, it ties North Carolina Registered Agent.co.

    Price buys

    • Articles of organization, filed
    • Agent service for the first year

    In its favor

    • Starts at $199
    • $99 yearly from year two
    • First agent year included

    Against it

    • You would prepare the annual report yourself
    • EIN application adds $99
    See NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Year-by-year totals

No.EntryYear 1 cellYear 2 cellYear 3 cellYear 5 cell
1Mainstay Filing$199$398$597$995See Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2North Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$298$397$595See North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3NC Registered Agent.org$199$298$397$595See NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Year one plus renewals, using prices read November 13, 2026. None of the entries swap places in ten years.

Choose your own span

Once you set the years, the calculator adds year one and the renewals for each entry and includes the EIN application if ticked.
Over 3 years: Mainstay Filing $597, North Carolina Registered Agent.co $397, NC Registered Agent.org $397. Lowest at that point: North Carolina Registered Agent.co.

North Carolina state fees (official)

ChargeCellSource
Cost to form$125sosnc.gov [read October 2026, table note]
Annual report$200 every yearsosnc.gov [read October 2026, table note]
What the state collects by year 3$525Filing, reports and any tax
The state's share over three years is built from the filing fee, the reports owed in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax. Items with no fixed price, such as newspaper publication, are described in the text and left out of the sum.

Why entry one is entry one

Mainstay Filing takes filing work per row, worth 30%, with North Carolina Registered Agent.co close behind.

The annual report column is what moved the bundle to the top.

Include the EIN application and Mainstay Filing moves past North Carolina Registered Agent.co in year 2.

North Carolina LLC filing fee and requirements, quoted from the official source

$125 plus the Articles of Organization (Form L-01), delivered to the North Carolina Secretary of State, creates the company. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Official wording: sosnc.gov [read October 2026, table note]

Filing it yourself

Do the filing yourself and the only charge left is the state's: $525 across three years. The entries above add $397 to $597 for the paperwork and the agent.

Questions

What do LLC formation services charge in North Carolina?

$199 for the service and $125 for the state.

What do these entries add up to over three years?

$397 to $597 across the entries, not counting state fees.

How much does North Carolina charge to file an LLC?

The state charges $125 for the Articles of Organization (Form L-01).

What does North Carolina charge each year after formation?

Every year the state bills $200 for the annual report, due April 15.

Is the EIN application included in the price?

Mainstay Filing at no added charge, North Carolina Registered Agent.co at $99 and NC Registered Agent.org at $99.

When does one entry pass another in total cost?

The entries do not swap places in the first ten years.

Which LLC formation service is the best value in North Carolina?

Mainstay Filing, which wins on filing work per row. North Carolina Registered Agent.co and NC Registered Agent.org follow.

Next tables

Where this came from

  1. sosnc.gov is the reference behind North Carolina Department of the, read in August 2026.
  2. sosnc.gov is the reference behind North Carolina Department of the, read in August 2026.
  3. ncleg.gov is the reference behind North Carolina report due date, read in August 2026.
  4. sosnc.gov is the reference behind N.C, read in August 2026.
  5. sosnc.gov is the reference behind North Carolina formation fee: Filing, read in October 2026.
  6. sosnc.gov is the reference behind North Carolina formation fee: Filing, read in October 2026.
  7. sosnc.gov is the reference behind North Carolina registered agent statute, read in October 2026.
  8. Mainstay Filing North Carolina service page page as of November 13, 2026
  9. North Carolina Registered Agent.co pricing page page as of November 13, 2026
  10. NC Registered Agent.org pricing page page as of November 13, 2026