LLC Review Desk's 2026 picks for LLC services in South Carolina, favorite first, are Mainstay Filing ($199), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) and SC Registered Agent.org ($199). Mainstay Filing is our favorite, because formation and registered agent service come together for $199 a year, renewing at $199.
By the LLC Review Desk editorial team
Position 1
Number one here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for everything on one simple yearly price
$199 a year, and the state fee goes on top ($309 at checkout)
Our score
9.3out of 10
9.3 out of 10
Our favorite is Mainstay Filing, because $199 gets the South Carolina formation done and covers a year of registered agent service, EIN application too.
South Carolina has no yearly LLC report, so after the first year your renewal pays for the registered agent and nothing more (year one also included your EIN application).
Over three years it costs $200 more than South Carolina Registered Agent.co, and for us the extra things it handles are worth that.
In the price
Your formation filing, taken care of
Registered agent service for the whole year
Your EIN application, taken care of
What we like
Renews at $199, no add-ons
The EIN application is included
South Carolina's fee is passed through at cost
One yearly price of $199
Trade-offs
After year one, its agent costs $100 a year more than South Carolina Registered Agent.co's
South Carolina has no yearly report, so the bundle does less here
Every score out of 10 is our editors' call, made with the weighted criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.
What South Carolina LLC services cost in 2026: year one, renewals and three years
Service
First year
Second year
Third year
Three-year total
EIN included
Mainstay Filing
$199
$199
$199
$597
Included
South Carolina Registered Agent.co
$199
$99
$99
$397
$99 add-on
SC Registered Agent.org
$199
$99
$99
$397
$99 add-on
We took each price from the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. On top of every row, South Carolina charges a $110 filing fee, which isn't in these totals.
What decided the order
LLC Review Desk gives three-year cost 29% and filings in the price 29%, then divides 42% among renewal price, state fit and up-front totals. For South Carolina, it came down to filings in the price.
South Carolina has no yearly report, so a bundle matters less, but one flat price with the EIN application included still gave Mainstay a small edge over South Carolina Registered Agent.co on coverage.
You can read every criterion and weight on How we rank.
The South Carolina LLC filing fee and form, from the state
Heads up: the South Carolina Secretary of State takes $110 when you file the Articles of Organization. Every service below adds that fee at cost.
What a South Carolina LLC needs after it is formed
Nothing recurring: South Carolina has no yearly LLC report. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Your questions about South Carolina LLC services
How much does forming an LLC in South Carolina set you back?
The state charges $110 to file, and services charge $199.
What paperwork makes the LLC official?
You send the Articles of Organization to the South Carolina Secretary of State.
Does the South Carolina formation form ask me to name a registered agent?
Yes. You list a registered agent when you file and keep one on record, using a street address in South Carolina.
Is there paperwork after the LLC is formed?
Not a yearly report. South Carolina doesn't ask LLCs for one.
Is the EIN included in the price?
With Mainstay Filing, yes; it comes with the yearly price. South Carolina Registered Agent.co and SC Registered Agent.org tack on $99 for it. You can also ask the IRS for an EIN yourself, free of charge.
Who should I use to form my South Carolina LLC?
Mainstay Filing, because $199 a year covers the South Carolina filing and your registered agent, plus the EIN application, and it renews at $199.