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Filing MapperRoutes through every state's LLC paperwork, priced leg by leg.

LLC cost guide · North Carolina

North Carolina LLC Route (2026): State Fees Leg by Leg and the 3 Best LLC Services

For an LLC filing in North Carolina, our 2026 routing puts Mainstay Filing ($199), NC Registered Agent.org ($199) and North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) in that order. The first leg costs $125 at the state border, and every year after that the annual report adds $200; measured over three years, North Carolina lands at 42nd of 50.

Surveyed by the Filing Mapper team

North Carolina route markers

42nd

of 50 on three years of state tolls

Mile 1 is the lightest toll. The whole route, all fifty states

Entry fee
$125
sosnc.gov, surveyed October 2026
Annual report
$200 / yr
The checkpoint closes, in the state's words: April 15. sosnc.gov, surveyed October 2026
State toll, three years
$525
Entry in year one, checkpoints after

Route services for North Carolina

The order rests on five criteria set out in the method: three-year provider cost (35%), steps covered (27%), renewal fare, fit with North Carolina rules and fee labeling.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a checkpoint calendar run by someone else

First on the route$199 a year, state toll billed apart

We put Mainstay Filing at the head of the route because one yearly fare, $199, buys the opening leg, registered agent duty and the annual report.

Set beside NC Registered Agent.org, the three-year fare is $200 larger, with more of the route walked for the owner.

At renewal the annual report is handled, and the $200 due to the state is added at cost.

The fare covers

  • Leg one done for you: the formation is drafted and filed
  • Registered agent duty held through the year
  • The annual report drafted and sent in by Mainstay
  • The EIN application is part of the route
  • You pay the official toll exactly

On the plus side

  • EIN filing is part of the fare
  • A $199 annual ticket
  • No fare jump at renewal ($199)

On the minus side

  • $100 a year above NC Registered Agent.org's agent renewal
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. NC Registered Agent.org: best for founders who never leave North Carolina

One state onlyLeg one $199; later legs $99

NC Registered Agent.org sits at stop 2 because the North Carolina filing for $199 with agent duty free in lap one, then $99 a year for the agent.

The annual report is the owner's to clear, every year.

The fare covers

  • North Carolina formation drafted and filed
  • First year of agent service

On the plus side

  • A renewal of $99
  • No agent fare in lap one
  • An opening fee of $199

On the minus side

  • Annual report is left to the owner
  • Help with the EIN costs $99
Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for owners who prefer to handle reports themselves

One state onlyLeg one $199; later legs $99

North Carolina Registered Agent.co sits at stop 3 because the North Carolina filing for $199 with agent duty free in lap one, then $99 a year for the agent.

The annual report is the owner's to clear, every year.

NC Registered Agent.org and this provider publish the same fares.

The fare covers

  • North Carolina formation drafted and filed
  • First year of agent service

On the plus side

  • A renewal of $99
  • No agent fare in lap one
  • An opening fee of $199

On the minus side

  • Annual report is left to the owner
  • Help with the EIN costs $99
Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, side by side

StopProviderLeg oneLater legsProvider cost, three years
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2NC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3North Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Fares as listed on November 12, 2026. Every row still needs the $125 state toll.

LLC route calculator

Choose a trip length and a provider. State tolls follow the official schedule: $125 to open, then the annual report beginning in year two.

$525 in state tolls plus $597 paid to Mainstay Filing makes $1,122 over 3 years.

North Carolina and the stops on either side of it

MileStateThree-year state fees
40thAlaska$350
41stFlorida$402.50
42ndNorth Carolina$525
43rdKentucky$595
44thMaryland$700

The entire route map is at LLC costs by state, lightest tolls first.

What leg one costs in North Carolina, 2026

To pass leg one, file the Articles of Organization (Form L-01) at the North Carolina Secretary of State and pay $125; the authority is N.C. Gen. Stat. § 57D-2-20. The providers below pass it through untouched. Transit time at the state, as published: Entity creation 5 to 10 business days.

The annual report checkpoint in 2026

North Carolina sets the annual report checkpoint once a year at $200, April 15.

What put the first stop first

Mainstay Filing won the lead on steps the service takes over, worth 27% of the total; NC Registered Agent.org came next.

North Carolina wants the annual report every year; a fare that clears it beat a lighter fare that leaves it with you.

Questions along the way

How much does the state toll for forming an LLC in North Carolina?

$125 goes to the state. Provider fares on this page: $199.

What toll comes with the North Carolina annual report?

$200, every year; the checkpoint closes April 15.

Where does North Carolina fall on the 50-state route?

Mile 42nd of 50 on three-year state tolls, at $525; mile 1 is the lightest toll.

How long does the state take to open a new LLC?

The usual wait is Entity creation 5 to 10 business days.

Is a registered agent a fixed stop for North Carolina LLCs?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Which service should walk my LLC through the route?

Mainstay Filing is stop one, because the North Carolina formation, a registered agent and the annual report ride together on one $199 ticket; after that come NC Registered Agent.org and North Carolina Registered Agent.co.

Nearby routes

Survey markers for this route

Survey marker
  1. Marker sosnc.gov, covering North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, logged August 2026.
  2. Marker sosnc.gov, covering North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, logged August 2026.
  3. Marker ncleg.gov, covering North Carolina report due date, logged August 2026.
  4. Marker sosnc.gov, covering N.C, logged August 2026.
  5. Marker sosnc.gov, covering North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  6. Marker sosnc.gov, covering North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  7. Marker sosnc.gov, covering North Carolina registered agent statute, logged October 2026.
  8. Marker akleg.gov, covering Alaska Stat. §§ 10.50.070, 10.50.075, logged August 2026.
  9. Marker commerce.alaska.gov, covering Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, logged August 2026.
  10. Marker commerce.alaska.gov, covering Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, logged August 2026.
  11. Marker flsenate.gov, covering Fla, logged August 2026.
  12. Marker dos.fl.gov, covering Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  13. Marker flsenate.gov, covering Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  14. Marker dos.fl.gov, covering Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, logged August 2026.
  15. Marker dos.fl.gov, covering Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, logged August 2026.
  16. Marker flsenate.gov, covering Florida yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  17. Marker apps.legislature.ky.gov, covering KRS 275.025, logged August 2026.
  18. Marker sos.ky.gov, covering Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  19. Marker sos.ky.gov, covering Kentucky Secretary of State, logged August 2026.
  20. Marker sos.ky.gov, covering Kentucky Secretary of State, logged August 2026.
  21. Marker revenue.ky.gov, covering Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official, logged October 2026.
  22. Marker mgaleg.maryland.gov, covering Md, logged August 2026.
  23. Marker mgaleg.maryland.gov, covering Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  24. Marker egov.maryland.gov, covering Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, logged October 2026.
  25. Marker dat.maryland.gov, covering Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, logged August 2026.
  26. Marker dat.maryland.gov, covering Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, logged August 2026.
  27. Marker sosnc.gov, covering Processing, official source, logged October 2026.
  28. Mainstay Filing listed this North Carolina service page on November 12, 2026
  29. NC Registered Agent.org listed this pricing page on November 12, 2026
  30. North Carolina Registered Agent.co listed this pricing page on November 12, 2026