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Founder Mentor Guide

Mentor walkthrough 1 · South Carolina

South Carolina LLC Formation Walkthrough (2026): 7 Stages and the 3 Best LLC Services

If you want help with forming an LLC in South Carolina in 2026, phone SC Registered Agent.org ($199), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. South Carolina charges $110 to form an LLC; you can finish in 7 stages.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

Walkthrough snapshot

Cost to form
$110
scstatehouse.gov, last viewed October 2026
Report every year
None
Nothing to file
What the state collects in three years
$110
Filing plus the repeating state fees
Stages
7
Listed below

What you will get from this walkthrough

  • How forming an LLC works in South Carolina
  • What the agent rule says
  • How to stay in good standing
  • Who we would phone to file

If you would rather hand it off

The mentors' five criteria are on how we score, and they decide the order.

Our call

1. SC Registered Agent.org: best for South Carolina LLCs working to a budget

Number one pick$199 and fees, then $99 yearly

If you only phone one company, make it SC Registered Agent.org, because $199 on top of the state fee, and the first year of agent service is already in there, then $99 a year.

Because Mainstay Filing costs more over three years, this service takes the top spot.

What you get

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent covered in year one

What to watch

  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a local filer

Local choice$199 and fees, then $99 yearly

Pick number 2 is South Carolina Registered Agent.co, where $199 on top of the state fee, and the first year of agent service is already in there, then $99 a year.

It lists the same prices as SC Registered Agent.org.

What you get

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent covered in year one

What to watch

  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. Mainstay Filing: best for first-time owners

Upkeep covered$199 a year, state fee on top ($309 due at checkout)

Mainstay Filing comes in third: $199 a year gets you the filing and a registered agent, with the EIN application thrown in.

Across three years it trails SC Registered Agent.org by $200.

What you get

  • The filing is done for you
  • Registered agent all year long
  • The EIN application comes with it
  • The official fee, nothing added

What works

  • The EIN stage is part of the package
  • $199 per year for the whole package
  • $199 every year

What to watch

  • $100 a year more than SC Registered Agent.org at renewal
  • South Carolina has no report to wrap in, so the bundle gives you less
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The services compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1SC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2South Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Pulled from each price page on November 13, 2026. No row folds in the $110 state fee.

The stages

  1. Stage 1

    Choose a name that is open

    the South Carolina Secretary of State keeps the list of names in use, so check there before you spend time on forms; South Carolina may turn down a duplicate.

    Have a backup name written down.

  2. Stage 2

    Get a registered agent in place

    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.

    The address has to be a street address in South Carolina for the agent, stated in the articles. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    Any of the services we phone can be your registered agent.

    Check it yourself: scstatehouse.gov, last viewed October 2026

  3. Stage 3

    Handle it alone or get help

    Skipping the service saves $199; it also means you fill in every form. Our picks are listed in order.

  4. Stage 4

    Time to send in the Articles of Organization

    The Articles of Organization is the key document. It goes to the South Carolina Secretary of State, the fee is $110, and the rule sits in S.C. Code § 33-44-202.

    Check it yourself: scstatehouse.gov, last viewed October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    Order a federal tax ID for the LLC

    State approval first, IRS number second. This stage is part of what Mainstay Filing sells.

  6. Stage 6

    Document how the company runs

    Ownership and decision rules go in the operating agreement, a document that lives apart from the South Carolina filing.

  7. Stage 7

    Stay in good standing in South Carolina

    Nothing is due yearly in South Carolina; just keep a registered agent on record.

What this walkthrough costs

StageReceiverAmount
Setting up the LLCGoes to the state$110
Service fees (optional)The service$199 to start
What the state collects by year threeGoes to the state$110
Here is how the three-year state row is built: filing fee, then the report in each of years two and three, then any yearly minimum tax. Service fees get their own rows.

How we scored the South Carolina picks

What decided it was three-year bill, which carries 32% of the score.

Three years with SC Registered Agent.org cost $397, which is $200 under Mainstay Filing.

South Carolina questions

Which fees does South Carolina charge when an LLC is formed?

The official schedule says $110. $199 more puts someone else in charge of the filing.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Articles of Organization creates the company, and the South Carolina Secretary of State is who gets it.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does South Carolina require each year?

Only the agent repeats.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Permitted. You pay $110, do the filing and line up a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

SC Registered Agent.org ranks first and South Carolina Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing follow; SC Registered Agent.org wins on three-year bill.

Where we got the facts

  1. Where the S.C advice comes from: scstatehouse.gov, viewed August 2026.
  2. SC Registered Agent.org: pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  4. Mainstay Filing: South Carolina service page, opened November 13, 2026