Starting an LLC in South Carolina
Our South Carolina LLC formation package is $199 plus the state's $110 filing fee — we prepare and file the paperwork. Every South Carolina LLC also needs a registered agent on record; that's $99/year, invoiced as its own separate line.
Opening an LLC in South Carolina is more procedural than complicated — there's one filing to do, one agent to keep registered, and a few yearly steps to remember. Filing costs $110 at the state level, processing runs about several business days, and the post-formation budget is modest but ongoing. The rest of this page covers the steps, the full cost picture, and the part we take off your plate.
Get Your South Carolina LLC — $199
$199, paid once, covers preparation and filing through South Carolina Secretary of State. Approval comes back in about several business days.
Get Your South Carolina LLC — $199
South Carolina LLCs: What They Are and Why People Use Them
Limited liability companies provide owners with a legal separation between personal property and business risk, taxed simply by default. In South Carolina, small business owners lean heavily on the LLC structure for its simple formation, light maintenance, and meaningful liability protection.
What It Costs in South Carolina
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee (South Carolina Secretary of State) | $110 one-time |
| Registered agent (required for every South Carolina LLC) | $99/year |
| State annual report fee | None (not required for standard LLCs) |
Our $199 handles the filing-help service. State fees route to South Carolina Secretary of State. The agent product runs $99 annually, separate from filing.
The South Carolina LLC Formation Process
1. Settle on a Compliant LLC Name
Two boxes to check for naming: the name must contain an LLC designator, and it must not conflict with any entity already registered with South Carolina Secretary of State. Check availability with South Carolina Secretary of State's online business entity database before you order business cards or buy a domain.
Stay away from name elements that imply you are a regulated entity — banking, insurance, government. Those require special permission to use.
2. Line Up Your Registered Agent
each LLC formed in South Carolina needs a continuously available statutory agent — physical address inside the state, available during the workday. Anything you list as agent information is publicly accessible at South Carolina Secretary of State. There's no private filing option here.
We act as the agent in South Carolina for $99/year. Your address is kept out of the state's public entity records.
3. File Articles of Organization with South Carolina Secretary of State
This is the official formation event: file the Articles of Organization with South Carolina Secretary of State with $110 attached at submission. The Articles capture the LLC's name, the principal address, the agent name plus address, the management structure (member-managed or manager-managed), and the people serving as organizers.
Online filings go through South Carolina Secretary of State's online portal and move faster than paper submissions through the state.
Allow several business days for standard processing. A pay-for-speed option may speed things up for an added fee.
4. Prepare an Operating Agreement
South Carolina leaves operating agreements off the filing list, but practical reality (banking, member disputes, audits) makes one a requirement. It spells out ownership stakes, distribution mechanics, management rights, and what happens when membership changes. No operating agreement means South Carolina's LLC statute fills the gaps, often in ways that don't fit how you wanted the LLC to operate.
5. Get an EIN from the IRS
The federal EIN functions as the federal ID the IRS uses to track the LLC. Used for business banking, hiring employees, and filing federal returns. IRS.gov hosts the free application. The application is short — around ten minutes from start to EIN.
Avoid paying any service for an EIN: the form is short and the IRS hands out EINs for free.
6. Manage the Recurring Obligations
Keeping the LLC alive and well requires ongoing attention to a short list of items:
- Sustain an active statutory agent at a South Carolina location throughout the LLC's life
- File the South Carolina tax obligations (annual report itself isn't part of South Carolina's rules)
- Manage with real separation between the LLC's accounts and your personal accounts (its own accounts and its own bookkeeping)
- Stay compliant with federal and South Carolina tax deadlines throughout the year
If any of these are neglected, South Carolina Secretary of State can dissolve the entity. A dissolved LLC offers no asset protection.
Hand it off? $199 flat and we file your South Carolina LLC on your behalf.
Open My South Carolina LLC — $199
Why the Registered Agent Rule Matters
South Carolina's statutory agent rule applies to any LLC from day one and persists for the LLC's full life. What the agent must do:
- Have registered a verifiable South Carolina address (PO boxes by itself won't qualify)
- Be reachable across business hours to take in court service
- Transmit incoming legal and state correspondence promptly so deadlines aren't missed
Private LLC owners often self-appoint, then discover the public-record cost. That address shows up in South Carolina Secretary of State's public database and stays there.
Our South Carolina office handles this for $99 a year. We list our office address on the formation documents in your place.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in South Carolina?
South Carolina Secretary of State charges $110 for the formation filing. That puts it close to the national average. South Carolina has no annual report fee for LLCs.
How long does it take to form an LLC in South Carolina?
Several business days is the usual processing window in South Carolina.
Does South Carolina require an annual report?
South Carolina is one of the few states that doesn't require LLCs to file an annual report.
Do I need a registered agent for my South Carolina LLC?
Yes. South Carolina requires a designated agent based at an in-state address from formation onward. The obligation starts at filing and continues through dissolution.
Can I form an LLC in South Carolina if I live in another state?
Yes. South Carolina doesn't restrict LLC ownership to residents. (an in-state agent is the one requirement — our $99/year plan handles it.)
Begin Your South Carolina LLC
Self-filing with South Carolina Secretary of State is fully available at South Carolina Secretary of State's online portal. A designated agent registered is non-negotiable — the state's filing fee is $110.
We're available as your registered agent. For $99 annually, you get the public address, same-day mail scanning, and deadline reminders for upcoming filings.
Start Your South Carolina LLC — $199
Want the RA service without the LLC formation? The registered agent option carries a $99/year price.
More to know about South Carolina LLCs or about the agent service? Check the FAQ or contact us any weekday.
Ready to file your South Carolina LLC?
$199 covers formation and filing; the South Carolina registered agent runs $99/year, billed on its own.