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What forming an LLC costs by state / South Carolina

3 Best LLC Services in South Carolina (2026): What You Pay

Mainstay Filing ($199), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) and SC Registered Agent.org ($199) give you the best value among South Carolina LLC formation services for 2026, in that order. Set aside $110 for the South Carolina filing fee, then $397 to $597 for three years of service.
Written by the Price Your LLC editorial team

↓ Ranked for you by: What you spend over three years counts 38%, and how much work the price takes off you counts 31%. Renewal change, break-even and price visibility make up the rest. How we rank

Your South Carolina budget

Your state filing fee $110 scstatehouse.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)
What year one costs you $199 State fee not included
Your three-year spend $397 to $597 Renewals included
What the state collects in 3 years $110 Not part of the ranking
Prices swap in Does not happen Ranking steady to year 10

South Carolina: your options, best value first

Service prices only. Every option comes with the same $110 state fee.

1
Best value for you

1. Mainstay Filing: best for filing and agent together

$199 a year, with $309 due at checkout together with the state fee
You pay in year 1 $199
You pay after year 1 $199/yr
You pay over 3 years $597

Mainstay Filing ranks first. $199 a year that does not move at renewal, covering formation and agent plus the EIN application.

Choosing South Carolina Registered Agent.co would leave $200 in your pocket over three years and more filings on your desk.

Your price covers

  • The LLC formation filing
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • EIN application prepared for you
  • No markup on government fees

What you get

  • The same $199 after year one
  • No extra fee for the EIN application
  • $199 per year, all in

What to watch

  • $100 more a year than South Carolina Registered Agent.co after year one
  • Without a South Carolina report, the bundle does less
2
One-state service

2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for owners who never leave the state

Starts at $199; later years $99
You pay in year 1 $199
You pay after year 1 $99/yr
You pay over 3 years $397

South Carolina Registered Agent.co takes spot 2 because $199 to start, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

Your price covers

  • The South Carolina formation filing
  • Agent service for your first year

What you get

  • Agent service at no cost in year one
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 on top of the state fee

What to watch

  • $99 extra for the EIN
3
One-state service

3. SC Registered Agent.org: best for owners who prepare their own reports

Starts at $199; later years $99
You pay in year 1 $199
You pay after year 1 $99/yr
You pay over 3 years $397

SC Registered Agent.org takes spot 3 because $199 to start, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

Year-one and renewal prices both equal South Carolina Registered Agent.co's.

Your price covers

  • The South Carolina formation filing
  • Agent service for your first year

What you get

  • Agent service at no cost in year one
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 on top of the state fee

What to watch

  • $99 extra for the EIN

What each service adds up to

Pick Service You pay in year 1 You pay by year 2 You pay by year 3 You pay by year 5
1 Mainstay Filing $199 $398 $597 $995 Price out Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 South Carolina Registered Agent.co $199 $298 $397 $595 Price out South Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 SC Registered Agent.org $199 $298 $397 $595 Price out SC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Looked at November 13, 2026. Every column adds another renewal. Ranked by running total, the order is steady for ten years.

Cost calculator

Not sure how long you will keep the company? Try a few timelines below, with the EIN application as an extra.

3 years of fees add up to Mainstay Filing $597, South Carolina Registered Agent.co $397, SC Registered Agent.org $397. Your smallest total: South Carolina Registered Agent.co.

South Carolina fee list

What you pay for Amount Source
LLC formation filing $110 scstatehouse.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)
State fees summed, years 1 to 3 $110 Our sum

Each line links to the state's own page. Together they give you the three-year state total: filing, reports in years two and three, and a minimum tax if there is one.

Why number one is number one

Upkeep the price covers put Mainstay Filing first. That factor is 31% of the ranking, and your three-year spend, year-two surprise, where the bills cross and price you can see make up the remainder.

With no South Carolina report to bundle, its lead over South Carolina Registered Agent.co is small but real.

If you count the EIN application, South Carolina Registered Agent.co costs you less from year 2.

What South Carolina charges you to form an LLC and what it requires

To form it you need the Articles of Organization, $110, and an address to send both: the South Carolina Secretary of State. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

As written: scstatehouse.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)

What it costs without a service

Doing it yourself costs $110 paid to the state across three years. A service at $397 to $597 is what you pay to skip the forms.

Common questions

How much will an LLC formation service cost me in South Carolina?

You pay $199 up front to the service, and the state adds $110.

What will these services cost me over three years?

After three years you will have paid $397 to $597 in service fees.

How much will South Carolina charge me to file an LLC?

South Carolina bills $110 for the Articles of Organization.

What will South Carolina charge me each year after formation?

You pay no report fee.

Will the EIN application be part of the price?

It depends who you pick: Mainstay Filing includes it, South Carolina Registered Agent.co charges $99 and SC Registered Agent.org charges $99.

When does one service end up costing more than another?

They keep one order for ten years.

Which LLC formation service is the best value for me in South Carolina?

Start with Mainstay Filing, then South Carolina Registered Agent.co, then SC Registered Agent.org.

See also

What forming an LLC costs by state for all 50 states Best LLC services for anyone How we rank your options

Where we looked

  1. Our source for S.C is scstatehouse.gov, from August 2026.
  2. We read Mainstay Filing's South Carolina service page on November 13, 2026
  3. We read South Carolina Registered Agent.co's pricing page on November 13, 2026
  4. We read SC Registered Agent.org's pricing page on November 13, 2026