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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 1 · South Carolina

Starting an LLC in South Carolina (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

SC Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199): that is the order of the services we would hire in South Carolina in 2026 for setting up an LLC. 7 tasks make up the unit; the state's own price tag is $110.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

The quick version

What the state charges to file
$110
Source: scstatehouse.gov, read in October 2026
Periodic filing
None
Not asked for here
Three years of state fees
$110
State charges only
Task count
7
Listed below

What this unit teaches

  • What South Carolina charges to form an LLC and who takes the filing
  • Who can be the registered agent
  • The state filing that recurs
  • Our recommendations, with reasons

If you want someone else to file

Cost over three years leads, then assignments completed, renewal price, South Carolina fit and plain pricing (grading page).

Top of the class

1. SC Registered Agent.org: best for a small first bill

Highest grade$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Our first pick is SC Registered Agent.org; $199 gets you started and the agent costs nothing in year one; from year two it is $99.

A smaller three-year total than Mainstay Filing earns it first place; cost counts 34%.

What the price covers

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 above the state fee
  • First agent year included
  • The agent renews at $99

What to weigh

  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Mainstay Filing: best for owners doing this the first time

Works in every stateFirst year $199; renewal $199; state fee extra

Our second choice, Mainstay Filing: a single $199 yearly charge buys the filing plus a registered agent, with the EIN application on top.

It runs $200 above SC Registered Agent.org over three years, and cost is 34% of the grade.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee billed at cost

What works

  • $199 a year covers filing, agent
  • The EIN application is in the price
  • $199 when you renew

What to weigh

  • $100 a year more than SC Registered Agent.org at renewal
  • There is little upkeep to roll into the price in this state
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a second South Carolina choice

In-state service$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Our third choice, South Carolina Registered Agent.co: $199 gets you started and the agent costs nothing in year one; from year two it is $99.

It lists the same prices as SC Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 above the state fee
  • The agent renews at $99
  • First agent year included

What to weigh

  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All the prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
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.
Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. The $110 state fee is left out of the figures.

Formation in order

  1. Task 1

    Name the company

    the South Carolina Secretary of State keeps the records. Search them now, because in South Carolina a name that is taken can send the filing back.

    Keep a second choice in your pocket.

  2. Task 2

    Pick your registered agent

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

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

    This role comes with each recommended service.

    Source: Source: scstatehouse.gov, read in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Compare doing it alone with paying for help

    The state charges $110 either way. Hiring help adds $199; see the ranked list for the order.

  4. Task 4

    Put together the Articles of Organization

    Send the Articles of Organization to the South Carolina Secretary of State along with $110 to bring the LLC into existence; the legal basis is S.C. Code § 33-44-202.

    Source: Source: scstatehouse.gov, read in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Get an EIN

    With approval in hand, the IRS can issue the LLC a federal tax ID, and a business bank account depends on it. Mainstay Filing does this step for you at no added charge.

  6. Task 6

    Draft your operating agreement

    Ownership and decision rules live in the operating agreement, an internal paper that is no part of the South Carolina filing.

  7. Task 7

    Stay in good standing in South Carolina

    South Carolina skips the yearly report. Keep the registered agent up to date and you are done.

Costs, task by task

TaskWho gets paidTotal
Filing to form the LLCPaid to the state$110
Service fees (optional)The provider$199 to start
State fees for the first three yearsPaid to the state$110
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.

The reasoning behind the order

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

Count three years and SC Registered Agent.org totals $397, $200 below Mainstay Filing.

Short answers

What is the South Carolina state fee for a new LLC?

$110, paid to the state. A recommended service adds $199 in year one.

Which form creates the LLC?

The South Carolina Secretary of State takes the Articles of Organization, the paper that creates the company.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does South Carolina require each year?

There is no yearly report to send.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing stops you: the state asks $110, and you also have to name a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

SC Registered Agent.org, because the formation costs $199 beyond the state fee, and the agent renews at $99. After it come Mainstay Filing and South Carolina Registered Agent.co.

Reading list and sources

  1. Want proof for what the unit says about S.C? Go to scstatehouse.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  2. pricing page of SC Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026
  3. South Carolina service page of Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
  4. pricing page of South Carolina Registered Agent.co, taken on November 13, 2026