3 Best LLC Services in South Carolina (2026) and What South Carolina Really Requires
If you need LLC formation services in South Carolina in 2026, here's the order we'd go in: Mainstay Filing ($199), SC Registered Agent.org ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199). Here's the money: $110 to the state, $397 to $597 to a service across three years.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team
The short of it
The short of it
State fee
$110, once, up front
After that
No report
Registered agent
Yes, you have to
Our pick
Mainstay Filing, SC Registered Agent.org then South Carolina Registered Agent.co
Who we'd use in South Carolina
The order comes from our five tests: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.
#1Our top pick
1. Mainstay Filing: best for formation and agent for one price
$199 a year and $110 to the state
Mainstay Filing is who we'd use first in South Carolina, because the price doesn't climb at renewal ($199), and it pays for formation and the registered agent.
You'd save $200 over three years with SC Registered Agent.org, as long as the LLC never leaves South Carolina.
What you get
Your formation filing, taken care of
Registered agent for a whole year
EIN application
State fees at cost
Pluses
No extra charge for the EIN application
$199 yearly, everything listed
No jump when you renew ($199)
What's not
SC Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less
South Carolina has no report, so you get less in the bundle
#2South Carolina specialist
2. SC Registered Agent.org: best for owners who'll stay home
$199 to form, $99 a year after
Forming costs $199 up front (the agent is covered for year one) and $99 each year after. That puts SC Registered Agent.org second.
What you get
Your LLC, filed
Agent service covered for year one
Pluses
Starts at $199 over the state fee
Renewal's $99
No agent charge in year one
What's not
EIN help runs $99 more
#3South Carolina specialist
3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for another in-state choice
$199 to form, $99 a year after
Forming costs $199 up front (the agent is covered for year one) and $99 each year after. That puts South Carolina Registered Agent.co third.
Its prices match SC Registered Agent.org exactly, so the order between them's a close call.
What you get
Your LLC, filed
Agent service covered for year one
Pluses
Starts at $199 over the state fee
Renewal's $99
No agent charge in year one
What's not
EIN help runs $99 more
Side by side
#
Company
First year
Then
Three-year total
Covers
1
Mainstay Filing
$199
$199/yr
$597
your formation filing, taken care of; registered agent for a whole year; EIN application
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.
The questions that matter
What's it cost to form an LLC here?
$110 goes to the state. Hire a service in year one and that's $199 more.
Across three years the state collects $110, filing fee included. go check scstatehouse.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Which form do I file, and where?
Here's what starts the company: the Articles of Organization, sent to the South Carolina Secretary of State.
Statute: S.C. Code § 33-44-202. go check scstatehouse.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Do I have to name a 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.
Here's how we got the last row: filing fee + two reports + minimum tax, if there is one. Costs with no set price aren't in it.
More questions
Who handles the EIN?
Mainstay Filing includes the EIN application. The others make you pay: SC Registered Agent.org $99; South Carolina Registered Agent.co $99.
What's the three-year damage for each?
Over three years you're looking at $597 at Mainstay Filing, $397 at SC Registered Agent.org, $397 at South Carolina Registered Agent.co, before state fees.
Where do these numbers come from?
Official South Carolina sources back the state side, and posted prices back the service side.
Is a service required?
No law says you need a service. It's a convenience you pay for.
What does the LLC owe every year?
South Carolina wants no report, so there's nothing to file.
Who should I use for a LLC service in South Carolina?
Mainstay Filing is first: formation plus twelve months of registered agent service costs $199, and the EIN application is included. Then comes SC Registered Agent.org and South Carolina Registered Agent.co.