Best Registered Agent Services in North Carolina

21 Min Read
0 Reviews
Last updated February 17, 2023
Written by Dmytro Kondratiev
Editor, lawyer
Disclosure: We earn a commission from some partner links. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
North Carolina best registered agent

If you are starting your own LLC, then you are required to do a North Carolina registered agent search, as every NC business is mandated by state law to have a resident agent. Such a professional will accept correspondence on behalf of the business and notify the business owners of its contents.

Prospective business owners need to make the choice of agent seriously and thoroughly research North Carolina registered agent reviews to avoid negative consequences. For example, if an agent is unscrupulous, the business can lose its reputation and get fined. Moreover, it can lead to the dissolution of the LLC. Therefore, it is important that your provider is reliable and has a reasonable service cost.

Best Registered Agent Service in North Carolina

An individual or an entity can serve as a registered agent for businesses in NC. Duties and requirements for a registered agent for LLC in North Carolina are: 

  • Be available during business hours;
  • Be a resident of the state;
  • Receive official business documents;
  • Notify of documents received;
  • Maintain confidentiality concerning the owner.

Many companies that provide registered agent services offer several additional solutions. For example, they can take care of setting up your LLC, getting a DBA reservation, EIN, providing legal assistance, etc. 

Consequently, you should engage in North Carolina registered agent search, taking into account all of your needs in order to get turnkey services from one company. That's what our review of companies is written for. So, let's see what they offer.

CompanyOrder
Processing
Time
Registered
Agent
EIN
Registration
Operating
Agreement
Zenbusiness2-3 weeksIncluded$70Yes
Legalzoom30 days$299$159$99
IncfileNext dayIncluded$70$40
Swyft Filings7 days$149$70$35
Northwest1-3 weeksIncluded$50$50

The Registered Agent in Raleigh, North Carolina

For those looking for a Registered Agent in Raleigh, you should consider not only reputable companies but also less popular ones.

In the NC metropolitan area, you can choose Northwest's services at $125 per year. No additional discounts are offered by this provider. You can reach them at 509-768-2249.

There is also a Harbor Compliance office in Raleigh, where owners will be able to order registered agent's assistance in North Carolina for $99 a year. Businesses that choose a two-year or longer contract will receive a discount of 5 to 10%.

Clevver is a less well-known registered agent company. But it also has state accreditation in Raleigh. Its help will cost businesses $119 per year.

Registered Agent in Charlotte North Carolina

A company like Tracker Legal Services is available to obtain lawsuits and other important legal documents on behalf of businesses in Charlotte. It does not list the cost of a registered agent's assistance in Charlotte on its website, but its staff is willing to discuss the best price for you or even a free offer by phone at (980) 335-9594.

Your legal documents will be handled quickly and according to the law with the help of a Registered Agent at Cogency Global. Their office is located at 212 South Tryon Street, Suite 1000 Charlotte, NC 28281 (Mecklenburg County), where you can discuss the details of the partnership.

Northwest Registered Agent

In 2022, Northwest is at the top of almost all reviews. And it is not surprising because this provider provides great prices, quality of services, and good customer service. In addition, they have a pretty good list of offers. Although this doesn't mean you should stop looking at North Carolina registered agent reviews for other well-known providers because Northwest isn't perfect either.

Pros

To begin with, it's worth noting that the company's online system is fairly simple. So, to apply for a resident agent's assistance, you need to fill out a short form (it takes 10 minutes).

Since the company employs experienced lawyers and accountants, they can provide quality support and customer assistance. The prices of their registered agent services in North Carolina are not the cheapest, but they can be considered acceptable: $125 per year.

Cons

Despite all of Northwest's advantages, it has no BBB accreditation, which lowers the company's ratings. In addition, if you order the services separately rather than in the packages offered, it will be expensive.

What Do Customers Say?

Northwest has gathered a lot of positive feedback from customers on independent sites. For example, the company got a 4.6 out of a possible 5 on Google because of its perfect performance. But some customers complain about the work of the support team: it takes them too long to answer the requests.

Harbor Compliance Registered Agent

The assistance of this registered agent can be called the cheapest, but like the others in this review, Harbor Compliance has a number of positive and negative qualities.

Pros

Harbor Compliance was founded in 2012, making it a relatively young firm. But despite its short lifespan, it has managed to serve thousands of businesses and garner a large number of positive reviews. Harbor Compliance owes its success to the in-house experts. For this reason, this provider is considered the best North Carolina registered agent in all 50 states. Plus, you will only pay $99 per year for their help.

The company also has its own software that helps owners keep track of annual reports.

Cons

If you compare Harbor Compliance to the previous provider, it seems that they don't do well with customer support. In addition, the provider does not offer premium services to customers. 

Prices for additional services separately (EIN, DBA) are high.

What Do Customers Say?

Harbor Compliance has received recommendations from BBB, and they highly recommend this provider. You will find only positive reviews from customers on the website of Harbor Compliance. However, you may see negative ones on Google, but that didn't hurt its score of 4.8 out of a possible 5.

InCorp Registered Agent

InCorp has been doing business in the United States since 1998, and they can also offer registered agent services in North Carolina. With their support, you will get a reliable partner who will provide a physical mailing address and receive your business correspondence.

Pros

If you want to make a bulk purchase, you've definitely got to the right place. After all, InCorp offers a discount on registered agent assistance in North Carolina. So, their prices can go down from $99 to $67. Moreover, they have shared an important message on their website stating that they will be in line with competitors' pricing.

InCorp's customer service is first-rate, which is often confirmed in reviews on independent platforms. 

The company pays special attention to their customers' data security through their Entity Watch program.

Cons

The disadvantage of InCorp is that they have a complicated navigation system on the site, and it really spoils the overall impression of their work. Also, the website lacks information about its services.

What Do Customers Say?

Considering the age of the company, InCorp has collected a variety of North Carolina registered agent reviews. But that hasn't hindered it from getting a positive rating online. For example, BBB reviews InCorp as a provider you can safely trust.

LegalZoom Registered Agent

This company has tremendous experience in legal services and an excellent track record. Today, no review can do without LegalZoom, which is not surprising at all. The provider offers quality legal assistance in all areas, not just when you need registered agent services in North Carolina.

Pros

Clients are able to choose one of the packages offered by LegalZoom and, if necessary, supplement it with the services they need. Prices for their offerings, including a registered agent for starting an LLC in North Carolina, are not that expensive when you consider the experience and proficiency of the team. In addition, there is a refund system if the services provided do not satisfy the client's demand.

LegalZoom employs experienced lawyers and accountants who are ready to advise owners on the management of the business at any time. This part of their work can safely be called amazing because the quality is always top-notch.

You can't miss the fact that the LegalZoom site is easy to work with: it's easy to navigate, even for an inexperienced user.

Cons

LegalZoom's speed is inferior to the competition, as is the price for a North Carolina registered agent's assistance. The main disadvantage is that the resident agent services are presented as a separate type of offering ($299), which is not included in the provider's current packages.

What Do Customers Say?

Customers have great trust in LegalZoom. They share positive feedback about the company's work on Google and BBB. More than 1,500 clients have written about the company on the BBB website, praising mainly the support service and quality of the North Carolina registered agent's assistance. By the way, LegalZoom has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating, which makes it an even more reliable partner for clients.

Incfile Registered Agent

This is another national registered agent that has excellent value for money. The provider's offices are located all over the U.S., so businessmen opening their companies in NC state will be able to find an Incfile resident agent in this region.

Pros

Incfile has a lot of experience in opening LLCs as they have been on the market since 2004. You can start an LLC with them for $0 + state fees. Low price for packages is another reason to consider Incfile. In this case, the registered agent's assistance in North Carolina is already included in the packages and will not cost the owners anything for the first year of cooperation.

Cons

No fee to set up an LLC is tempting, but if additional services are needed, the deal will be more expensive compared to competitors.

Another disadvantage of Incfile is customer service. Customers note that emails take a long time to get answered or are not answered at all.

What Do Customers Say?

During 15 years of operation, the platform has received many reviews, by which it is easy to determine how reliable the company is. So, the customers share their opinion about the simplicity of using the service, affordable prices, the speed of processing orders, and professionalism. Based on reviews, Incfile is rated 4.6 out of a possible 5 on the Trustpilot site.

ZenBusiness Registered Agent

You can get the services of a registered agent from another trusted provider, ZenBusiness. Though it has been on the market since 2015, it has features that make its offerings the best in North Carolina.

Pros

ZenBusiness gives its customers a 20% discount on services. Among other benefits, they offer a number of additional solutions related to opening an LLC, including expert support for business owners.

ZenBusiness partners closely with Kiva.org, helping people get financial support for starting a business.

Cons

Their prices are low as long as you buy services in packages. If you need an agent in North Carolina as a separate service, be ready to pay $119 a year. Customer service also cannot be called perfect.

What Do Customers Say?

Customer reviews back up the fact that ZenBusiness is professional despite its little experience. The platform received high marks on the Trustpilot website, resulting in a rating of 4.7 out of a possible 5.

Rocket Lawyer Registered Agent

Rocket Lawyer services will be relevant to those businesses that want not only a North Carolina registered agent for service of process but also legal advice. To see if your requirements are compatible with the options of this provider, let's consider its pros and cons.

Pros

Rocket Lawyer has a positive online reputation and is a guarantee that your paperwork will be up to date to maintain positive communication with the secretary of state. 

If you buy an LLC formation package, you get the services of a resident agent for free during the first year of cooperation. For premium package owners, Rocket Lawyer is making a price change in the form of a 25% discount. 

Don't forget that the company also provides quality legal assistance.

Cons

Since Rocket Lawyer focuses primarily on businesses that need legal support, their prices are significantly higher than the competition.

What Do Customers Say?

Reviews from customers are different: there are both positive and negative ones. Clients are mostly dissatisfied with the high prices and some types of services. Customer service, ease of use, speed of order processing, and legal support are the strengths of the company. The average online rating is 4.5 out of a possible 5.

SunDoc Registered Agent

SunDoc can help you establish your LLC not only in the state of North Carolina but also in other regions of the United States. With more than 20 years of experience, the company has been able to serve at least 100,000 clients and receive many positive reviews.

Pros

They have quality customer service, and you can get help from SunDoc experts by phone or email. The provider has transparent pricing. 

Their website is easy to use. Its logic is simple to understand, and so is the ordering process. 

SunDoc has a 100% quality guarantee. If the customer is not satisfied with the service, the provider is obliged to reimburse the money spent.

Cons

You can only order registered agent's assistance as a separate service at $159 because SunDoc's available packages do not include it. Overall, the company's packages have a limited number of features.

What Do Customers Say? 

If you evaluate SunDoc's work by reviews, you will be satisfied because the company maintains fairly high positions on all possible rating sites. For example, Trustpilot rates the company at 4.8 out of a possible 5, and Google gave it 3.4 points/5.

We also recommend to consider the local North Carolina company Gorman and Associates.

Registered Agent Review: General Conclusions

The presented list of companies that provide registered agent services should make it easier for you to find a reliable provider. We've tried to take an objective approach to the analysis so that you can choose your own agent as quickly as possible.

We evaluated companies based on their advantages and disadvantages and revealed that:

  • Rocket Lawyer targets businesses that need legal services;
  • SunDoc and LegalZoom are the oldest brands with extensive experience in opening LLCs and related services;
  • ZenBusiness, InCorp, and Rocket Lawyer have flexible discounts;
  • If you are looking for a North Carolina registered agent at a lower price point, we recommend considering Harbor Compliance and Northwest;
  • Each of the companies represented has good online ratings, and most are BBB accredited.

Benefits of Using a North Carolina Registered Agent Service

You can find several hundred articles online about the benefits of hiring a registered agent. The owner can perform this role on his or her own, but there are risks associated with this decision. For example, if you fail to perform the agent's tasks (such as missing an important document), the Secretary of State has the right to dissolve your business.

By hiring a dedicated team, a business increases its chances of avoiding such risks. And it also reduces the risk of making frequent mistakes when filing certain documents. In addition, most of the providers presented above offer refunds if their services aren't suitable for you.

Another distinct advantage of hiring a registered agent is that the owner does not need to provide their address and other details, thereby maintaining confidentiality.

Duties of registered agents:

  • Scanning and e-delivery of documents;
  • Some companies offer their own software for monitoring information;
  • Notifications;
  • Security and privacy;
  • Additional services.

Best Registered Agent Review: How Do We Choose

CompanyBasicStandardPremium
Zenbusiness$39$149$249
Legalzoom$79$329$349
Incfile$85$234$384
Swyft Filings$49$149$299
Northwest$225

Our mission is to help people do the proper North Carolina business registered agent search and start a business quickly and cost-effectively.

Why You Can Trust Our Choice

Our main task is to help and guide. That is why we have to be as objective as possible when writing reviews and provide reliable information to satisfy the requests.

When creating this site, we took into account the needs of companies and people who are just planning to open their own LLCs. As a result, we have a convenient and understandable resource that will help users save time when searching. And all the information on the site is in the public domain and approved by state resources. So, this is another reason to trust us.

We don't overload the articles with unnecessary information or lyrical digressions because we prefer brevity and simplicity. We know how important it is to get accurate answers to questions.

In addition, we know that in business, it is important to be relevant to the law. That's why we regularly consult with experienced lawyers to provide users with accurate information.

How We Selected the Best Registered Agent

Firstly, we monitor rating and independent websites where people provide feedback about cooperation with different companies.

Secondly, we conduct our own analysis:

  • What is included in a registered agent's services; 
  • How much the service costs;
  • What their pricing is;
  • How the support service works;
  • What guarantees and additional services are provided.

Thirdly, we compare performance so that you can choose the best offer.

Best Registered Agent

Choosing a Best Registered Agent is easy. Select your State to get started.

Select your state
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Сalifornia
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey

Conclusion

The registered agent's primary job is to receive business correspondence and deliver it to the company owner on time. In our article, we reviewed 8 services that are worthy of your attention and will provide some benefits:

  • Legal Notices. The agent provides his/her address, where all important documents that concern your business will come. The registered agent is committed to not only retaining them and handing them over to you but also to properly processing the documentation as required by the state of North Carolina;
  • Flexibility. If you were your own registered agent, you would have to be at the address listed 5 days a week. By hiring an agent, you rid yourself of this routine;
  • Privacy. You do not need to provide your home address. The registered agent will provide his or her information to keep your privacy;
  • Support and service. All of the registered agent agencies listed in this article are ready to advise their clients on how to run an LLC. Some of them provide tax and legal assistance;
  • Guarantee. Reliable companies are confident in the quality of services provided, so they guarantee refunds if the client does not like the service. 

In fact, there are considerably more registered agent services in North Carolina, but after carefully analyzing the offers, we chose the best options that are worthy of the small and medium-sized businesses' attention. We wish you the best of luck!

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