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LLC formation cost calculators + North Carolina

3 Best LLC Services in North Carolina (2026): Cost Calculator

Run for 2026, the LLC formation services in North Carolina that come out best are North Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and NC Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Result range for service fees over three years: $397 to $597. Add $125 for filing in North Carolina.
Calculated by the Formation Calc editorial team

Result order: Cost 41% plus coverage 27% plus three smaller terms (see the formula)

Main figures

Formation fee owed to the state$125sosnc.gov {input read October 2026, shown in full}
Opening results$199Before government fees
Three-year outputs$397 to $597First year and both renewals
State side through year 3$525Outside the formula
Swap yearNone in ten yearsOrder never flips

North Carolina: results, best value first

Ranked by the formula. The $125 state fee is not folded into any result.
1

1. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for the smallest opening result

Ranks first
Year-1 input$199
Input for year 2 on$99/yr
Result at year 3$397
$199 and fees; renewal $99

Top result: North Carolina Registered Agent.co. $199 pays for formation and the agent adds $99 yearly afterward.

On the heaviest term, three-year cost, it beats Mainstay Filing.

The annual report is not among the things this price pays for.

Inputs covered

  • Formation delivered to the state office
  • Agent service for the first year

Adds up well

  • Formation inputs at $199
  • Year-one agent covered
  • Then $99 a year

Adds up badly

  • Nothing in the price pays for the annual report
  • $99 extra for the EIN
2

2. Mainstay Filing: best for a yearly figure that stays fixed

All fifty states
Year-1 input$199
Input for year 2 on$199/yr
Result at year 3$597
$199 per year, with $125 paid to the state

Mainstay Filing places second. Inputting $199 a year covers the filing, the registered agent and the annual report, with year two at $199.

North Carolina Registered Agent.co calculates $200 lower over three years, enough to rank higher.

Preparing the annual report is never your job, and only the $200 state fee gets added.

Inputs covered

  • Formation delivered to the state office
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report, filed when due
  • EIN application prepared
  • No markup on government fees

Adds up well

  • EIN application included
  • $199 in year two
  • Holds at $199

Adds up badly

  • North Carolina Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less
3

3. NC Registered Agent.org: best for a second in-state filer

In-state provider
Year-1 input$199
Input for year 2 on$99/yr
Result at year 3$397
$199 and fees; renewal $99

Position 3 is NC Registered Agent.org: $199 pays for formation and the agent adds $99 yearly afterward.

The annual report is not among the things this price pays for.

Input for input, it ties North Carolina Registered Agent.co.

Inputs covered

  • Formation delivered to the state office
  • Agent service for the first year

Adds up well

  • Formation inputs at $199
  • Year-one agent covered
  • Then $99 a year

Adds up badly

  • Nothing in the price pays for the annual report
  • $99 extra for the EIN

Results over time

RankServiceResult, year 1Result, year 2Result, year 3Result, year 5
1North Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$298$397$595Open North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$398$597$995Open Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3NC Registered Agent.org$199$298$397$595Open NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
The first-year price plus renewals, using the prices entered November 13, 2026. No break-even appears within ten years.

Cost calculator

Given your years, the calculator adds the first-year price and each renewal for every service and counts the EIN application when ticked.
Result for 3 years: North Carolina Registered Agent.co $397, Mainstay Filing $597, NC Registered Agent.org $397. Lowest at that point: North Carolina Registered Agent.co.

North Carolina state fees (official)

InputAmountSource
Articles filing$125sosnc.gov {input read October 2026, shown in full}
Annual report$200 every yearsosnc.gov {input read October 2026, shown in full}
State fees summed, years 1 to 3$525Our sum
Each line cites the state's own publication. Adding the filing, the next two reports and any minimum tax gives the three-year state result.

What settled the order

Calculated three-year cost put North Carolina Registered Agent.co first. That term is 41% of the formula, and filing work in the price, renewal change, break-even year and input clarity make up the remainder.

A three-year run with North Carolina Registered Agent.co calculates to $397, while Mainstay Filing runs $200 higher.

If the EIN application is needed, the results cross in year 2, as Mainstay Filing moves past North Carolina Registered Agent.co.

How North Carolina describes its LLC filing fee and filing requirements

$125 and the Articles of Organization (Form L-01), delivered to the North Carolina Secretary of State, create the LLC. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Official text: sosnc.gov {input read October 2026, shown in full}

Without a service

File alone and North Carolina still bills $525 over three years, with every form on your desk. A service charging $397 to $597 removes that work.

Quick answers

What do LLC formation services cost in North Carolina?

$199 in year one across these services, plus the state's $125 filing fee.

What do these services calculate to over three years?

Service results after three years: $397 to $597.

How much does North Carolina charge to file an LLC?

$125 to the state, with the Articles of Organization (Form L-01) as the form.

What does North Carolina charge each year after formation?

The repeating input is the annual report, at $200 annually (April 15).

Is the EIN application part of the price?

North Carolina Registered Agent.co bills $99 more, Mainstay Filing bundles it in and NC Registered Agent.org bills $99 more.

When does one service pass another in total cost?

They hold one order for ten years.

Which LLC formation service calculates best in North Carolina?

Result one is North Carolina Registered Agent.co, then Mainstay Filing, then NC Registered Agent.org.

Input sources

  1. North Carolina Department of the is entered from sosnc.gov (August 2026).
  2. North Carolina Department of the is entered from sosnc.gov (August 2026).
  3. North Carolina report due date is entered from ncleg.gov (August 2026).
  4. N.C is entered from sosnc.gov (August 2026).
  5. North Carolina formation fee: Filing is entered from sosnc.gov (October 2026).
  6. North Carolina formation fee: Filing is entered from sosnc.gov (October 2026).
  7. North Carolina registered agent statute is entered from sosnc.gov (October 2026).
  8. Input from North Carolina Registered Agent.co: pricing page (November 13, 2026)
  9. Input from Mainstay Filing: North Carolina service page (November 13, 2026)
  10. Input from NC Registered Agent.org: pricing page (November 13, 2026)