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Formation Facts

What the state wants, and what it costs.

LLC cost guide · South Carolina

South Carolina LLC Fees (2026): What the State Charges and the 3 Best LLC Services

For anyone starting a limited liability company in South Carolina this year, 2026, we would go with SC Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. South Carolina charges $110 when you form the LLC, and it does not ask you to file a report later. Compared with the other 49 states over three years, that ranks 13th.
Briefing by the Formation Facts team

The South Carolina basics

13th

in the three-year state fee comparison

The smaller the number, the less you pay. Compare all 50 states

  • Fee the state takes at filing

    $110

    Confirmed in October 2026: scstatehouse.gov

  • Report you must file again

    None

    Nothing to file

  • What the state collects in 3 years

    $110

    The fee to file and two years of upkeep

Services ranked for South Carolina

We ordered the list with five criteria, and three-year fees and coverage count most (the method page covers the rest).

Best overall

1. SC Registered Agent.org: best for a no-frills South Carolina formation

$199 plus the state fee; the agent then costs $99 a year from year 2

Why SC Registered Agent.org is first: it files in South Carolina for $199 and gives you the first agent year free; after that the agent costs $99 a year.

Mainstay Filing costs more over three years, and that criterion is worth 33% of the score.

What your money gets you

  • Files your South Carolina formation
  • First year of agent service

What works

  • $99 a year from year 2
  • The first agent year is included
  • $199 and the state fee

What to weigh

  • $99 more for the EIN
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All-in-one

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one yearly price

$199 a year, plus the state fee ($309 at checkout)

Mainstay Filing is second for you since you pay a flat $199 for the filing and a year of registered agent service, EIN included.

Its three-year fees are $200 above SC Registered Agent.org's, and cost is 33% of the score.

What your money gets you

  • Prepares your formation papers and files them
  • Acts as your registered agent all year
  • Applies for your EIN
  • The state fee is added at cost

What works

  • $199 at renewal, with no increase
  • A yearly bundle at $199
  • You pay nothing extra for the EIN

What to weigh

  • You pay $100 more a year than SC Registered Agent.org's agent renewal
  • Without a report in South Carolina the bundle has less going for it
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Local option

3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for forming close to home

$199 plus the state fee; the agent then costs $99 a year from year 2

Last on the list is South Carolina Registered Agent.co, because it files in South Carolina for $199 and gives you the first agent year free; after that the agent costs $99 a year.

SC Registered Agent.org and this provider charge the same.

What your money gets you

  • Files your South Carolina formation
  • First year of agent service

What works

  • The first agent year is included
  • $99 a year from year 2
  • $199 and the state fee

What to weigh

  • $99 more for the EIN
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The 3 picks compared

RankWhoYou pay in year 1Then per yearTheir fees across 3 years
1SC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3South Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Every price here was taken from the company's website on November 13, 2026. South Carolina charges $110 to file, apart from what any provider bills.

State and provider fees by year

Pick how many years you want to total and which provider you would use. What the state takes is built from its own schedule: $110 when you form.
Your total over 3 years with SC Registered Agent.org is $507 ($110 state, $397 service).

How South Carolina compares with the states near it in the ranking

RankStateThree-year state fees
10thIdaho$100
10thMichigan$100
13thSouth Carolina$110
14thNebraska$125
15thIndiana$127
To see the rest of the states, go to LLC costs by state.

South Carolina: the fee and form for a new LLC

You will pay $110, and you file the Articles of Organization with the South Carolina Secretary of State, as S.C. Code § 33-44-202 provides. The amount is the same whoever files for you.

Filings that come back

There is no yearly report to file, but you still need a registered agent on record.

Why the first pick is first

SC Registered Agent.org wins on price over three years, which counts 33%, and Mainstay Filing is next.

With SC Registered Agent.org, three years of provider fees come to $397, $200 less than Mainstay Filing.

South Carolina LLC service questions

How much will South Carolina charge me to form an LLC?

You pay the state $110. Our picks charge $199 in year 1.

Will my South Carolina LLC have to file a report?

No. South Carolina does not ask LLCs for a recurring report.

Is South Carolina a low-cost state for LLCs?

South Carolina ranks 13th of 50 on three-year state fees, at $110. Rank 1 is the lowest total.

Will I need a registered agent in South Carolina?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Which LLC services does this page rank?

SC Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), from strongest to weakest.

Which LLC service should I choose?

Go with SC Registered Agent.org: $199 gets you formed, and the agent renews at $99. After that: Mainstay Filing and South Carolina Registered Agent.co.

Related briefings

Where this briefing comes from

  1. Behind the S.C section is scstatehouse.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
  2. Behind the Idaho Code § 30-25-201 section is legislature.idaho.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
  3. Behind the Idaho formation fee: Filing fee, official source section is sos.idaho.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  4. Behind the Idaho formation fee: Filing fee, official source section is legislature.idaho.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  5. Behind the MCL 450.4202 section is legislature.mi.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
  6. Behind the Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source section is michigan.gov, a page we reread in September 2026 before publishing.
  7. Behind the Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source section is legislature.mi.gov, a page we reread in September 2026 before publishing.
  8. Behind the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations section is michigan.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
  9. Behind the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations section is michigan.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
  10. Behind the Neb section is sos.nebraska.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
  11. Behind the Nebraska formation fee: Filing fee, official source section is sos.nebraska.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  12. Behind the Nebraska formation fee: Filing fee, official source section is nebraskalegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  13. Behind the Nebraska yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source section is nebraskalegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  14. Behind the Nebraska yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source section is sos.nebraska.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  15. Behind the Ind section is forms.in.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
  16. Behind the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division section is inbiz.in.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
  17. Behind the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division section is forms.in.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
  18. The page we used for SC Registered Agent.org (pricing page) was open to us on November 13, 2026
  19. The page we used for Mainstay Filing (South Carolina service page) was open to us on November 13, 2026
  20. The page we used for South Carolina Registered Agent.co (pricing page) was open to us on November 13, 2026