LLC Review Desk's 2026 picks for registered agents in South Carolina, favorite first, are SC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year). SC Registered Agent.org is our favorite, because it's $99 a year, and the price stays put at renewal, the smallest yearly price among these picks.
By the LLC Review Desk editorial team
Position 1
Our top pick in South Carolina
1. SC Registered Agent.org: best for the smallest yearly price on this list
$99 a year, the same each year
Our score
9.1out of 10
9.1 out of 10
Our favorite is SC Registered Agent.org, because it focuses on South Carolina at $99 a year and gives you an in-state street address for the registered office.
The registered office you get is SC Registered Agent.org's address inside the state, and you read whatever is served on the company as a scan online.
Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and cost is one of our two biggest criteria.
In the price
A registered office address inside the state
The company's served papers show up in your account as scans
What we like
Costs less a year than Mainstay Filing
A $99 yearly plan that stays steady
LLC formation with year-one agent service included
Trade-offs
Built for South Carolina; other states need another agent
2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for South Carolina specialists
$99 a year, the same each year
Our score
8.8out of 10
8.8 out of 10
Coming in second is South Carolina Registered Agent.co, because it focuses on South Carolina at $99 a year and gives you an in-state street address for the registered office.
South Carolina Registered Agent.co lists its own in-state street address as your company's registered office and scans served legal papers for you.
Price and features don't set SC Registered Agent.org apart from South Carolina Registered Agent.co; pick the one you like.
In the price
A registered office address inside the state
The company's served papers show up in your account as scans
What we like
A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing
Also forms LLCs, first agent year included
$99 annually with no renewal bump
Trade-offs
Built for South Carolina; other states need another agent
In third place is Mainstay Filing, because it's $149 a year and the price doesn't climb at renewal, plus papers served on the company get scanned the same business day for free.
SC Registered Agent.org is $150 cheaper over three years, so Mainstay Filing comes second on cost.
In the price
A registered office street address wherever you need one
Legal papers served on the company are scanned within the business day at no cost
Free scans of your first three government letters each year
Compliance reminders
What we like
Your first three government letters each year, scanned for free
$149 a year and it stays flat
Same-business-day scans of papers served on the company, no charge
Fine for LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
Trade-offs
The agent plan alone is $50 a year more than SC Registered Agent.org
Unless you buy the formation package, you file the annual report yourself
The 10-point scores are ours. They come from the criteria on How we rank and don't use customer ratings.
What South Carolina registered agents cost in 2026: year one, renewals and three years
Service
First year
Second year
Third year
Three-year total
Same price when you renew
SC Registered Agent.org
$99
$99
$99
$297
Yes
South Carolina Registered Agent.co
$99
$99
$99
$297
Yes
Mainstay Filing
$149
$149
$149
$447
Yes
We took each price from the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. South Carolina's own fees stay the same no matter which agent you choose.
How we scored these
In South Carolina, three-year cost decided the order. If you're curious about the weights, three-year cost is 29%, filings in the price is 29% and renewal price, state fit and up-front totals share 42%.
SC Registered Agent.org comes to $297 over three years, which is $150 less than Mainstay Filing. If you only need an agent in South Carolina, fifty-state reach doesn't help much, so the lower yearly price won.
You can read every criterion and weight on How we rank.
What South Carolina says about the registered agent (via South Carolina Secretary of State)
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a street address in South Carolina for the agent, stated in the articles. P.O. boxes are not accepted. The law: S.C. Code § 33-44-108.
What you still do in South Carolina once you have an agent
Good news: South Carolina has no yearly LLC report. The one ongoing job is keeping a registered agent on file, since the state sends its notices there.
Your questions about South Carolina registered agents
Do I really need a registered agent for a South Carolina LLC?
You do. South Carolina won't accept an LLC without a registered agent who has a street address in the state, and that name goes on the public record.
What do South Carolina registered agents usually cost per year?
Plan on $99 to $149 a year, and each service keeps its price when you renew.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Sometimes, if you meet the state's rules. 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.
Which registered agents did we review here?
SC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), with our favorite first.
What does a registered agent do, exactly?
Think of the registered agent as the place the court and the state send things: lawsuits, subpoenas and official notices. The agent gets them and hands them over to you, and every plan on this page puts scans in your online account.
Who is the best registered agent for South Carolina?
SC Registered Agent.org, because you pay a flat $99 a year, and papers served on the company are scanned into your account.