North Carolina · Secretary of State
North Carolina wants a physical-office agent — and a $200 April 15 report.
Formation funnels bury two North Carolina numbers: a cheap $5 statement of change, and a $200 annual report on a fixed April 15 clock for every LLC. Chapter 55D still requires a continuous registered office and agent in this State, with a street address on the change and annual-report filings. The SOS adds that the office itself must be physical; a mailing address alone may be a P.O. Box.
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What G.S. 55D-30 and 55D-31 say
| Item | Published rule |
|---|---|
| Continuous maintenance | §55D-30(a): every LLC (and the other covered entities) must continuously maintain in this State a registered office and a registered agent whose business office is identical with that office. |
| Who may serve | §55D-30(a)(2): an individual who resides in this State; a domestic corporation, nonprofit, or LLC; or a foreign corporation, nonprofit, or LLC authorized to transact business or conduct affairs here — in each case with a business office identical with the registered office. |
| Street address on a change | §55D-31(a): the statement of change lists the street address (and mailing address if different) and county of the current office, and of any new office, plus the current and any new agent name with written consent. |
| SOS filer instruction | Registered-agent page: each agent must continuously maintain a physical registered office in North Carolina where notices, demands, and service of process can be received. A registered mailing address may be a P.O. Box. |
| 60-day update duty | SOS registered-agent page: update the registered agent name and office within 60 days of any change; failure gives the Secretary of State grounds for administrative dissolution. |
| Change via annual report | §55D-31(c): an LLC may change office or agent by including the §55D-31(a) information (and any written consent) in its annual report under §57D-2-24. The SOS annual-report page says you may need to mail the report if you are changing the registered-agent name. |
Fees we can put in a table
| Instrument | Fee | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Statement of change (RA / office) | $5 | §57D-1-22(a)(6) and SOS form BE-06: $5. Separate from the annual report. Agent-filed office-address change (BE-12) is also $5 per affected LLC under §57D-1-22(a)(7). |
| Annual report (LLC) | $200 | §57D-1-22(a)(28): $200. Online electronic processing fees, if any, are charged by the SOS portal on top of this statutory amount — we cite the Code fee only. |
| Annual-report window | — | Due by April 15 each year it is due. First report: April 15 of the year after the calendar year articles become effective (§57D-2-24(b)). Same calendar for every LLC — not anniversary month. |
| Street address on the annual report | — | §57D-2-24(a)(3): street address (and mailing if different), county, registered-agent name, and any change statement. |
What this page does not do
It does not quote all of Chapters 55D and 57D, does not price every SOS portal surcharge, and does not pick a commercial agent for you. Change filing compared with TX/FL/CA/WY/NY/DE/IL/GA: change of agent.
Questions
Does a North Carolina LLC need a registered agent in North Carolina?
Yes. G.S. 55D-30(a) says each domestic and foreign LLC authorized in this State must continuously maintain in this State a registered office and a registered agent. The agent must be an individual who resides in this State, or a domestic or foreign corporation/nonprofit/LLC authorized here, and the agent’s business office must be identical with the registered office.
Can the North Carolina registered office be a P.O. Box alone?
No for the office itself. G.S. 55D-31 and G.S. 57D-2-24 require the street address of the registered office (mailing address may differ). The North Carolina Secretary of State’s registered-agent page (retrieved 7 September 2026) says each agent must continuously maintain a physical registered office in North Carolina where notices and service of process can be received, and separately that a registered mailing address may be a P.O. Box.
When is the North Carolina LLC annual report due?
G.S. 57D-2-24(b): the first annual report is due by April 15 of the year following the calendar year in which articles of organization (or conversion) become effective, then by April 15 of each subsequent year. That is a shared April 15 clock for every LLC — not your formation anniversary month.
How much is a North Carolina change of registered agent?
G.S. 57D-1-22(a)(6) lists $5 for an LLC’s statement of change of registered agent or registered office or both. The SOS form is BE-06 at the same $5 (retrieved 7 September 2026). You may also include a change on the annual report under G.S. 55D-31(c) / §57D-2-24; the SOS annual-report page notes you may need to mail the report if you are changing the registered-agent name.
Sources
Official vendor, secretary of state, or statute pages. Third-party “best of” lists were not used. Retrieval dates are on each row.
- G.S. 55D-30 (continuous registered office and registered agent) Retrieved 2026-09-07.
- G.S. 55D-31 (statement of change; street address; change via annual report) Retrieved 2026-09-07.
- G.S. 57D-1-22 (fees: change of RA/office $5; annual report $200) Retrieved 2026-09-07.
- G.S. 57D-2-24 (LLC annual report; street address of registered office; due April 15) Retrieved 2026-09-07.
- NC SOS — Registered Office and Registered Agent (physical office; BE-06 $5; 60-day update) Retrieved 2026-09-07.
- NC SOS — File An Annual Report (mail if changing registered-agent name) Retrieved 2026-09-07.