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Statewise Business The state fee almanac for LLCs, sourced line by line.

Registered agent guide · South Carolina

South Carolina Registered Agents (2026): Official Rules, State Fees and the 3 Best Agents

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and SC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year): our 2026 order for registered agent service in South Carolina. Nothing is billed by the state each year in South Carolina; the registered agent is what keeps costing money.

Entry by the Statewise Business almanac desk ·

South Carolina: the entry in figures

1stof 50 states on yearly state feesOrdered from least to most expensive, tied with others. Compare all states
Registered agent required
YesOctober 2026, scstatehouse.gov
State fees per year
$0Recurring state charges, yearly basis

South Carolina shortlist

Three-year service fees and filings covered count most; the methodology gives all five weights.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one agent for any state

Top entry$149/yr, then $149/yr

Rank one, Mainstay Filing: one $149 agent plan that stays with the company if it registers in more states.

Three-year service fees run $150 above South Carolina Registered Agent.co, an amount the 28% coverage weight more than makes up.

In the price

  • South Carolina street address on the public record
  • Papers served on the company scanned within the same business day, free
  • Your first three government letters each year, scanned free
  • Serves LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits alike

Strengths

  • The same price in all fifty states
  • Yearly price $149, renewal $149

Weak points

  • $50 a year above South Carolina Registered Agent.co
  • Reports are not filed on the agent plan
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for South Carolina-based founders

In-state option$99/yr, then $99/yr

Entry 2 is South Carolina Registered Agent.co: $99 a year flat, plus served papers scanned to you online.

In the price

  • An in-state registered office address
  • Scans of papers served on the company, online

Strengths

  • A flat $99/yr
  • Yearly price below Mainstay Filing

Weak points

  • A different state needs a different agent
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. SC Registered Agent.org: best for an in-state office address

In-state option$99/yr, then $99/yr

Entry 3 is SC Registered Agent.org: $99 a year flat, plus served papers scanned to you online.

The prices are the same as South Carolina Registered Agent.co's.

In the price

  • An in-state registered office address
  • Scans of papers served on the company, online

Strengths

  • A flat $99/yr
  • Yearly price below Mainstay Filing

Weak points

  • A different state needs a different agent
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, side by side

#EntryPrice a yearRenewalService fees over three years
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2South Carolina Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3SC Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each price was taken from the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Naming a different agent leaves the state fees alone.

Upkeep calculator

Each agent's price is paired with the repeating state fees; formation fees are left out of the total.
$447 is the 3 years total with Mainstay Filing, split $0 state and $447 service.

South Carolina among its neighbors in the rank

PositionStateYearly state fees
1stNew Mexico$0
1stOhio$0
1stSouth Carolina$0
1stTexas$0
11thNew York$4.50
Find the other states in Registered agent rules by state.

What South Carolina law says about a registered agent

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.

Persons who may serve: 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. Basis: S.C. Code § 33-44-108.

South Carolina's repeating fees

Nothing is filed each year in South Carolina; the registered agent requirement carries on.

Basis for the order

Requirements covered settled first place in South Carolina. It carries 28% of the score, and the other criteria are added cost over three years, renewal terms, fit with state rules, fee clarity.

South Carolina Registered Agent.co is the lower-priced agent; coverage across states scored higher.

South Carolina registered agent questions

Is a registered agent compulsory in South Carolina?

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

Who is allowed to act as the registered agent in South Carolina?

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.

What does a South Carolina registered agent charge each year?

Plan on $99 to $149 a year.

What does the state charge an LLC every year?

Nothing repeats with the state: South Carolina has no yearly report fee.

Which registered agents does this entry list?

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and SC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), with the top entry leading.

Which registered agent should I choose?

We would file with Mainstay Filing: $149 yearly here or anywhere else, renewing at $149. Next come South Carolina Registered Agent.co and SC Registered Agent.org.

Keep reading

Citations for this entry

  1. S.C, from scstatehouse.gov, last read August 2026
  2. South Carolina Secretary of State for formation, from dor.sc.gov, last read August 2026
  3. South Carolina Secretary of State for formation, from dor.sc.gov, last read August 2026
  4. South Carolina yearly filing: Annual report, official source, from dor.sc.gov, last read October 2026
  5. New Mexico Secretary of State, Corporations and Business, from sos.nm.gov, last read August 2026
  6. New Mexico Secretary of State, Corporations and Business, from sos.nm.gov, last read August 2026
  7. Ohio Secretary of State, from ohiosos.gov, last read August 2026
  8. Ohio Secretary of State, from ohiosos.gov, last read August 2026
  9. Texas yearly filing: Annual report, official source, from comptroller.texas.gov, last read October 2026
  10. New York Department of State, Division of Corporations, from dos.ny.gov, last read August 2026
  11. New York Department of State, Division of Corporations, from filing.dos.ny.gov, last read August 2026
  12. On November 12, 2026 we recorded the South Carolina service page of Mainstay Filing
  13. On November 12, 2026 we recorded the pricing page of South Carolina Registered Agent.co
  14. On November 12, 2026 we recorded the pricing page of SC Registered Agent.org