Cheapest LLC formation in North Carolina

What does North Carolina charge to form and keep an LLC?

Two state charges are certain for a new LLC: the $125 filing fee, paid once, and the annual report, owed April 15 each year, starting the year after formation. No provider can reduce either one.^{1, 3}

The report fee depends on how you pay. Paper filing costs $200. Online, the total is $203 because it includes a $3.00 electronic filing fee for credit cards; the same page notes that ACH carries a $2.00 fee instead. Filing by mail is the cheapest way to pay if you are not short of time.³

A few fixed charges apply only in some cases. Holding a name before you file is listed at $10 in the statute's fee list, while the Secretary of State's forms list shows $30.00 for a reservation that lasts 120 days; those figures don't match, so ask the office which applies, or skip the reservation and file the Articles directly. An LLC formed elsewhere that registers here pays $250 for its certificate of authority instead of the formation fee. Changing your agent later costs $5 on Form BE-06.^{1, 4, 5}

For comparison with neighboring states, the South Carolina and Virginia registered agent pages list those states' fees.

What pushes the cost of a North Carolina LLC higher?

Paid speed, a paid registered agent, package upsells and a missed annual report all add to the state fees, and you can see each one coming before you file.

Faster processing

Standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days and costs nothing extra. North Carolina charges $100 to file within a day and $200 to file by the end of the same business day, for documents received by 12:00 noon ET, with weekends and holidays excluded. Unless a lease, a loan or a contract needs the LLC by a date, standard handling is the cheaper choice. If a package advertises fast processing, ask whether that includes the state's charge or only the provider's own handling.^{6, 7}

The registered agent

The agent is the other cost that can repeat every year. North Carolina lets an individual who resides in this State act as agent when that person's business office is the LLC's registered office (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30), so an owner who qualifies pays nothing for the role. The trade-off is that the office address becomes public and someone has to be there to accept papers.⁸

Otherwise, a paid agent costs what the provider charges every year. A bundled first year only moves that bill to year two. Switching later costs $5, which keeps you free to move once a promotional year ends, as long as the new agent is on file before you cancel the old one. The North Carolina registered agent guide covers who qualifies.¹

Package extras and subscriptions

Checkouts offer an EIN, an operating agreement, a business address and compliance plans. In North Carolina a compliance plan has a real job, since the annual report is due every year, though a plan's price may not include the state's report fee. A plan with a free first year, such as ZenBusiness's Worry-Free Compliance, free for 1 year (then $199/yr), becomes a yearly cost unless you cancel it.⁹

A late annual report

North Carolina's LLC fee list carries no late fee, but failure to file within 60 days after the due date is grounds for administrative dissolution. Getting back into good standing then takes the reinstatement application, Form L-08, at $100; the sources cited here don't list what else reinstatement requires. Filing on time avoids that cost; staying compliant in North Carolina lays out the calendar.^{5, 10}

Which providers have the lowest published prices for a North Carolina LLC?

The table lists each provider's agent price, renewal and lowest formation package in the order of our score, highest first, with ties in editorial order; it is not sorted by price.

The next table sets a few low-cost routes side by side, in score order: acting as your own agent, and four packages whose first-year price is low or that bundle the agent. It is a sample, not a ranking by price.

The paragraphs below cover every provider in the order of the price table.

Tailor Brands. Lite is $0 plus state fees and doesn't list an agent, so either act as your own or add the agent at $199/year. The Essential plan, $199/yr plus state fees, is billed every year and includes report filing and updates. See the Tailor Brands review.^{16, 17}

ZenBusiness. Starter is $0 + state fees (does not renew), but the agent is an add-on at +$199/yr, with 50% off the first year ($99) when ZenBusiness forms the LLC. Watch the compliance plan's renewal date too. See the ZenBusiness review.^{9, 11}

LegalZoom. Basic is $0 + state filing fees and covers the Articles of organization. Its agent is $249/year (first-time registered agent customers), renewing at the purchase rate, a rate LegalZoom says is subject to change. See the LegalZoom review.^{18, 19}

Bizee. Basic is $0 + state fee with the agent's first year included. The second year brings the annual report and the agent at $149/year (ongoing annual fee). See the Bizee review.¹²

Swyft Filings. Basic is $0 + state fees. Its agent is billed at $149 per quarter, which comes to $596/year; compare that yearly figure, not the quarterly one. See the Swyft Filings review.^{20, 21}

doola. Starter is $297/yr, and the agent is free with Formation Service. Because the plan is billed yearly, the plan price recurs, not just an agent fee. See the doola review.^{13, 22}

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees. Northwest says that total includes a year of agent service, a claim made on the corporation page, so confirm it for an LLC. After that, its agent is $125 per year, with no separate renewal price published. See the Northwest review.^{14, 15, 23}

Rocket Lawyer. The first registration is free with a Rocket Lawyer membership. Standard costs $149/year with the registered agent not included; the agent, at $125 with a Plus or Pro membership, needs Plus ($249/year) or Pro. Count the membership as a yearly cost. See the Rocket Lawyer review.^{24, 25, 26}

InCorp Services. InCorp prices formation starting at $99 plus state fees, and the agent is sold separately at $129/year; its terms bill renewals at the 'then current' fee. See the InCorp review.^{27, 28, 29, 30}

Harbor Compliance. Formation starts at $99 plus state fees. Its agent is $99 first year (new customers), then $159 annually, and stopping that renewal takes notice at least 90 days before the term ends. See the Harbor Compliance review.^{31, 32, 33}

Agent-only prices across the country are on cheapest registered agent services, and the agent services are compared in detail for this state on registered agent services in North Carolina.