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The Formation Desk

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

LLC service picks · South Carolina

3 Best LLC Services in South Carolina (2026)

The The Formation Desk call for LLC services in South Carolina in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($199), SC Registered Agent.org ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. Mainstay Filing takes the call: one $199 yearly bill handles the formation and the registered agent, renewing at $199.
Written by The Formation Desk editorial team
1
Number one here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a single all-in yearly price

$199 a year plus the state fee, $309 due at checkout

Editorial score 9.1 out of 10

The desk picks Mainstay Filing: $199 pays for the South Carolina formation and a year of registered agent service, EIN application included.

South Carolina has no yearly LLC report, so after year one you are paying the renewal for the registered agent alone (the EIN application was part of the first-year bundle).

Over three years Mainstay runs $200 more than SC Registered Agent.org, and the desk thinks the wider coverage is worth it.

In the price

  • The formation, prepared and filed for you
  • A registered agent for twelve months
  • EIN application handled

Strengths

  • $199 on renewal, nothing extra
  • One $199 yearly price
  • South Carolina's fee passes through at cost
  • EIN application comes with the package

Cons

  • Its agent renews at $100 a year more than SC Registered Agent.org
  • South Carolina has no yearly report, so the bundle is worth less
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing up close
2
Low renewal

2. SC Registered Agent.org: best for a South Carolina LLC with no plans to expand

Form for $199; the agent is $99 a year after that, plus the state fee

Editorial score 8.9 out of 10

Runner-up, SC Registered Agent.org: $199 plus the South Carolina filing fee, first-year registered agent service included, then $99 a year.

You get an in-state street address as the registered office, and papers served there are scanned into your account.

In the price

  • LLC filing done for you
  • Year-one registered agent service

Strengths

  • Year-one registered agent service is in the price
  • $99 yearly to keep the agent
  • Forms the LLC for $199, plus the state's fee

Cons

  • EIN application will cost you $99 more
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. SC Registered Agent.org up close
3
Best for a South Carolina-only company

3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for keeping it local in South Carolina

Form for $199; the agent is $99 a year after that, plus the state fee

Editorial score 8.6 out of 10

Third, South Carolina Registered Agent.co: $199 plus the South Carolina filing fee, first-year registered agent service included, then $99 a year.

You get an in-state street address as the registered office, and papers served there are scanned into your account.

The published prices and features do not separate SC Registered Agent.org from South Carolina Registered Agent.co; take whichever you like.

In the price

  • LLC filing done for you
  • The first year as your registered agent

Strengths

  • Includes a first year as your registered agent
  • A $199 formation price, state fee on top
  • Then $99 a year for agent service

Cons

  • EIN application will cost you $99 more
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. South Carolina Registered Agent.co up close

The desk's 3 picks in brief

Pick Service Desk score Service fee Year two Good for Visit
1 Mainstay Filing 9.1 $199 $199/yr Formation and agent in a single price Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 SC Registered Agent.org 8.9 $199 $99/yr A South Carolina-only LLC on a shoestring Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 South Carolina Registered Agent.co 8.6 $199 $99/yr A South Carolina-only LLC on a shoestring Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

A score out of 10 here is editorial judgment built on the criteria explained on How we rank, not an average of customer ratings.

What a South Carolina LLC service costs in 2026: year one, renewal and the three-year bill

Service Year one Year two Year three Bill over three years EIN application
Mainstay Filing $199 $199 $199 $597 Included
SC Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 $99 add-on
South Carolina Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 $99 add-on

Every price here was read off the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. South Carolina's $110 filing fee comes on top of every row and is left out of these totals.

Behind the order

Here is the weighting: 33% for spend over three years, 33% for work the price removes, 34% spread over what renewal looks like, fit with the state and plain price display. In South Carolina, work the price removes made the call.

South Carolina has no yearly report to file, so the bundle matters less here, but one fixed price with the EIN application included still edged SC Registered Agent.org on coverage.

The full criteria and weights are on How we rank.

South Carolina LLC filing fee and form: the official numbers

It takes $110 to file the Articles of Organization with the South Carolina Secretary of State. Every service here adds that fee at cost on top of its own price.

After you form: keeping the South Carolina LLC in order

South Carolina has no yearly LLC report to send in. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

South Carolina LLC service: reader questions

What will setting up an LLC in South Carolina cost you?

$110 goes to the state and $199 to the service.

What do you file to create the LLC?

The Articles of Organization, sent to the South Carolina Secretary of State.

Does a South Carolina LLC have to line up a registered agent on day one?

Yes. South Carolina expects a registered agent from the start, with a street address inside the state.

What keeps coming due once a South Carolina LLC exists?

Nothing yearly. South Carolina has no LLC report to file.

Does the service price take care of the EIN?

Mainstay Filing builds it into the yearly price. SC Registered Agent.org and South Carolina Registered Agent.co tack on $99. The IRS never charges for an EIN.

Who is our pick for an LLC service in South Carolina?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 a year buys the South Carolina filing and the registered agent, and the EIN application is thrown in, renewing at $199.

Related pages

Where the numbers came from

  1. S.C. Code § 33-44-202 and § 33-44-203, last checked August 2026
  2. Mainstay Filing: South Carolina service page, as of November 12, 2026
  3. SC Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026
  4. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026