Skip to content
LLC PlainlyThe LLC stuff, in words you actually use.

Plain talk · South Carolina

3 Best LLC Services in South Carolina (2026), Plainly

If you need LLC formation services in South Carolina in 2026, we'd go with South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and SC Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Everyone pays the state the same $110, and the service fees come to $397 to $597 for three years.
From the LLC Plainly editorial team

In a nutshell

Fee to file
$110, once
After that
No follow-up report
Registered agent
Yes, it's required
Who to use
South Carolina Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing then SC Registered Agent.org

Our favorites in South Carolina

Prices come from each company's own pricing. Here's how we pick.
Our favorite

1. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for keeping three-year cost down

Formation is $199 plus the state fee, and the agent renews at $99

South Carolina Registered Agent.co is our favorite here, because $199 gets you formed, and the agent renews each year at $99.

Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, which counts most with us.

Your money buys

  • Formation handled for you
  • First-year agent comes with it

The good

  • The agent renews at $99
  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • Starts at $199 over the state fee

Trade-offs

  • They charge $99 to apply for your EIN
Works in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for keeping things simple

$199 yearly ($309 due when you sign up, state fee included)

Mainstay Filing takes second, because formation and registered agent service arrive together at $199 a year, with the EIN application as a bonus.

At $200 more than South Carolina Registered Agent.co over three years, it lands lower on our list.

Your money buys

  • Your LLC formation, filed
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Help getting your EIN
  • No markup on the state fee

The good

  • $199 each year buys everything on this list
  • No surprise at renewal: $199
  • They also apply for your EIN

Trade-offs

  • Its renewal is $100 above South Carolina Registered Agent.co
  • South Carolina doesn't have a report for it to file
South Carolina only

3. SC Registered Agent.org: best for a second in-state filer

Formation is $199 plus the state fee, and the agent renews at $99

SC Registered Agent.org comes next since $199 gets you formed, and the agent renews each year at $99.

Price for price, it ties South Carolina Registered Agent.co.

Your money buys

  • Formation handled for you
  • First-year agent comes with it

The good

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • The agent renews at $99
  • Starts at $199 over the state fee

Trade-offs

  • They charge $99 to apply for your EIN

The numbers side by side

#ServiceStart priceRenews atOver three yearsWhat you get
1South Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397formation handled for you; First-year agent comes with itHead to South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Your LLC formation, filed; registered agent for the full year; Help getting your EINHead to Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3SC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397formation handled for you; First-year agent comes with itHead to SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
These are service fees only, from each company's prices on November 13, 2026. The state's fees are the same whoever you pick.

What you probably want to know

What does an LLC cost in this state?

The state fee is $110. Hire a service and add $199.

By year three the state has taken $110 in total. scstatehouse.gov, last seen October 2026

What goes to the state to form the LLC?

The South Carolina Secretary of State receives the Articles of Organization, and approval is what forms the company.

Where the law says so: S.C. Code § 33-44-202. scstatehouse.gov, last seen October 2026

Does my LLC need a registered agent here?

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.

scstatehouse.gov, last seen October 2026

What comes due in later years?

No yearly report and no report fee.

Could I file this on my own?

Yes, you can. On your own you'd owe just the state's fees, which come to $110 over three years.

Using a service lifts your three-year bill by $397 to $597.

What's behind the ranking?

South Carolina Registered Agent.co is strongest on cost across three years, which counts for 33% of our score.

We start with cost across three years, move to work taken off your hands, and finish with three smaller checks.

South Carolina Registered Agent.co's three-year total of $397 undercuts Mainstay Filing by $200.

Our method, in full

What South Carolina wants

ItemAmount or ruleWhere we found it
What you pay to file$110scstatehouse.gov, last seen October 2026
Registered agentYes, it's requiredscstatehouse.gov, last seen October 2026
Paid to the state by year three$110Added from the rows
The last row is our own sum: the filing fee, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax. Costs with no set price, like a newspaper notice, are left out.

FAQ

Does anyone handle the EIN for me?

Free with Mainstay Filing. At the other picks it's $99 (South Carolina Registered Agent.co) and $99 (SC Registered Agent.org).

What does each one cost over three years?

Three-year totals are South Carolina Registered Agent.co, $397; Mainstay Filing, $597; SC Registered Agent.org, $397, with state fees extra.

Where did you get these numbers?

The state fees come from South Carolina's own documents, and the service prices come from the companies' sites. We put dates on both.

Is hiring help required?

You can skip it. The state's fee is the same whichever way you file.

Any yearly state costs?

No yearly report and no report fee.

What's the best LLC service for South Carolina?

South Carolina Registered Agent.co is on top because it starts at $199 with the first agent year included and runs $99 a year after that; Mainstay Filing and SC Registered Agent.org follow.

What we used for this page

  1. scstatehouse.gov: the page for S.C, seen August 2026
  2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co's pricing page, as of November 13, 2026
  3. Mainstay Filing's South Carolina service page, as of November 13, 2026
  4. SC Registered Agent.org's pricing page, as of November 13, 2026