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Quick answer · South Carolina

3 Best LLC Services in South Carolina (2026): The Quick Answer

The 2026 order for LLC formation services in South Carolina is South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and SC Registered Agent.org ($199). Costs in brief: $110 to the state, $397 to $597 to a service across three years.

LLC Q and A editorial team ·

Quick answers

Fee to the state
$110, one time
Then
No report
Registered agent
Yes, by statute
Our pick
South Carolina Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing then SC Registered Agent.org

South Carolina: ranked picks

Order set by our five criteria, three-year cost first.
1#1 pick

1. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a one-state LLC

Form for $199; renew at $99 a year

South Carolina Registered Agent.co ranks first since it opens at $199 including the first agent year and renews at $99.

It undercuts Mainstay Filing on three-year cost, which puts it first for a company that stays put.

Price covers

  • LLC filed for you
  • Agent for year one

For

  • Agent renews at $99
  • Year-one agent included
  • $199 plus state fee to form

Against

  • EIN application costs $99 extra
South Carolina Registered Agent.co sitePartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2All fifty states

2. Mainstay Filing: best for formation plus agent for one price

$199 a year, $110 to the state

Mainstay Filing ranks second since one yearly price, $199, pays for the filing and the registered agent and the EIN application.

South Carolina Registered Agent.co is $200 less over three years, which outweighs the rest.

Price covers

  • LLC formation filing
  • Registered agent for a year
  • EIN application filed
  • State fees at cost

For

  • EIN application included
  • One fee, $199 a year
  • Renewal holds at $199

Against

  • South Carolina Registered Agent.co renews $100 lower
  • No recurring South Carolina report to include
Mainstay Filing sitePartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3South Carolina only

3. SC Registered Agent.org: best for another local option

Form for $199; renew at $99 a year

Why SC Registered Agent.org is third: it opens at $199 including the first agent year and renews at $99.

Same published prices as South Carolina Registered Agent.co, so the order between them is close.

Price covers

  • LLC filed for you
  • Agent for year one

For

  • $199 plus state fee to form
  • Agent renews at $99
  • Year-one agent included

Against

  • EIN application costs $99 extra
SC Registered Agent.org sitePartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Side by side

#ServiceFirst yearRenewal3-year costIncludes
1South Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397LLC filed for you; agent for year oneSouth Carolina Registered Agent.co sitePartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597LLC formation filing; registered agent for a year; EIN application filedMainstay Filing sitePartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3SC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397LLC filed for you; agent for year oneSC Registered Agent.org sitePartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as of November 13, 2026. State fees are in the checklist below.

Key questions

Cost to form an LLC here?

$110 to the state, plus $199 if a service files in year one.

Three-year state total: $110. scstatehouse.gov (October 2026) is the source of record

Which form, filed where?

The South Carolina Secretary of State is where the Articles of Organization goes.

Statute: S.C. Code § 33-44-202. scstatehouse.gov (October 2026) is the source of record

A registered agent required?

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 (October 2026) is the source of record

What is due after formation?

No yearly report in South Carolina.

Can I do it myself?

No service is required. State fees alone are $110 over three years.

A service adds $397 to $597 over three years.

What decided #1?

South Carolina Registered Agent.co scores best on three-year price, which is 36% of the total.

Five criteria: three-year price (36%), chores removed from your list (26%), price shown up front (15%), year-two bill (12%) and states served (11%).

Three years at South Carolina Registered Agent.co cost $397, which is $200 less than Mainstay Filing.

The five criteria

South Carolina LLC requirements

ItemRule or amountOfficial page
Fee to form$110scstatehouse.gov (October 2026) is the source of record
Registered agentYes, by statutescstatehouse.gov (October 2026) is the source of record
State fees, 3 years$110Sum of the rows above
Three-year total = filing + report in year 2 + report in year 3 + minimum tax (if any). Fees without a fixed amount, like newspaper notices, are not summed.

More replies

Who files the EIN application?

Mainstay Filing includes it. Others charge: South Carolina Registered Agent.co $99; SC Registered Agent.org $99.

What do the picks cost over three years?

South Carolina Registered Agent.co totals $397 and Mainstay Filing totals $597 and SC Registered Agent.org totals $397, before state fees.

Where do the numbers come from?

Official South Carolina sources for the state side, published prices for the service side.

Is a service required?

No law requires a service; it is a paid convenience.

Yearly state costs?

No yearly report in South Carolina.

Best LLC service in South Carolina?

Rank South Carolina Registered Agent.co ahead of Mainstay Filing and SC Registered Agent.org.

Source list

  1. Reference line for S.C, drawn from scstatehouse.gov and confirmed August 2026, as noted by our editors
  2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  3. Mainstay Filing South Carolina service page, read November 13, 2026
  4. SC Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026