North Carolina quote board
Quotes ranked by reading; every price comes from a company page. The $250 state fee is kept outside the quotes.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for one fee, wherever you register
Best reading
$199 to register, $149 yearly after
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $149/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $497
Mainstay Filing reads best in North Carolina: $199 to file, no agent charge in year one, one price in every state.
The $100 premium over NC Registered Agent.org at year three buys coverage, and coverage decides this ranking.
The agent renews at $149 a year in every state.
Quote includes
- Registration done for you
- Registered agent costs nothing the first year
- One fee wherever you register
Reads well
- $199 plus the state's fee
- All fifty states covered
- First-year agent service included
Reads poorly
- $50 more each year for the agent
2
2. NC Registered Agent.org: best for a no-frills registration
Local quote
$199 to register, $99 yearly after
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $99/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $397
Quote 2: NC Registered Agent.org. Registration with North Carolina through this service costs $199, with a $99 agent renewal afterward.
Quote includes
- Registration done for you
- Agent service for the first year
Reads well
- $199 for the registration
- $99 yearly from year two
- Agent included to start
Reads poorly
- The home state needs a different agent
3
3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a nearby service
Local quote
$199 to register, $99 yearly after
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $99/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $397
Quote 3: North Carolina Registered Agent.co. Registration with North Carolina through this service costs $199, with a $99 agent renewal afterward.
Its quotes match NC Registered Agent.org's exactly.
Quote includes
- Registration done for you
- Agent service for the first year
Reads well
- $199 for the registration
- $99 yearly from year two
- Agent included to start
Reads poorly
- The home state needs a different agent
Year-by-year readings
Prices as published November 13, 2026; year one, then renewals added in turn. The ranking by cumulative cost is stable for ten years.
Cost calculator
How long will the company run? Set the years and compare.
Official state charges
Filing fee, plus the recurring report in years two and three, plus any minimum tax: that is the three-year state reading.
Why quote one is quote one
For North Carolina, the deciding term was filings handled per dollar (30% of the ranking), where Mainstay Filing came out ahead.
Several states at one price beat NC Registered Agent.org's lower renewal.
North Carolina foreign LLC registration fee and rules, quoted from the source
The North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division receives $250 and the Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company (Form L-09) from out-of-state LLCs active in North Carolina. Attach certificate of existence (or similar document, such as a certificate of good standing) from within the last 180 days.
An LLC that never registers may face North Carolina courts will not hear its suits until it registers (G.S. 57D-7-02(a)); per-day fines of $10; fees owed for the time before registering.
Official wording: sosnc.gov (logged October 2026) for the record
The state-fees-only case
Going without a service, you still owe North Carolina $650 across three years and you handle every form. The services bill $397 to $497 for that work.
About these readings
What is the price of registering a foreign LLC with North Carolina?
$250 to the state, plus a service fee of $199.
What do the quotes add up to over three years?
Year one plus two renewals reads $397 to $497.
Which form carries out the registration?
The filing is Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company (Form L-09), lodged at the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division.
Is a document from the home state required by North Carolina?
Yes, no more than 180 days old: certificate of existence (or similar document, such as a certificate of good standing).
Which recurring filing follows registration?
The annual report, billed at $200.
When does one quote pass another in total cost?
No break-even inside ten years.
Which foreign registration service ranks first for North Carolina?
From the top of the board: Mainstay Filing, NC Registered Agent.org and North Carolina Registered Agent.co.
Logged references
- North Carolina Department of the: see sosnc.gov, sampled August 2026.
- North Carolina Department of the: see sosnc.gov, sampled August 2026.
- North Carolina report due date: see ncleg.gov, sampled August 2026.
- N.C: see sosnc.gov, sampled August 2026.
- North Carolina formation fee: Filing: see sosnc.gov, sampled October 2026.
- North Carolina formation fee: Filing: see sosnc.gov, sampled October 2026.
- North Carolina registered agent statute: see sosnc.gov, sampled October 2026.
- North Carolina Secretary of State: see sosnc.gov, sampled October 2026.
- Form L-09, Application for Certificate: see sosnc.gov, sampled October 2026.
- Secretary of State guide to: see sosnc.gov, sampled October 2026.
- G.S: see ncleg.gov, sampled October 2026.
- Annual report due dates: see sosnc.gov, sampled October 2026.
- N.C: see ncleg.gov, sampled November 2026.
- North Carolina service page at Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
- pricing page at NC Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026
- pricing page at North Carolina Registered Agent.co, taken on November 13, 2026