North Carolina Resident Agent Service

Why North Carolina requires a resident agent

North Carolina's Chapter 55D sets one rule for all NC entities: every domestic LLC, LP, LLP, nonprofit and corporation, and each qualified foreign counterpart, must always keep a registered office and resident agent, and that agent must be a domestic or authorized foreign LLC, nonprofit or corporation, or an individual resident, and in each case its business office must be identical to the registered office. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-30(a)

What happens if you lapse

• A corporation can be dissolved administratively, once written notice has gone out and 60 days to cure have passed, if it has gone 60 days or more with no resident agent or registered office, or has not told the Secretary of State within 60 days about an agent change, resignation, or office discontinuance; the LLC parallel is G.S. 57D-6-06(a)(3)-(4). N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-14-20(3)-(4); § 55-14-21(b); § 57D-6-06(a)(3)-(4)
• Those same resident agent failures are grounds for revoking the certificate of authority a foreign corporation holds, after 60 days of notice and cure, and revocation makes the Secretary of State its agent for service of process; for foreign LLCs see G.S. 57D-7-30(a)(3)-(4). N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-15-30(a)(3)-(4); § 55-15-31(d); § 57D-7-30(a)(3)-(4)
• A corporation that has been dissolved administratively can apply to be reinstated for a $100 application fee, and reinstatement relates back to the dissolution date, although the entity may need a new name if its old one became unavailable. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-14-22; § 55-1-22(a)(16)
• After administrative dissolution the entity's name stays protected for five years, yet a name change may be needed at reinstatement if a non-distinguishable name has since gone to another entity (see § 55-14-22(a1)). N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-21(d)(2)

Switching to us

We prepare and file the change of resident agent for you. North Carolina charges $5 for an LLC N.C. Gen. Stat. 57D-1-22(6) and $5 for a corporation N.C. Gen. Stat. 55-1-22(a)(6).

Official North Carolina links

• North Carolina Secretary of State - (919) 814-5400 (press 3)
• Business entity search
• Statutes
• Forms
• Annual report filing

Frequently asked

Do I need a resident agent in North Carolina?

Almost every state does, and the North Carolina rule is set out above with its citation. Where the law leaves a choice, a resident agent is still the practical way to make sure service of process reaches you.

How much does North Carolina resident agent service cost?

$129 a year, with no setup fee, the same price in all 50 states plus DC, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Service of process is received and scanned the same business day.

Can I switch my North Carolina resident agent to ResidentAgents.com?

Yes. Order online and we prepare the change of agent filing for you; the state's filing fee is shown on this page.