Best LLC Service by State

Best LLC Service by State › North Carolina

Best LLC Formation Service in North Carolina (2026): Year-One and Year-Two Cost Compared

Our pick: Mainstay Filing. $199 a year covers forming your North Carolina LLC, your registered agent all year, your EIN application and your North Carolina annual report, and it renews at the same $199. North Carolina’s filing fee ($125, set by the North Carolina Secretary of State) is passed through at cost.

  • Official sources, checked October 20, 2026
  • Provider prices checked October 2026
Our pick in North Carolina

Mainstay Filing

Our rating: 4.9 out of 5

$199 / year + $125 state fee

  • LLC formation, prepared and filed
  • Registered agent, all year
  • EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
  • Annual report filed every year it is due where the state requires one
  • Compliance reminders and stored documents

Price from the Mainstay Filing pricing and FAQ pages, checked October 21, 2026. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.

Year-one and year-two cost in North Carolina

North Carolina figures include the $125 state filing fee in year 1 and the $200 report fee in the years it is due. Provider prices checked October 2026. Mainstay Filing includes the annual-report filing in its price; where a competitor charges for it, that charge is in its “included” cell, not in the totals.
ProviderYear 1Year 23-year totalWhat the price coversRenewal terms
Mainstay Filing$324$399$1,122Formation filing, registered agent, EIN application and every annual report filed$199 a year, the same at renewal
Northwest Registered Agent$164$325$814Formation; agent included year 1; annual report filing is an extra $100 plus the state fee$125 a year
ZenBusiness$224$399$1,022Starter formation; agent bought separately; Pro ($199 a year) adds EIN and annual-report filing$199 a year agent
Bizee$125$349$823Basic formation with a free first year of its agent; Standard is $199 and Premium $299$149 a year agent
LegalZoom$374$449$1,272Basic formation; agent bought separately at $249 for first-time agent customers (Pro $249, Premium $299)$249 a year agent

Which service fits which owner

Side hustle

The worry is what the LLC costs you every year while the income is small. Here that is $199 with Mainstay Filing plus $200 to North Carolina Secretary of State when the report is due. Bizee is lower in year 1 ($125 against $324), but check its year-2 cell before you take the saving.

First-time owner

Most of the work comes after the filing: the EIN, an operating agreement, an agent address and the Annual Report, due April 15. Mainstay Filing prepares and files the formation and the report, applies for the EIN, and has no operating-agreement upcharge.

Online business

You will probably be asked for a business address by a bank or a payment processor. The registered agent address is on the public record and is not a business mailing address; Mainstay Filing says its address can’t stand in for one, so plan a separate mailing address. Required registered agent in North Carolina: A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself.

Startup with co-founders

Two things to settle before filing: who owns what, in an operating agreement, and who is responsible for the yearly paperwork. With Mainstay Filing the agreement is not an extra charge and the report is filed for you, so the $1,122 three-year figure above is the whole budget apart from legal advice you choose to buy.

Non-US owner

Mainstay Filing applies for the EIN as part of formation. It charges a one-time $99 for founders with no SSN or ITIN (a faxed Form SS-4), on top of the $199 and the $125 North Carolina filing fee.

North Carolina facts

Filing
Articles of Organization (L-01), $125, filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State
Yearly report
Annual Report, every year, $200 Due: April 15.
Registered agent
Required. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Should you file it yourself?

You can. File the Articles of Organization (L-01) with the North Carolina Secretary of State for $125, get the EIN free from the IRS, name a registered agent, and calendarthe Annual Report. What a service adds is the address on the public record, the reminders and a single yearly price. The steps and what is left after filing.

Questions

Do I need an operating agreement in North Carolina?

Whether North Carolina requires one is a legal point we have not checked state by state; with more than one owner, a written agreement settles who decides what. Mainstay Filing does not charge extra for one.

Can I be my own registered agent in North Carolina?

A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself. Check the rule above before assuming you can.

What does an LLC cost after year one in North Carolina?

Mainstay Filing: $199 plus the $200 state report fee in year 2. The others vary: Northwest Registered Agent $325, ZenBusiness $399, Bizee $349, LegalZoom $449.

Sources