State hub · South Carolina
South Carolina LLC true cost (2026)
South Carolina state side: $110 formation filing, $0 for No SOS annual report for standard pass-through LLCs in the 3-year model, ~$110 state fees over three years (methodology below) — #10 of 51 on the cheapest-states ranking. Provider markup is separate — use the table for formation/RA path + state fees.
South Carolina state filing fees
These are state fees — not Northwest / ZenBusiness / Bizee / LegalZoom service fees. The collecting agency is South Carolina Secretary of State. Filings go through businessfilings.sc.gov.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Articles / Certificate of Formation | $110 | Articles of Organization statutory fee $110 (SC SOS Business Entities Online forms list). Online filings commonly add a $15 Electronic Records Access fee (total ~$125). Baseline uses the $110 statutory fee. |
| No SOS annual report for standard pass-through LLCs | $0 typical | Pass-through LLCs generally have no SOS annual report. LLCs electing corporate/S-corp taxation may have Department of Revenue CL-1 / corporate license-fee obligations ($25 initial CL-1 context)—not applied in baseline pass-through math. |
| 3-year state subtotal (model) | $110 | Articles of Organization $110 + $0 SOS annual for pass-through LLC = $110. Online access surcharge (~$15) and corp-election DOR fees excluded from baseline. |
When South Carolina actually bills you
South Carolina's recurring filing is due N/A — put it in a calendar the day you form, because the state will not chase you before it penalises you.
| Point in time | What South Carolina charges | Amount | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|
| At formation | Articles / Certificate of Formation | $110 | $110 |
| Year 1 cycle | No SOS annual report for standard pass-through LLCs (no charge in this model) | $0 | $110 |
| Year 2 cycle | No SOS annual report for standard pass-through LLCs (no charge in this model) | $0 | $110 |
| Year 3 cycle | No SOS annual report for standard pass-through LLCs (no charge in this model) | $0 | $110 |
Provider + South Carolina state (3-year)
Provider totals from the national comparison (formation + RA Y1–Y3, state fees excluded there) plus the South Carolina state subtotal of $110.
| Provider | Plan | Provider 3-yr | + state |
|---|---|---|---|
| northwest | Formation $39 (RA Y1 included) | $289 | $399 |
| zenbusiness | Starter $0 + RA add-on | $497 | $607 |
| bizee | Basic $0 (RA Y1 free) | $298 | $408 |
| legalzoom | Basic $0 + RA $249/yr | $747 | $857 |
Partner link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices above are researched from public pages, not supplied by the provider. How this site makes money.
How South Carolina ranks against the other 50 charters
Across the 51 jurisdictions covered on this site, South Carolina sits at #10 — the 10th cheapest three-year state charter — at $110 in Secretary of State and revenue-department dollars. That is $75 more than Montana, the cheapest charter in the ranking ($35), $170 below the $280 median, and $2,400 less than California at $2,510. In plain terms, South Carolina lands in the cheaper half of the table.
- Just cheaper: Iowa ($110), Idaho ($100).
- Just pricier: Utah ($113), Colorado ($125).
- Full table: all 51 states ranked by 3-year state fees — including where the ranking flips once you add a professional registered agent.
Registered agent (South Carolina)
- South Carolina registered agent with a SC street address required; keep agent current via amendments if needed.
Put the agent next to the state's own bill: three years of South Carolina state fees is $110, while the cheapest provider path in our national 3-year comparison runs $289 (Formation $39 (RA Y1 included)) and the most expensive runs $747 (Basic $0 + RA $249/yr) — a $458 spread for the same statutory job. On the cheapest path the service, not South Carolina, is about 72% of your three-year outlay. Choosing the agent well is usually a bigger lever than choosing the state.
Gotchas (fact-based)
- Online filing total is often $125 because of electronic records access fees.
- City/county business licenses can be the real recurring cost in SC.
- S-corp/C-corp tax elections change DOR filing obligations (CL-1 / license fee).
Who South Carolina is for / not for
Often a fit when…
- Pass-through LLC owners wanting low formation cost and no SOS annual report.
Often a poor fit when…
- Entities planning an immediate corporate tax election without budgeting DOR license-fee compliance, or businesses in high local-license jurisdictions.
Orientation only — not legal advice.
Common questions about South Carolina LLC cost
How much does it cost to form an LLC in South Carolina?
$110 to South Carolina Secretary of State for the formation filing. Articles of Organization statutory fee $110 (SC SOS Business Entities Online forms list). Online filings commonly add a $15 Electronic Records Access fee (total ~$125). Baseline uses the $110 statutory fee. That is the state charge only. A formation service is a separate bill on top: Formation $39 (RA Y1 included) works out to $39 in year one, versus $249 on the most expensive path we track.
What are the ongoing South Carolina LLC fees after year one?
$0 in recurring No SOS annual report for standard pass-through LLCs charges under the modelled scenario (N/A). Pass-through LLCs generally have no SOS annual report. LLCs electing corporate/S-corp taxation may have Department of Revenue CL-1 / corporate license-fee obligations ($25 initial CL-1 context)—not applied in baseline pass-through math. Recurring state charges are what make a low formation fee misleading — they are the reason this site models three years instead of one.
What does a South Carolina LLC really cost over three years?
$110 in South Carolina state fees, plus whatever your provider charges. With the cheapest tracked path that is $399 all-in over three years; with the most expensive it is $857 — a $458 difference that has nothing to do with South Carolina.
Do I need a registered agent in South Carolina?
Yes. South Carolina registered agent with a SC street address required; keep agent current via amendments if needed. Confirm South Carolina's DIY-versus-commercial agent rules with South Carolina Secretary of State before you file — a home address here becomes public record. On the money side, the four providers tracked here charge $0–$249 in year one for formation plus the agent, then $125–$249 a year in agent renewal after that — separate from every South Carolina figure above.
Is South Carolina a cheap state to form an LLC?
On charter cost alone, South Carolina ranks #10 of 51 at $110 over three years, against a $35 floor and a $2,510 ceiling. But cheapest charter is not the same as cheapest outcome: if you operate somewhere else you will likely foreign-qualify there and pay that state's fees and taxes too. See the full 3-year state fee ranking for the comparison.
How the South Carolina three-year number is built
Articles of Organization $110 + $0 SOS annual for pass-through LLC = $110. Online access surcharge (~$15) and corp-election DOR fees excluded from baseline. Figures are re-derived from the cited South Carolina sources rather than copied from other guides.
Deliberately excluded from the South Carolina state subtotal:
- Professional registered agent fees (same shopping problem in every state)
- County newspaper publication (NY, AZ, and similar — variable)
- Card / portal convenience fees unless fixed on the SOS schedule
- Expedites, name reservations, certified copies, foreign qualification
- Income / sales / payroll taxes and variable gross-receipts tiers above a stated floor
Unverified / confirm before filing
- Provider checkout upsells: see the national comparison page.
- Re-check live South Carolina Secretary of State fee schedules — amounts change.
Sources (official)
- SC SOS Business Entities Online downloadable forms (Articles $110)
- SC Department of Revenue Corporate FAQs (LLC/CL-1)
- SC Business Filings portal
Keep comparing
- Cheapest states to form an LLC (2026)
All 51 charters ranked by three-year state fees — see exactly where South Carolina's $110 lands.
- LLC formation true 3-year cost: Northwest vs ZenBusiness vs Bizee vs LegalZoom
The provider side of the South Carolina math, with the upsells worth skipping.
- All 51 state hubs
Same fee model, state by state.