Rank1
Best here
1. NC Registered Agent.org: best for the smallest yearly fee on this list
$99 yearly, unchanged
Editor score9.3out of 10
NC Registered Agent.org takes the top spot because the plan is $99 a year, flat, and papers served on the company reach you as online scans.
With NC Registered Agent.org the company gets an in-state street address for its registered office, and served papers are scanned to your online account.
Across three years its total is under Mainstay Filing's, and that counts for a lot in our scoring.
In the price
- A street address in the state as the registered office
- Anything served on the company is scanned and posted to your account
Good
- Can form the LLC and cover year one as agent
- $99 a year, and it stays put at renewal
- A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing
Watch for
- You handle the annual report yourself
- Made for North Carolina; another state needs a different agent
Rank2
Best yearly price
2. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for North Carolina specialists
$99 yearly, unchanged
Editor score9.1out of 10
North Carolina Registered Agent.co makes the list at number two because the plan is $99 a year, flat, and papers served on the company reach you as online scans.
North Carolina Registered Agent.co gives the company a street address in the state and scans whatever is served there into your account.
We found no difference in price or features between NC Registered Agent.org and North Carolina Registered Agent.co; choose whichever you prefer.
In the price
- A street address in the state as the registered office
- Anything served on the company is scanned and posted to your account
Good
- LLC formation available with a free first agent year
- A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing
- $99 yearly with no change at renewal
Watch for
- You handle the annual report yourself
- Made for North Carolina; another state needs a different agent
Rank3
One agent, every state
3. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 yearly, unchanged
Editor score8.8out of 10
Mainstay Filing makes the list at number three because one agent plan at $149 a year that keeps its price at renewal and scans papers served on the company the same business day for free.
Starting from scratch? The formation package is $199 a year and adds the North Carolina filing and the annual report.
NC Registered Agent.org undercuts it by $150 across three years, which leaves Mainstay Filing second on cost.
In the price
- A registered office street address in whichever state you need
- Service of process scanned and uploaded within the same business day, free
- Three government letters a year scanned free
- Compliance reminders
Good
- Takes LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
- $149 a year, and it holds at renewal
- Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day at no charge
- Free scans of three government letters each year
Watch for
- The agent alone is $50 a year more than NC Registered Agent.org
- The agent plan does not file your annual report; that needs the formation package
The 3 picks side by side
Filing Shortlist sets each score out of 10 itself, using the criteria on How we rank; no customer ratings feed in.
North Carolina registered agent pricing in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total
Every price comes from the company's own pages as of November 12, 2026. North Carolina's own fees stay the same whichever agent you pick.
How the order came together
On Filing Shortlist's shortlist, three-year price and what the price covers carry 28% each and renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity share the other 44%. In North Carolina, three-year price made the difference.
NC Registered Agent.org adds up to $297 over three years, which is $150 below Mainstay Filing. A company with a North Carolina agent need gains little from fifty-state reach, so the smaller yearly price settled it.
Every criterion and weight is set out on How we rank.
North Carolina registered agent rules from North Carolina Secretary of State
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a physical registered office in North Carolina. A P.O. box can be added only as a mailing address. Statute: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30.
The North Carolina annual report: price and deadline
Every company formed here files the annual report every year. The state charges $200 and wants it April 15. The reminders about it go to your registered agent.
Common questions about North Carolina registered agents
Does the company need to name a registered agent in North Carolina?
It does. North Carolina wants each LLC to name a registered agent with a street address inside the state, and that name stays on the public record.
How much do agents in North Carolina charge per year?
Yearly prices span $99 to $149, and each company holds its price at renewal.
Can the owner be the registered agent?
Yes, if you meet the state's conditions. A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself.
By what date is the North Carolina annual report due?
The deadline is April 15, and the state charges $200.
Which registered agents made this shortlist?
NC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), listed from the top pick down.
Which North Carolina registered agent makes the shortlist first?
NC Registered Agent.org, because it charges $99 a year, the same at renewal, the smallest yearly price on this list.
Where the figures come from
- North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division (checked again August 2026)
- North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division (checked again August 2026)
- North Carolina report due date (checked again August 2026)
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 57D-2-20 (checked again August 2026)
- North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- North Carolina registered agent statute (checked again October 2026)
- Pulled from NC Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from North Carolina Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from Mainstay Filing: North Carolina service page, November 12, 2026