Foreign LLC Services › North Carolina
Foreign LLC services in North Carolina, compared
In North Carolina a filing service costs $199 on top of the $250 state fee. Mainstay Filing is our first pick.
Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in North Carolina (2026)
Ranked for North Carolina.
| # | Service | Service fee | North Carolina fee | Agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $250 | Year one included, then $149/yr |
| 2 | NC Registered Agent.org | $199 | $250 | Year one included, then $99/yr |
| 3 | North Carolina Registered Agent.co | $199 | $250 | Year one included, then $99/yr |
Mainstay Filing: Its North Carolina checkout showed $452 in total on October 28, 2026, including $3 in state processing charges.
Service prices read from each provider’s North Carolina page on October 28, 2026. The state fee is the official figure below and is paid to the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division.
Side by side with doing it yourself
| Route | Service fee | Agent, year one | Agent after | Year one, before any agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | Included | $149 a year | $449 |
| NC Registered Agent.org | $199 | Included | $99 a year | $449 |
| North Carolina Registered Agent.co | $199 | Included | $99 a year | $449 |
| Do it yourself | $0 | You arrange one | Your cost | $250 |
A registered agent must have a street address in North Carolina. Doing it yourself means you arrange and pay for one.
What the state requires either way
- Application
- Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company
- Good-standing certificate
- Certificate of existence (or similar document, such as a certificate of good standing), no older than 180 days
- Yearly filing
- Annual report (filed with the Secretary of State), $200 (due: april 15)
North Carolina service questions
Which service is best for a foreign LLC in North Carolina?
We rank Mainstay Filing first for North Carolina: $199 plus the $250 state fee, with the agent free for the first year.
What does a North Carolina service include?
The application, the filing with the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division, payment of the state fee and a registered agent for the first year.
Is it cheaper to file in North Carolina myself?
On paper, yes by $199: the state fee is $250. You would also need to find a registered agent and prepare Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority for Limited Liability Company.
Sources
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration: www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration, checked October 8, 2026
- Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority: www.sosnc.gov/webfiles/documents/forms/Business_Registration/limited_liability_companies/application_for_certificate_of_authority.pdf, checked October 8, 2026
- Secretary of State guide to registering a foreign business: www.sosnc.gov/manual/Register_A_Foreign_Business, checked October 8, 2026
- G.S. Chapter 57D, Article 7 (foreign LLCs): www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_57D/Article_7.html, checked October 8, 2026
- Annual report due dates: www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report_due_dates, checked October 8, 2026