Ranked quotes
Service prices only. The $125 state fee applies to every quote.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for filing and upkeep in one quote
Leads the board
$199 a year plus the $125 state fee
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $199/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $597
Top quote: Mainstay Filing. A single $199 quote covers formation, registered agent and each annual report.
The $200 premium over North Carolina Registered Agent.co at year three buys coverage, and coverage decides this ranking.
Each annual report is covered, and North Carolina's $200 is billed at cost.
Quote includes
- Formation done for you
- Registered agent, for twelve months
- Annual report, filed as it falls due
- The EIN application, prepared
- State fee at cost
Reads well
- $199 per year, all included
- Year two reads $199
- EIN application included
Reads poorly
- $100 more a year than North Carolina Registered Agent.co after year one
2
2. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a bare start
North Carolina focus
Opening $199; later years $99
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $99/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $397
Quote 2: North Carolina Registered Agent.co. Forming costs $199, year-one agent included, and later years read $99.
Its quote stops short of the annual report.
Quote includes
- The North Carolina formation filing
- Agent service for the first year
Reads well
- Year-one agent covered
- Agent renews at $99
- Opens at $199
Reads poorly
- Preparing the annual report remains a job you keep
- EIN application not included ($99)
3
3. NC Registered Agent.org: best for companies rooted in the state
North Carolina focus
Opening $199; later years $99
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $99/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $397
Quote 3: NC Registered Agent.org. Forming costs $199, year-one agent included, and later years read $99.
Its quote stops short of the annual report.
North Carolina Registered Agent.co publishes the same prices.
Quote includes
- The North Carolina formation filing
- Agent service for the first year
Reads well
- Agent renews at $99
- Opens at $199
- Year-one agent covered
Reads poorly
- Preparing the annual report remains a job you keep
- EIN application not included ($99)
Readings over time
Company prices from November 13, 2026, accumulated by year. No break-even appears inside ten years.
Bench calculator
Change the years to take a new reading, with the EIN application as an option.
State fees with citations
The three-year state reading adds the filing fee, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax. Costs with no fixed amount, such as newspaper publication, are noted but not summed.
What settled the order
Mainstay Filing wins filings handled per dollar, worth 30%, with North Carolina Registered Agent.co right behind.
The annual report term moved the bundle into first.
Count the EIN application and North Carolina Registered Agent.co reads lower from year 2.
North Carolina LLC filing fee and requirements, quoted from the source
The LLC is formed when the North Carolina Secretary of State accepts the Articles of Organization (Form L-01) and $125. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Reference: sosnc.gov (logged October 2026) for the record
The state-fees-only case
Cost of filing yourself: $525 to the state over three years. Service readings of $397 to $597 are the price of avoiding the forms.
Common questions
What do LLC formation services charge in North Carolina?
Year one reads $199 before the $125 filing fee.
What do the quotes add up to over three years?
Year one plus two renewals reads $397 to $597.
How much does North Carolina take to file an LLC?
$125 paid to the state, via the Articles of Organization (Form L-01).
What does North Carolina bill each year after formation?
The recurring line is the annual report at $200 annually (April 15).
Is the EIN application part of the quote?
Mainstay Filing, no added charge, North Carolina Registered Agent.co, $99 and NC Registered Agent.org, $99.
When does one quote pass another in total cost?
The quotes do not cross in the first ten years.
Which LLC formation service ranks best in North Carolina?
From the top of the board: Mainstay Filing, North Carolina Registered Agent.co and NC Registered Agent.org.
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.
- Logged November 13, 2026: Mainstay Filing North Carolina service page
- Logged November 13, 2026: North Carolina Registered Agent.co pricing page
- Logged November 13, 2026: NC Registered Agent.org pricing page