LLC for Beginners › North Carolina
Forming an LLC in North Carolina for the first time
The North Carolina filing fee is $125. For a beginner the best service is Mainstay Filing: $199 a year covers the filing, agent, EIN application and the annual report, so year 1 comes to $324.
- Official sources, checked October 20, 2026
Your North Carolina checklist
- File the Articles of Organization (L-01). $125 to the North Carolina Secretary of State.
- Registered agent. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. Mainstay Filing includes it.
- EIN. Free from the IRS; included in the application Mainstay Filing prepares.
- Operating agreement. Write one even for a single owner. No upcharge at Mainstay Filing.
- Annual report. Annual Report, every year, $200. Due: April 15.
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year + $125 state fee
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report filed every year it is due where the state requires one
- Compliance reminders and stored documents
Price from the Mainstay Filing pricing and FAQ pages, checked October 21, 2026. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
Total for the first three years
$1,122 with Mainstay Filing, state fees included. Others: Northwest Registered Agent $814; ZenBusiness $1,022; Bizee $823; LegalZoom $1,272 (these totals leave out any charge for filing the annual report).
Questions
What is the best LLC service for a beginner in North Carolina?
Mainstay Filing. First year $324 including the $125 North Carolina filing fee; $399 in year 2.
Can a beginner file an LLC in North Carolina without a service?
Yes: file the Articles of Organization (L-01) with the North Carolina Secretary of State for $125. Required registered agent: A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself.
Sources
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 57D-2-20 (North Carolina Limited Liability Company Act, Chapter 57D — formation by filing articles of organization); fee set at $125 (recited on the official form; fee schedule in N.C.G.S. § 57D-1-22) (multira state research spine): www.sosnc.gov/webfiles/documents/forms/Business_Registration/limited_liability_companies/articles_of_organization.pdf, checked August 12, 2026
- North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: www.sosnc.gov/fees/by_title/_Business_Registration_limited_liability_companies, checked October 1, 2026
- North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: sosnc.gov/fees/by_title/_Business_Registration/, checked October 1, 2026
- North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division (multira state research spine): www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report, checked August 12, 2026
- North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division (multira state research spine): www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/filing_a_paper_annual_report, checked August 12, 2026
- North Carolina report due date (multira state research spine, due dates verified 714/714): www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_57D/GS_57D-2-24.pdf, checked August 12, 2026
- North Carolina registered agent statute (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30): sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/registered_agent_links, checked October 20, 2026