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Plain CharterLLC questions, short answers.

Answered simply · North Carolina

3 Best LLC Services in North Carolina (2026), Plainly Answered

Our 2026 answer for North Carolina: NC Registered Agent.org ($199), North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), best first. The state's filing fee is $125 no matter who files. Service fees over three years: $397 to $597.

By the Plain Charter editorial team ·

Short version

State filing fee
$125, when you file
Each year after
$200 every year
Registered agent
Yes
Best picks
NC Registered Agent.org, North Carolina Registered Agent.co then Mainstay Filing

Who we'd hire in North Carolina

Our order, explained on how we choose.
1Our first pick

1. NC Registered Agent.org: best for a lean start

$199 plus state fees; renewal $99

We put NC Registered Agent.org at the top because formation costs $199 and the yearly agent renewal is $99.

Cost decides it: three years here come in under Mainstay Filing.

The annual report stays with you.

The price covers

  • Articles filed for you
  • Year-one agent

Upsides

  • Agent service, year one
  • $99 a year after that
  • $199 over the state fee

What to weigh

  • No help with the annual report
  • EIN help is $99 more
Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2North Carolina specialist

2. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for owners who file their own reports

$199 plus state fees; renewal $99

Our number 2 is North Carolina Registered Agent.co, since formation costs $199 and the yearly agent renewal is $99.

The annual report stays with you.

Same published prices as NC Registered Agent.org; pick whichever you prefer.

The price covers

  • Articles filed for you
  • Year-one agent

Upsides

  • $99 a year after that
  • Agent service, year one
  • $199 over the state fee

What to weigh

  • No help with the annual report
  • EIN help is $99 more
Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3All fifty states

3. Mainstay Filing: best for having the annual report filed for you

$199 yearly, renewing at $199

Mainstay Filing ranks third, because it forms the LLC, serves as its registered agent and files the annual report for $199 a year, and the price stays $199 at renewal.

Three years cost $200 more than NC Registered Agent.org.

Report filing is included, with the $200 state fee passed through.

The price covers

  • Articles prepared and filed
  • Registered agent every month of the year
  • Annual report filed for you
  • EIN application
  • No markup on state fees

Upsides

  • One yearly price of $199
  • EIN step covered
  • Year two costs $199

What to weigh

  • A $100 yearly premium over NC Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices together

#ServiceYear oneLater yearsThree yearsIn the price
1NC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397articles filed for you; Year-one agentVisit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2North Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397articles filed for you; Year-one agentVisit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597articles prepared and filed; registered agent every month of the year; annual report filed for youVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as published on November 12, 2026. The state's own fees are listed in the requirements below.

What owners ask

What is the total cost to form one?

$125 to the state, plus $199 if a service files it for you.

Counting the recurring report, the state's own fees reach $525 by the end of year three. October 2026 · sosnc.gov

What exactly gets filed?

What you file: the Articles of Organization (Form L-01). Where: the North Carolina Secretary of State.

Statute: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 57D-2-20. Typical turnaround: Entity creation 5 to 10 business days. October 2026 · sosnc.gov

Do I have to name a registered agent?

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.

October 2026 · sosnc.gov

What comes due after the LLC exists?

Mainly the annual report, once a year. Fee: $200. Deadline: April 15.

October 2026 · sosnc.gov

Can I skip the service?

You can. Without a service you pay just the state: $525 across three years.

A service adds $397 to $597 over three years for doing the filings and, with Mainstay Filing, the reports.

Why these three?

NC Registered Agent.org leads on three-year cost, which weighs 35% in our order.

What we weigh most: three-year cost (35%) and what the price takes off your plate (30%). Three smaller criteria break close calls.

Three years with NC Registered Agent.org: $397. Mainstay Filing is $200 more.

Our full method

North Carolina rules at a glance

ItemAnswerOfficial source
Formation fee$125October 2026 · sosnc.gov
Registered agentYesOctober 2026 · sosnc.gov
Annual report$200 every yearOctober 2026 · sosnc.gov
State fees, first three years$525Sum of the rows
Filing fee, the reports in years two and three, then any minimum tax: that is the three-year line.

Other quick questions

What is the processing time?

Entity creation 5 to 10 business days.

Is the EIN application included?

EIN help costs $99 with NC Registered Agent.org or $99 with North Carolina Registered Agent.co, and nothing extra with Mainstay Filing.

How do the three-year costs compare?

NC Registered Agent.org $397, North Carolina Registered Agent.co $397 and Mainstay Filing $597, plus state fees.

Where do these figures come from?

Each state fee links its official source; each service price comes from the company's site.

Must I hire anyone?

No law requires one. A service is a convenience.

Who comes first in North Carolina?

NC Registered Agent.org first: it costs $199 up front with the first agent year, then $99 each year after. North Carolina Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing follow.

Official sources and prices

  1. sosnc.gov (North Carolina Department of the, August 2026)
  2. sosnc.gov (North Carolina Department of the, August 2026)
  3. ncleg.gov (North Carolina report due date, August 2026)
  4. sosnc.gov (N.C, August 2026)
  5. sosnc.gov (North Carolina formation fee: Filing, October 2026)
  6. sosnc.gov (North Carolina formation fee: Filing, October 2026)
  7. sosnc.gov (North Carolina registered agent statute, October 2026)
  8. sosnc.gov (Processing, official source, October 2026)
  9. NC Registered Agent.org pricing page (prices on November 12, 2026)
  10. North Carolina Registered Agent.co pricing page (prices on November 12, 2026)
  11. Mainstay Filing North Carolina service page (prices on November 12, 2026)