The filing
File one document, the Articles of Organization (Form L-01), with the North Carolina Secretary of State. The fee is $125[2]. The filing has to name a registered agent in North Carolina.
Mainstay Filing will file it for you for $199 a year plus North Carolina's $125 fee, with the North Carolina registered agent and the Annual Report included[1].
- State filing fee
- $125
- Form
- Form L-01
- Filed with
- North Carolina Secretary of State
- Registered Agent required
- Yes
- Periodic report
- Yearly, $200
- Other states’ fees
- 30 lower, 16 higher
Updated October 29, 2026. State fees from official sources.
6 steps, in order
North Carolina asks for one formation filing. Everything else on this list is either done before that filing or follows from it.
- Search the register. Before filing, look the name up on the North Carolina Secretary of State site[3]. A name too close to an existing North Carolina entity will be rejected.
- Line up the registered agent. The filing lists who receives legal papers for the company. North Carolina allows A North Carolina resident, or a corporation, nonprofit or LLC on the North Carolina business registry other than the company itself.[4]
- File the Articles of Organization (Form L-01). Submit it to the North Carolina Secretary of State with the $125 fee[2].
- Draft the operating agreement. This internal document covers ownership, voting and what happens if a member leaves. It is kept with the company, not filed.
- Request an EIN. This federal tax number comes from the IRS, not from North Carolina, and most banks ask for it before opening an account.
- Calendar the first Annual Report. It is filed every year with the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division for $200[5]. It is due April 15[6].
The form and where it goes
North Carolina calls its formation filing the Articles of Organization, numbered L-01. The North Carolina Secretary of State accepts it[2].
From the statute:
Pursuant to §57D-2-20 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby submit these Articles of Organization for the purpose of forming a limited liability company.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 57D-2-20 (North Carolina Limited Liability Company Act, Chapter 57D — formation by filing articles of organization)[2].
Acceptance puts the company on the North Carolina register. Anything listed on the filing, such as the registered agent's address, becomes part of the public record.
New business filings in North Carolina
North Carolina logged 182,653 business applications in 2025 by the Census Bureau's count, 16.31 for every 1,000 residents. From January through Sep 2026 there were 156,790, against 138,657 in the same months of 2025.
An application is a request for an EIN, not a state LLC filing. The Census series counts every legal form, so it measures start-up activity rather than North Carolina LLC formations.
Two ways to file
With Mainstay Filing, the North Carolina filing is prepared and submitted for you. Its price is $199 a year plus the state's $125[1], and that yearly price also covers the registered agent, the EIN application and every Annual Report.
Anyone can also file the Form L-01 directly with the North Carolina Secretary of State; the state charges the same $125 either way.
North Carolina formation costs
North Carolina's $125 filing fee is above the 50-state median of $100: 30 states charge less and 16 charge more.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $125 | [2] sosnc.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Annual Report | $200 every year | [5] sosnc.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Filing service, Mainstay Filing | $199 a year plus state fees | [1] Mainstay Filing, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Registered agent service (if hired) | $149 a year at Mainstay Filing; $0 to $249 first year elsewhere | 8 other services' published prices, updated October 29, 2026 |
Only the state fee is required. Naming yourself or another qualified person as registered agent costs nothing in state fees.
| State | LLC filing fee | Periodic report |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $110 | $60 yearly |
| South Carolina | $110 | None |
| Tennessee | $300 | $300 yearly |
| Virginia | $100 | $50 yearly |
Same source set as above, one statute or fee schedule per state, verified August 12, 2026.
Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in North Carolina?
The state fee is $125 for the Articles of Organization (Form L-01)[2]. After that, the Annual Report costs $200 every year.
Do I need a registered agent to form an LLC in North Carolina?
Yes. The formation filing names one. Owners who live in North Carolina qualify as individuals and can take the registered agent role themselves. The company itself cannot be its own registered agent.
Can someone else handle the North Carolina filing?
Yes. Mainstay Filing prepares and files North Carolina LLCs for $199 a year plus the $125 state fee[1]. That also covers its registered agent service, the EIN application and the Annual Report, at the same price each year.
Who files the formation document in North Carolina?
The North Carolina Secretary of State. Its website: www.sosnc.gov/.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- 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). www.sosnc.gov/webfiles/documents/forms/Business_Registration/limited_liability_companies/a. Updated October 29, 2026.
- North Carolina Secretary of State. www.sosnc.gov/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30 (registered office and registered agent required) and § 55D-31 (change of registered office or registered agent) — Chapter 55D, Article 4, applies to LLCs, corporations, nonprofits, and partnerships. sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/registered_agent_links. Updated October 29, 2026.
- North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division: Annual Report rules and fee. www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration/annual_report. Updated October 29, 2026.
- N.C.G.S. § 57D-2-24(b). www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_57D/GS_57D-2-24.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.