Starting an LLC in South Carolina in 2026
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.
Forming a South Carolina LLC is one filing and a short checklist. The document is the Articles of Organization, the official state fee is $110, and once you are formed, the state never asks a standard LLC for an annual report. This page runs through the fees, the form, and each step in order.
Have Us File It
$199, paid once, covers preparation and filing of your Articles of Organization with the South Carolina Secretary of State.
Why South Carolina Owners Pick the LLC
The LLC puts a clean wall between business risk and personal property with the lightest paperwork of any formal entity. In South Carolina the pitch is even better than usual: form once, keep an agent on file, and skip the annual report that most states charge for.
The South Carolina Filing Fee: $110 by Mail, About $125 Online
The statute is blunt about the number. S.C. Code § 33-44-1204(a)(1) sets the Articles of Organization fee at "one hundred ten dollars." File the paper form and $110 is the whole state charge. File online at businessfilings.sc.gov and the checkout total comes to roughly $125, which is the same $110 statutory fee plus a processing charge of about $15 the portal adds at checkout. The extra is portal processing, not a higher filing fee.
South Carolina's Articles of Organization
The formation document is the Articles of Organization (Domestic Limited Liability Company). Do not hunt for a form number; South Carolina does not assign them. The state's forms list identifies the filing by name, statute, and fee: "Articles of Organization §33-44-202 and §33-44-203 ... $110.00." The statute behind it reads: "One or more persons may organize a limited liability company, consisting of one or more members, by delivering articles of organization to the office of the Secretary of State for filing."
What goes in it:
- LLC name with a proper designator
- Designated office address in the state
- Registered agent name and street address
- Management setup: member-managed or manager-managed
- Organizer signatures
Most filers use the online portal; a downloadable paper version lives in the portal's forms section under the starting-a-business category. Filing references are listed at the Secretary of State's business filings hub.
The Price Breakdown
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Formation service (ours) | $199, one-time |
| State fee: Articles of Organization | $110, one-time |
| Registered agent, required continuously | $99/year |
| Annual report for standard LLCs | Not required |
The $199 covers the filing work. The state fee goes to the South Carolina Secretary of State. The agent line renews yearly on its own.
Six Steps to a South Carolina LLC
- Clear the name. It needs an LLC designator and cannot collide with an entity already on record. Run it through the state's business name search first. Bank, insurance, and government words trigger extra approval requirements.
- Line up your registered agent. § 33-44-108 spells out who qualifies: a South Carolina resident individual, a domestic corporation, another LLC, or an authorized foreign company, all with an in-state street address. The listing is public. We take the slot for $99/year and keep your address out of the database.
- File the Articles of Organization. Online at businessfilings.sc.gov (about $125 at checkout, the $110 fee plus the portal's processing charge) or by mailing the paper form with $110. Approval creates the entity.
- Write an operating agreement. Not filed with the state, still essential. Ownership percentages, profit splits, voting, exits. Without one, the default provisions of the LLC act decide those questions for you.
- Grab the EIN. Free at IRS.gov, takes about ten minutes. Required for bank accounts, payroll, and federal returns. Never pay for it.
- Run the maintenance loop. Agent always on file, business money separate from personal money, taxes filed on time. No annual report belongs on this list for a standard LLC.
The Registered Agent Requirement
From formation to dissolution, a South Carolina LLC keeps an agent on file under § 33-44-108. The agent must:
- Hold a street address in South Carolina (PO boxes alone fail)
- Be reachable during the business day for service of process
- Move legal and state mail to you fast enough that deadlines survive
One statutory wrinkle: the law permits "another limited liability company" to serve, so your LLC cannot appoint itself. Owners who self-list as individuals put their own address into the public record. Our $99/year service exists to absorb exactly that.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in South Carolina?
$110 is the official state fee. Online filers see about $125 at checkout because the portal adds a processing charge of roughly $15. After formation, standard LLCs owe the state no annual report fee.
How long does it take to form an LLC in South Carolina?
No guaranteed timeline is published. Online submissions typically clear faster than paper.
Does South Carolina require an annual report?
Not from standard LLCs. An LLC that elects corporate taxation files a one-time CL-1 and then an annual report schedule with its Department of Revenue tax return.
Do I need a registered agent for my South Carolina LLC?
Yes, continuously, at a South Carolina street address, per § 33-44-108. The obligation starts at filing and runs until dissolution.
Can I form an LLC in South Carolina if I live in another state?
Yes. Residency is not a requirement for owners. The agent is the only mandatory in-state presence, and our $99/year plan handles it.
Start Your South Carolina LLC
Self-filing through businessfilings.sc.gov works; the state collects its $110 either way, and an agent still has to be on the document. Prefer to hand it off? We prepare and file the Articles, put our address in the agent field, scan your mail the day it lands, and flag anything with a deadline.
Want the RA service without the formation? The registered agent option is $99/year.
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.