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What a registered agent costs by state / South Carolina
3 Best Registered Agents in South Carolina (2026): What You Pay
Your best-value options among South Carolina registered agents for 2026 are SC Registered Agent.org ($99/yr), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99/yr) and Mainstay Filing ($149/yr), ranked from first to third. You can expect to pay $99 to $149 in the first year and $297 to $447 by year three.
Written by the Price Your LLC editorial team
↓ Ranked for you by:Ranking = 38% what you spend + 31% work covered + three smaller factors (details)
Your South Carolina budget
Required by law?Yesscstatehouse.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)
First-year prices$99 to $149Yearly agent price
Three-year range$297 to $447Year one plus two renewals
Crossover yearNo crossoverNo service overtakes another
Ranked for you
Read across for year one, the price after that and your three-year total. Your choice of agent does not move state fees.
#Ranked for you byYou pay in year 1You pay at renewalYou pay over 3 years
1
Start here
1. SC Registered Agent.org: best for owners who count every dollar
$99 a year, moving to $99
You pay in year 1$99
You pay at renewal$99/yr
You pay over 3 years$297
Start with SC Registered Agent.org. Agent service in one state for $99 a year.
A lower three-year bill than Mainstay Filing puts it first, since cost weighs most.
Your price covers
A physical in-state office
Web copies of legal papers
What you get
A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing
$99 a year, no change at renewal
What to watch
Expanding means finding a new agent
2
South Carolina focus
2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a local backup
$99 a year, moving to $99
You pay in year 1$99
You pay at renewal$99/yr
You pay over 3 years$297
South Carolina Registered Agent.co ranks second. Agent service in one state for $99 a year.
SC Registered Agent.org lists identical prices.
Your price covers
A physical in-state office
Web copies of legal papers
What you get
A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing
$99 a year, no change at renewal
What to watch
Expanding means finding a new agent
3
Nationwide
3. Mainstay Filing: best for the same price in every state
$149 a year, moving to $149
You pay in year 1$149
You pay at renewal$149/yr
You pay over 3 years$447
Next, Mainstay Filing: $149 a year here, and the same in every other state you might add.
By year three it costs $150 more than SC Registered Agent.org.
Your price covers
The registered office address
Up to three government mailings a year, scanned for you free
Covers LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
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
Your three-year spend put SC Registered Agent.org first. That factor is 38% of the ranking, and upkeep the price covers, year-two surprise, where the bills cross and price you can see make up the remainder.
Three years with SC Registered Agent.org come to $297, while Mainstay Filing runs $150 higher.
What South Carolina requires of your registered agent (South Carolina Secretary of State)
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. Look up S.C. Code § 33-44-108.
The address has to be a street address in South Carolina for the agent, stated in the articles. P.O. boxes are not accepted.
As written: scstatehouse.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)
If you skip the service
If you qualify, you can name yourself and pay no agent fee, and state fees stay the same. The services above charge $99 to $149 a year for a South Carolina address and a person to accept legal papers.
Questions
How much will a South Carolina registered agent cost me per year?
Expect $99 to $149 a year.
What do three years of agent service cost?
After three years you will have paid $297 to $447 in service fees.
Do I have to have a registered agent for a South Carolina LLC?
Yes, you do. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Can I be my own registered agent?
If you qualify, yes; the requirements section has the rules.
What will the state charge my LLC each year?
South Carolina does not ask for a yearly report.
When does one service end up costing more than another?
Over ten years the totals never swap places.
Which registered agent is the best value for me in South Carolina?
Start with SC Registered Agent.org, then South Carolina Registered Agent.co, then Mainstay Filing.