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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Unit 1 · South Carolina

South Carolina LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 7 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

Summary for 2026: to handle forming an LLC in South Carolina with outside help, choose among Mainstay Filing ($199), SC Registered Agent.org ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. Definition to start: the filing fee is the $110 paid to South Carolina. The 7 sections cover it.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Essential facts

Fee to form $110 Reference: scstatehouse.gov, consulted October 2026
Yearly report None None to file
What the state collects over three years $110 Filing plus the recurring state fees
Sections 7 Taken one at a time

You will be able to explain

  • The South Carolina formation document, its fee and its recipient
  • The registered agent requirement
  • How to remain in good standing
  • The recommendations and their reasons

If you want someone else to file

Cost over three years comes first, then paperwork completed, second-year price, South Carolina fit and price clarity (grading page).

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a complete package

Read this one first
$199 a year, renewing at $199

This chapter recommends Mainstay Filing above the others, because $199 a year covers formation and a registered agent, and the EIN application is part of it.

SC Registered Agent.org costs $200 less over three years; this service still ranks higher because it does more of the work.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork completed
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee passed through at cost

Advantages

  • A flat $199 each year
  • $199 every year
  • The EIN application is prepared as well

Limitations

  • A yearly premium of $100 compared with SC Registered Agent.org
  • South Carolina gives it no report to file
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. SC Registered Agent.org: best for a basic formation

South Carolina specialist
Formation $199; renewal $99 annually

SC Registered Agent.org takes second position; a formation charge of $199 above state fees, and an agent renewal of $99.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork completed
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

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

Limitations

  • It charges $99 for the EIN section
Visit SC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a small agent renewal

South Carolina specialist
Formation $199; renewal $99 annually

South Carolina Registered Agent.co takes third position; a formation charge of $199 above state fees, and an agent renewal of $99.

Its prices equal SC Registered Agent.org's, so either serves.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork completed
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

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

Limitations

  • It charges $99 for the EIN section
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 SC Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit SC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 South Carolina Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. No row includes the $110 state fee.

Forming a South Carolina LLC, section by section

  1. Section 1

    Confirm the name is not taken

    Start in the business name records of the South Carolina Secretary of State. A name already registered in South Carolina may cause the filing to be rejected.

    A spare name saves a second search later.

  2. Section 2

    Select a registered agent for the LLC

    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.

    Each recommended service can act as your registered agent.

    Reference: Reference: scstatehouse.gov, consulted October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Who prepares the filing

    Both routes pay $110 to the state. The services in the ranking charge $199 more and do the forms.

  4. Section 4

    Section four is the Articles of Organization

    Formation takes effect when the South Carolina Secretary of State accepts the Articles of Organization and $110 under S.C. Code § 33-44-202.

    Reference: Reference: scstatehouse.gov, consulted October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Request an Employer Identification Number from the IRS

    Approval comes first and the IRS number second. This section is inside the Mainstay Filing package.

  6. Section 6

    Record how the company will be run

    Definition: the operating agreement sets out shares, voting and what happens when a member leaves. It is private.

  7. Section 7

    Maintain good standing in South Carolina

    South Carolina has no recurring LLC report, so the only continuing duty is keeping a registered agent on file.

What each section costs in South Carolina

ItemPaid toAmount
Fee to form Filing office$110
Paid assistance Service$199 in the first year
Three-year state total Filing office$110

Anything paid to South Carolina is an official fee that can be verified in the bibliography. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where one exists; service prices are not part of it.

The reasoning behind the ranking

On chapters the price completes (30% of the ranking) came first, with next.

The package's margin is small here, but it still led on paperwork completed.

South Carolina questions

What is the cost of a South Carolina LLC formation?

Expect to pay $110 to file. Service charges among the ranked companies fall between $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Section 4 explains how to complete the Articles of Organization and where it is sent: the South Carolina Secretary of State.

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?

No yearly report is due.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state accepts filings directly from owners, so no service is needed: $110 plus a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Choose Mainstay Filing: one annual payment of $199 completes the filing and provides a registered agent, plus the EIN application. Next are SC Registered Agent.org and South Carolina Registered Agent.co.

See also

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. S.C rests on scstatehouse.gov, a text consulted August 2026.
  2. Price reference: Mainstay Filing, South Carolina service page, November 13, 2026
  3. Price reference: SC Registered Agent.org, pricing page, November 13, 2026
  4. Price reference: South Carolina Registered Agent.co, pricing page, November 13, 2026