Registered Agent Compared › North Carolina
Registered agents in North Carolina, compared (2026)
North Carolina requires every LLC to have a registered agent. Of the 9 providers with a published price here, Mainstay Filing is our best overall pick at $149 a year, flat. The state’s own fee to change agents is $5.
- North Carolina rules checked October 20, 2026
- Provider pages read October 2026
The North Carolina line-up
| Provider | How it charges | What its page lists | Fine print |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mainstay Filing | Same price every year | Registered agent in any state, all year; Mail and legal-document scanning and forwarding; Compliance reminders and stored documents | $149 a year, same at renewal |
| Harbor Compliance | Introductory price, higher at renewal | Documents delivered to a client portal; annual report reminders | $99 for the first year for new customers, then $159/yr. Prepaying two or three years keeps $99/yr for those years. |
| Northwest Registered Agent | Same price every year | Its address on public filings; scans of state and legal mail; up to 5 pieces of other business mail scanned free a year; domain, website, email and phone line | Its page says the price has not gone up in 20 years. $100/yr per state for five or more states. |
| InCorp Services | Same price every year | Same-day electronic service of process; compliance calendar; entity monitoring | As low as $87/yr if you prepay five years. |
| FreeRegisteredAgent.com | Free first year, then a renewal price | Compliance alerts, per its Illinois page | First year free, then $129/yr. Its page says the agent is InCorp. |
| LegalZoom | Same price every year | Alerts when mail arrives; documents scanned and uploaded; annual report reminders | Price for first-time agent customers. Auto-renews at the purchase rate; LegalZoom says the renewal rate is subject to change. |
| Registered Agents Inc | Same price every year | Business address, annual report filing and same-day document scans, per its order page | None stated |
| ZenBusiness | Introductory price, higher at renewal | Document receipt, scanning and upload to a dashboard; email notifications | $99 plus state fees for the first year, then $199/yr. |
| Bizee | Same price every year | Compliance notifications; its address on the public record | Standalone price. The first year is free when you form your company through Bizee. |
North Carolina agent rules
- Requirement
- Required. A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself.
- Address
- The address has to be a physical registered office in North Carolina. A P.O. box can be added only as a mailing address.
- Change-of-agent fee
- $5
- Statute
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30
Questions
Which registered agents serve North Carolina?
9 providers have a published price for North Carolina, including Mainstay Filing (best overall): Mainstay Filing, Harbor Compliance, Northwest Registered Agent, InCorp Services, FreeRegisteredAgent.com, LegalZoom, Registered Agents Inc, ZenBusiness and Bizee.
Do I need a registered agent in North Carolina?
Yes. A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself.
Where must the agent be located in North Carolina?
The address has to be a physical registered office in North Carolina. A P.O. box can be added only as a mailing address.
What does it cost to change agents in North Carolina?
The state charges $5 to file the change (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30).
Sources
- North Carolina registered agent statute (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30): sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/registered_agent_links, checked October 20, 2026
- North Carolina Secretary of State: www.sosnc.gov/, checked October 20, 2026
- Provider registered agent pages (features and pricing model), checked October 20, 2026