LLC formation worksheets · North Carolina

3 Best LLC Services in North Carolina (2026): Worked Prices

The 2026 math for North Carolina LLC formation services gives North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), NC Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), ranked best value first. $397 to $597 is the spread of three-year service totals, and $125 is the state's own filing charge on each.

Worked by the Formation Math editorial team Worksheet updated November 13, 2026

↓ Sorted by: Total cost over three years (42%), items covered per dollar (28%), then year-two change, crossover year and published detail. The method

North Carolina in brief

Filing charge $125 sosnc.gov (checked October 2026) as the source

Year-one totals $199 Without the state fee

Totals after three years $397 to $597 Includes both renewals

State fees, summed over 3 years $525 The same whoever files

Year the lines meet No crossing Same ranking each year

North Carolina rows with the arithmetic

Ranked by score; every price comes from a company page. The $125 state fee is left out of the rows.

Highest score

1. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for bare-bones formations

$199 plus state fee, then $99 a year

Year-1 price $199

Price after year 1 $99/yr

Sum of 3 years $397

North Carolina Registered Agent.co scores highest in North Carolina: $199 for the formation, then a yearly agent renewal of $99.

Its three-year total is below Mainstay Filing's, and the three-year total counts 42% of the score.

You would still do the annual report yourself.

The price buys

Formation handled start to finish
Year-one agent service

Adds up

$99 a year afterward
Agent service free in year one
$199 to form

Does not add up

The price omits the annual report
It charges $99 for the EIN application

Single-state plan

2. NC Registered Agent.org: best for a second in-state filer

$199 plus state fee, then $99 a year

Year-1 price $199

Price after year 1 $99/yr

Sum of 3 years $397

NC Registered Agent.org fills row 2: $199 for the formation, then a yearly agent renewal of $99.

You would still do the annual report yourself.

North Carolina Registered Agent.co publishes the same prices.

The price buys

Formation handled start to finish
Year-one agent service

Adds up

$199 to form
$99 a year afterward
Agent service free in year one

Does not add up

The price omits the annual report
It charges $99 for the EIN application

Any state

3. Mainstay Filing: best for covering the most items per dollar

$199 per year, renewing at $199

Year-1 price $199

Price after year 1 $199/yr

Sum of 3 years $597

Next in the working, Mainstay Filing: $199 a year pays for the filing, the registered agent and the annual report, so year two is $199 again.

Three years cost $200 more here than at North Carolina Registered Agent.co, and cost carries 42% of the score.

It files the annual report for you, and the $200 state fee is passed on at cost.

The price buys

Filing delivered to the state
Registered agent, covered all year
Annual report, filed when due
EIN application, handled
State fee charged at cost

Adds up

$199 for the whole bundle
No increase at renewal ($199)
It prepares the EIN application

Does not add up

North Carolina Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less

Running sum by year

No.	Provider	Year 1 total	Total at year 2	Total at year 3	Total at year 5
1	North Carolina Registered Agent.co	$199	$298	$397	$595	Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2	NC Registered Agent.org	$199	$298	$397	$595	Visit NC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3	Mainstay Filing	$199	$398	$597	$995	Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Company prices from November 13, 2026, summed year by year. The totals keep one order for ten years.

Check the math yourself

Change the years to redo the addition, with the EIN application as an option.

State fees with citations

Term	Value	Where it comes from
Fee to form the LLC	$125	sosnc.gov (checked October 2026) as the source
Annual report	$200 every year	sosnc.gov (checked October 2026) as the source
What the state collects by year 3	$525	Calculated from the rows above

Working: filing fee, plus the recurring report in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. The sum is the three-year state line.

Notes on the order

For North Carolina, the term that decided it was three-year total (42% of the score), where North Carolina Registered Agent.co came out ahead.

North Carolina Registered Agent.co adds up to $397 after three years, $200 less than Mainstay Filing.

With the EIN application added, Mainstay Filing's running sum passes North Carolina Registered Agent.co's in year 2.

North Carolina LLC filing fee and rules, from the source

The LLC exists once the North Carolina Secretary of State accepts the Articles of Organization (Form L-01) along with $125. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Quoted from: sosnc.gov (checked October 2026) as the source

Filing it yourself, worked out

The state's fees alone total $525 for three years, which is the floor. The table shows what each service adds ($397 to $597).

Quick answers

What does an LLC formation service cost in North Carolina?

$199 for year one across our rows, plus the state's $125 fee.

What do the services add up to over three years?

$397 to $597 in service fees, with state fees on top.

What is the North Carolina fee to file an LLC?

Filing costs $125, and you submit the Articles of Organization (Form L-01).

What does North Carolina collect each year after formation?

Annual report at $200 per year, due April 15.

Does the price include the EIN application?

Each row differs: North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99), NC Registered Agent.org ($99) and Mainstay Filing (included).

In what year does one service pass another in total cost?

Not within ten years; no row passes another.

Which LLC formation service is best value in North Carolina?

By the five-part score the North Carolina rows run North Carolina Registered Agent.co, NC Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing, led by North Carolina Registered Agent.co on three-year total.

Keep working

Inputs and sources

Source of North Carolina Department of the: sosnc.gov, August 2026.
Source of North Carolina Department of the: sosnc.gov, August 2026.
Source of North Carolina report due date: ncleg.gov, August 2026.
Source of N.C: sosnc.gov, August 2026.
Source of North Carolina formation fee: Filing: sosnc.gov, October 2026.
Source of North Carolina formation fee: Filing: sosnc.gov, October 2026.
Source of North Carolina registered agent statute: sosnc.gov, October 2026.
Prices from North Carolina Registered Agent.co, pricing page, November 13, 2026
Prices from NC Registered Agent.org, pricing page, November 13, 2026
Prices from Mainstay Filing, North Carolina service page, November 13, 2026