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Last Updated: December 1, 2025
Trying to find the best LLC service in North Carolina for your business? Whether you’re a first-time entrepreneur or an experienced business owner, choosing the right LLC formation service can save you time, money, and stress. In this comparison guide, we break down top providers like ZenBusiness, LegalZoom, Bizee (formerly Incfile), and Northwest Registered Agent. You’ll see how they stack up in terms of pricing, features, and customer support — plus what each service is best known for. If you’re looking for great value and reliable service, ZenBusiness is a standout option for forming an LLC in North Carolina.
If you’re looking for an overall, excellent LLC formation service in North Carolina, go with us at ZenBusiness. We’ve already formed 850,000+ businesses since 2015!
✔ Free LLC formation (only pay North Carolina state fees)✔ 60-day money-back guarantee✔ 25856+ reviews with a 4.8 average rating✔ Award-winning customer support✔ Extended customer service hours, including Saturdays and Sundays✔ Socially conscious company (Public Benefit Corporation)
✘ Registered agent service costs extra after the first year✘ Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
If you want socially conscious North Carolina LLC formation services with a service discount, choose ZenBusiness.
Another LLC service is Bizee (formerly known as Infile), with a basic formation service that would only require you to pay North Carolina’s state filing fee. Bizee is a well-known choice, with more than one million businesses formed since they opened in 2004. They also have a variety of features to suit a business owner’s needs.
✔ Free LLC formation (only pay North Carolina state fees)✔ Includes one year of registered agent service ($119/yr afterward)✔ Large customer base with 23,100+ reviews (as of December 2025)✔ Phone and email support
✘ Lots of upsells can increase overall costs✘ Customer support can be slow during peak times✘ No weekend phone support available
Keep in Mind: Even though their North Carolina LLC formation service is free, you’re going to deal with more upsells and potentially higher overall prices as a result.
Want to learn more? See our Bizee review.
LegalZoom is the most well-known service in this industry, handling millions of LLC formations since 2001. They handle huge volumes of entity formations in North Carolina and offer legal services beyond formations.
✔ Established brand with 4 million+ businesses formed✔ Extended customer service hours, including Saturdays✔ Offers legal services beyond North Carolina LLC formation
✘ Aggressive upsells during the ordering process✘ Registered agent service is expensive ($249/yr)✘ Not the best value compared to other services available in North Carolina
Want to learn more? See our LegalZoom review.
Northwest Registered Agent also offers a good business formation service in North Carolina, with personalized customer support as their standout feature. They’ve been forming businesses since 1998.
✔ Personalized customer support✔ Includes one year of registered agent service ($125/yr afterward)✔ Industry experience since 1998
✘ Higher starting price than competitors who offer free North Carolina LLC formation✘ No published customer service hours and no chat support✘ Limited brand recognition compared to larger competitors
Want to learn more? See our Northwest Registered Agent review.
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In addition to the costs of a business formation service or hiring an attorney (which are optional, as we’ve discussed), there are other required and optional expenses when forming and maintaining a North Carolina business. To form a North Carolina LLC, you’ll need to file the Articles of Organization with a filing fee of $128.
Every LLC will need to file an Annual Report each year as well. This simple filing keeps the state up to date about some basic but vital business information, such as your address and registered agent. LLCs pay $203 for this filing online or $200 by mail. Read more about North Carolina LLC costs.
We invite you to take a look at our guide to forming a limited liability company in North Carolina. This article walks you through the LLC formation process in this state step by step, helping ensure that you don’t miss any crucial elements.
One of the most important steps in forming a North Carolina LLC is choosing a business name. Once you come up with ideas for your name, you should search through the Secretary of State’s business search to make sure your desired name is available. For more information on conducting a business name search in North Carolina, check out our North Carolina business search page.
You can fill out the North Carolina Articles of Organization on the Secretary of State’s website.
In North Carolina, all LLCs need to file annual reports as part of their ongoing maintenance with the state. Your report is due by April 15 of each year, and the fee is a bit pricey at $200 for filing by mail or $203 for filing online.
Chances are, you’ll require at least one license or permit to operate your LLC in compliance with North Carolina state law. For more information about business licenses and more in this state, check out the state’s licenses and permits webpage.
Processing times vary, but most filings submitted online take 7 to 10 business days at this time. Filings submitted by postal mail will take substantially longer, approximately 10 to 15 business days. If you want faster processing, you have a couple of options. The Secretary of State offers 24-hour processing for an additional fee and same-day processing for a higher fee. For the same-day processing, they must receive your paperwork by noon.
If you want more details about what these companies can offer in this state, or you’d like to take a look at some other options, check out our complete guide to the best North Carolina registered agent services.
Unfortunately, not all businesses last forever. If the time comes when you need to close your LLC’s doors, you’ll need to do so in a manner consistent with the state’s regulations. That’s why we wrote our guide to North Carolina LLC dissolutions, so you can complete the process in a compliant manner.
If your LLC already exists in another state, you don’t actually need to “form” it in North Carolina. Instead, you’ll need to foreign-qualify the business in this state. This process is somewhat similar to LLC formation, but there are some crucial differences as well. Take a look at our guide to foreign qualifications in North Carolina for more information.
North Carolina Business Resources
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Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Written by ZenBusiness Editorial Team
The ZenBusiness Editorial Team has more than 20 years of combined small business publishing experience and has helped over 850,000 entrepreneurs launch and grow their companies. Our writers and business formation experts are dedicated to providing accurate, practical, and trustworthy guidance so business owners can make confident decisions.
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