Registered agent guide · South Carolina

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

Taking a registered agent in South Carolina as the destination, the services in 2026 line up as SC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year). South Carolina collects nothing each year. Costs that continue come down to the registered agent.

Surveyed by the Filing Mapper team

Updated November 12, 2026

South Carolina, measured

1st

of fifty by yearly state tolls

Mile 1 is the lightest toll (tie). Compare the neighbors

Registered agent required: Yes; October 2026 survey: scstatehouse.gov
State toll, one year: $0; One year of state tolls

The South Carolina stops, ranked

The order rests on five criteria set out in the method: three-year provider cost (35%), steps covered (27%), renewal fare, fit with South Carolina rules and fee labeling.

1. SC Registered Agent.org: best for the smallest flat agent fare

Stop one$99 for the first lap, the same for the next

Stop one, SC Registered Agent.org: a flat $99 each year, and papers served on the company are scanned and forwarded.

Mainstay Filing's three-year fare is larger, and that criterion counts for 35%.

The fare covers

Location in South Carolina on the public map
Whatever is served is scanned and posted

On the plus side

A smaller yearly fare than Mainstay Filing
$99 yearly, no step up

On the minus side

South Carolina and no farther

Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for specialists in South Carolina

Built for South Carolina$99 for the first lap, the same for the next

Continuing, South Carolina Registered Agent.co is the second alternative, since a flat $99 each year, and papers served on the company are scanned and forwarded.

Compared with SC Registered Agent.org, the fares come out level.

The fare covers

Location in South Carolina on the public map
Whatever is served is scanned and posted

On the plus side

A smaller yearly fare than Mainstay Filing
$99 yearly, no step up

On the minus side

South Carolina and no farther

Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who expect to grow

One ticket$149 for the first lap, the same for the next

Mainstay Filing sits at stop 3 because $149 a year, level at renewal, valid on every route.

Its three-year provider cost is $150 higher than SC Registered Agent.org's, and cost carries 35% of the score.

The fare covers

A real street address inside the state
If papers are served on the company, they are scanned the same business day at no cost
Letters from government offices are scanned free, the first three each year
The same service runs for corporations, partnerships and nonprofits

On the plus side

Any state, one fare
$149 per lap

On the minus side

$50 a year above SC Registered Agent.org
The agent role only; the owner clears the report checkpoints

Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The route as numbers

Stop	Provider	Yearly rate	Renewal rate	Provider cost, three years
1	SC Registered Agent.org	$99	$99/yr	$297	Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2	South Carolina Registered Agent.co	$99	$99/yr	$297	Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3	Mainstay Filing	$149	$149/yr	$447	Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All fares shown are as the providers listed them on November 12, 2026. South Carolina's own tolls do not change with the agent you name.

Agent route calculator

Each agent fare is paired with the state tolls that repeat. The opening fee is not in the total.

South Carolina and the stops on either side of it

Mile	State	Yearly state fees
1st	New Mexico	$0
1st	Ohio	$0
1st	South Carolina	$0
1st	Texas	$0
11th	New York	$4.50

The entire route map is at Registered agent rules by state, lightest tolls first.

South Carolina registered agent rules in the state's own words

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.

Eligible agents: 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. Source of the rule: S.C. Code § 33-44-108.

Keeping a South Carolina LLC on the road, 2026

There is no South Carolina report to clear, which leaves the agent fare as the cost that repeats.

Basis for the order

SC Registered Agent.org pulled ahead of South Carolina Registered Agent.co on three-year charge on the route, weighted 35%.

Three laps with SC Registered Agent.org cost $297 in provider fares, $150 less than Mainstay Filing.

South Carolina FAQ

Does every South Carolina LLC have to carry a registered agent?

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

Who is allowed to serve as the registered agent on a South Carolina route?

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 registered agent service cost per year for South Carolina?

The agents on this route charge $99 to $149 a year.

What does the state toll an LLC every year?

Nothing. South Carolina collects no yearly report toll, so no state charge recurs.

Which registered agents are on this route?

SC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), in ranked order along the route.

Which registered agent should I take?

Start at SC Registered Agent.org: a South Carolina-only fare: $99 a year, $99 later. Further along, South Carolina Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing.

Other routes

Survey markers for this route

Survey marker

Marker, via scstatehouse.gov: S.C, logged August 2026.
Marker, via dor.sc.gov: South Carolina Secretary of State for formation, logged August 2026.
Marker, via dor.sc.gov: South Carolina Secretary of State for formation, logged August 2026.
Marker, via dor.sc.gov: South Carolina yearly filing: Annual report, official source, logged October 2026.
Marker, via sos.nm.gov: New Mexico Secretary of State, Corporations and Business, logged August 2026.
Marker, via sos.nm.gov: New Mexico Secretary of State, Corporations and Business, logged August 2026.
Marker, via ohiosos.gov: Ohio Secretary of State, logged August 2026.
Marker, via ohiosos.gov: Ohio Secretary of State, logged August 2026.
Marker, via comptroller.texas.gov: Texas yearly filing: Annual report, official source, logged October 2026.
Marker, via dos.ny.gov: New York Department of State, Division of Corporations, logged August 2026.
Marker, via filing.dos.ny.gov: New York Department of State, Division of Corporations, logged August 2026.
SC Registered Agent.org (pricing page), survey of November 12, 2026
South Carolina Registered Agent.co (pricing page), survey of November 12, 2026
Mainstay Filing (South Carolina service page), survey of November 12, 2026