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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 2 · South Carolina

The South Carolina Registered Agent Unit (2026): 6 Tasks and the 3 Best Agents

Ranked for 2026, the services worth hiring for naming a registered agent in South Carolina are SC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year). From the statute to the agent's record on file, there are 6 short tasks.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

The quick version

Is a registered agent required?
Yes
Official page scstatehouse.gov, last read October 2026
Cost of hiring an agent
$99 to $149 a year
Published rates
Tasks in this unit
6
One by one

By the end you will know

  • The legal requirement
  • The address and eligibility rules
  • Getting the agent listed
  • The agents at the top of the class

Who we would hire in South Carolina

Five published criteria decide the order; read them on how we grade.

Top of the class

1. SC Registered Agent.org: best for owners watching the budget

Top of the class$99 yearly, $99 at renewal

In South Carolina, SC Registered Agent.org leads the class: $99 a year with no bump at renewal, a good match for an LLC that stays in one state.

On three-year cost it beats Mainstay Filing, which is a big share of the grade.

What the price covers

  • An in-state office address
  • Served documents appear online

What works

  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing
  • Price $99; renews at $99

What to weigh

  • No help in other states
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for another South Carolina option

In-state service$99 yearly, $99 at renewal

South Carolina Registered Agent.co is a solid second-place option: $99 a year with no bump at renewal, a good match for an LLC that stays in one state.

On price, it is level with SC Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • An in-state office address
  • Served documents appear online

What works

  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing
  • Price $99; renews at $99

What to weigh

  • No help in other states
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Mainstay Filing: best for a nationwide agent under one price

All fifty states$149 yearly, $149 at renewal

Mainstay Filing is a solid third-place option: $149 per year from a provider that also covers any state you add later.

Counted over three years, it trails SC Registered Agent.org by $150.

What the price covers

  • A real street address in the state
  • Free scans of legal papers served on the company, sent the business day they arrive
  • Up to three government letters a year are scanned free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • Goes with you to any state
  • $149 a year, same at renewal

What to weigh

  • $50 a year above SC Registered Agent.org
  • Agent service and nothing more
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Grades and prices together

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1SC Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2South Carolina Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Every agent leaves the state fees unchanged.

How the South Carolina agent gets set up

  1. Task 1

    Learn the requirement

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

    Source: Official page scstatehouse.gov, last read October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Check who is eligible

    A South Carolina resident, a South Carolina corporation, another LLC, or a corporation or company from another state authorized to do business in South Carolina. This is in S.C. Code § 33-44-108.

  3. Task 3

    Learn the registered office rule

    The address has to be a street address in South Carolina for the agent, stated in the articles. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    A service gives you a South Carolina street address so yours stays off the filing.

  4. Task 4

    Serve yourself or use a professional

    If you pass the tests above you can name yourself; hiring one of the recommended agents costs $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Task 5

    Name the agent in your filing

    You identify the agent in your filing with the South Carolina Secretary of State, and any change is its own filing at that office.

    Source: Official page scstatehouse.gov, last read October 2026

  6. Task 6

    Update when things change

    The state wants no yearly report, but the registered agent must stay in place.

What this unit costs

ItemWho gets paidCost
Agent serviceThe provider$99 to $149 a year
RenewalThe provider$99 to $149 a year
The state numbers are official South Carolina fees, sourced below. The three-year line combines the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why the list runs this way

What decided it was course fee across three years, which carries 34% of the grade.

Count three years and SC Registered Agent.org totals $297, $150 below Mainstay Filing.

Questions students ask

Can a South Carolina LLC go without a registered agent?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Often. Test yourself against the two rules in tasks 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Change whenever you like, through the South Carolina Secretary of State, as task 5 describes.

What does a registered agent cost in South Carolina?

Plan on $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

South Carolina sets no report fee.

Which registered agent would you choose?

SC Registered Agent.org, because an in-state street address for the registered office at $99 a year. After it come South Carolina Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing.

Reading list and sources

  1. Hand-in notes for S.C. Each statement rests on scstatehouse.gov, last opened August 2026.
  2. Figures from SC Registered Agent.org's pricing page, November 13, 2026
  3. Figures from South Carolina Registered Agent.co's pricing page, November 13, 2026
  4. Figures from Mainstay Filing's South Carolina service page, November 13, 2026