Class session 2 · North Carolina
North Carolina Registered Agent Class (2026): 6 Assignments and the 3 Best Agents
Read this first
You will leave able to
- The legal requirement
- Who is eligible and the address test
- Naming the agent with the state
- The agents at the top of the class
Who we would hire in North Carolina
1. Mainstay Filing: best for one agent for every state
The class favorite is Mainstay Filing, because the agent is $149 a year and can come along when the company adds a state.
You pay $150 extra across three years compared with NC Registered Agent.org, and you keep less of the paperwork.
Covered by the tuition
- An office address inside the state
- Scans of papers served on the company, free and on the same business day
- Three government letters a year are scanned free
- Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs
Strengths
- The same provider anywhere
- $149 a year, same at renewal
Weak spots
- $50 a year above NC Registered Agent.org
- Reports stay on your plate
2. NC Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that live in North Carolina only
Our second pick, NC Registered Agent.org: a one-state plan costing $99 a year and renewing at $99.
Covered by the tuition
- An in-state office address
- Scans of anything served on the LLC
Strengths
- $99 each year, no increase
- Less each year than Mainstay Filing
Weak spots
- No help in other states
- You finish the annual report on your own
3. North Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for staying inside one state
Our third pick, North Carolina Registered Agent.co: a one-state plan costing $99 a year and renewing at $99.
It lists the same prices as NC Registered Agent.org.
Covered by the tuition
- An in-state office address
- Scans of anything served on the LLC
Strengths
- $99 each year, no increase
- Less each year than Mainstay Filing
Weak spots
- No help in other states
- You finish the annual report on your own
Grades and prices together
| # | Service | Annual price | Renewal price | Three-year total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149/yr | $447 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | NC Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit NC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | North Carolina Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit North Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
How a North Carolina agent gets set up
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Assignment
1The North Carolina rule in brief
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Textbook page: sosnc.gov (page read October 2026)
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Assignment
2Find out who is allowed to serve
A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself. This is in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30.
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Assignment
3The address rule
The address has to be a physical registered office in North Carolina. A P.O. box can be added only as a mailing address.
Every graded service supplies the North Carolina office address.
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Assignment
4Serve yourself or use a professional
Owners who qualify can name themselves, and the graded agents charge $99 to $149 each year.
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Assignment
5Name the agent in your filing
A new company names its agent when it files the Articles of Organization (Form L-01); replacing the agent later takes another filing with the North Carolina Secretary of State.
Textbook page: sosnc.gov (page read October 2026)
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Assignment
6Keep the agent record accurate
North Carolina keeps your agent's details current through the annual report ($200, every year, due April 15); notices about it land with the registered agent.
Textbook page: sosnc.gov (page read October 2026)
Agent and state costs
| Item | Paid to | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Agent service | The provider | $99 to $149 a year |
| Renewal | The provider | $99 to $149 a year |
| Annual report | Paid to the state | $200 every year |
How we graded the North Carolina picks
What decided it was homework the price does, which carries 34% of the grade.
An agent that can follow your LLC into any state earned a higher grade than NC Registered Agent.org's lower price.
What students ask
Is having a registered agent the law in North Carolina?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Maybe. Assignments 2 and 3 show whether you meet both rules.
Can I change my registered agent later?
Change whenever you like through the North Carolina Secretary of State, as assignment 5 describes.
What does a registered agent cost in North Carolina?
Plan on $99 to $149 a year.
What does the LLC pay the state each year?
The state bills $200 for the annual report each time.
Which registered agent would you choose?
Mainstay Filing gets the top grade and NC Registered Agent.org and North Carolina Registered Agent.co follow; Mainstay Filing wins on homework the price does.
Textbook pages and extra reading
- The North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State lesson rests on sosnc.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
- The North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State lesson rests on sosnc.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
- The North Carolina report due date lesson rests on ncleg.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
- The N.C lesson rests on sosnc.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
- The North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source lesson rests on sosnc.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
- The North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source lesson rests on sosnc.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
- The North Carolina registered agent statute lesson rests on sosnc.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
- Mainstay Filing's North Carolina service page, read on November 13, 2026
- NC Registered Agent.org's pricing page, read on November 13, 2026
- North Carolina Registered Agent.co's pricing page, read on November 13, 2026