Start a Free LLC in South Carolina

Per the South Carolina Secretary of State, as of September 2026, South Carolina charges $110 to file the Articles of Organization. South Carolina does not require an annual report, so there is no recurring report fee. With LLC Register, formation is included in the $99-a-year South Carolina registered agent service, so year one costs $209.

Online filings take about 1–2 business days. South Carolina does not offer paid expedited processing for LLC formations. Your LLC exists once the state accepts your filing.

To start an LLC in South Carolina, choose an available name, appoint a South Carolina registered agent, and file the Articles of Organization with the South Carolina Secretary of State for $110. Then sign an operating agreement, get a free EIN from the IRS, open a business bank account and register for any state taxes. LLC Register files it for you as part of the $99-a-year registered agent service.

Yes. You can file online through Business Entities Online, or by mailing the paper Articles of Organization (Form F0006) to the Secretary of State. The Articles of Organization costs $110.

In South Carolina you form an LLC by filing the Articles of Organization (Form F0006) with the South Carolina Secretary of State. Other states call this document the articles of organization or the certificate of formation. The filing fee is $110.

No. South Carolina does not offer paid expedited processing for LLC formations. Online filings take about 1–2 business days.

Use the South Carolina Secretary of State's free online business name search to check whether your LLC name is available. Your South Carolina LLC name must include "limited liability company," "limited company" or an abbreviation such as "LLC," "L.L.C.," "LC" or "L.C." It must be distinguishable from every other business name on file with the Secretary of State.

Your South Carolina LLC name must include "limited liability company," "limited company" or an abbreviation such as "LLC," "L.L.C.," "LC" or "L.C." It must be distinguishable from every other business name on file with the Secretary of State. The rules are set by the South Carolina Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, Title 33, Chapter 44.

Yes. You can reserve a name for $25 with Form F0038; the reservation lasts 120 days and cannot be renewed. A reservation is optional; filing the formation document also secures the name.

Yes. Every South Carolina LLC must have a registered agent. Your registered agent must have a physical street address in South Carolina and be a state resident individual, or a domestic or authorized foreign corporation or LLC. The statute requires a physical office rather than a mail drop.

Yes. A member or manager who resides in South Carolina can serve as the LLC's own registered agent, as long as they keep a physical street address in the state. Your address becomes public record, and someone must be there during business hours to accept legal papers.

Not as your registered agent's address. Your registered agent must have a physical street address in South Carolina and be a state resident individual, or a domestic or authorized foreign corporation or LLC. The statute requires a physical office rather than a mail drop. A PO box can usually serve as a mailing address, but the registered agent needs a physical address in South Carolina.

File the Notice of Change of Designated Office or Agent for Service of Process, or Address of Agent, Limited Liability Company with the South Carolina Secretary of State. The fee is $15.

Serving as your own South Carolina registered agent is free if you qualify. Commercial registered agents charge a yearly fee. LLC Register's South Carolina registered agent service is $99 a year and includes LLC formation and annual report filing.

No. South Carolina does not require LLCs to file an annual report. South Carolina has no franchise, privilege or license fee for an LLC taxed as a partnership or disregarded entity, which is the default. Only an LLC that elects to be taxed as a corporation owes the state's corporate license fee, with a $25 minimum, alongside the corporate income tax.

South Carolina has no franchise, privilege or license fee for an LLC taxed as a partnership or disregarded entity, which is the default. Only an LLC that elects to be taxed as a corporation owes the state's corporate license fee, with a $25 minimum, alongside the corporate income tax.

By default a South Carolina LLC's profits pass through to the members' individual income tax returns. As of January 1, 2026 the state taxes individual income at 1.99% up to $30,000 and 5.21% above that amount. Federally, a single-member LLC is taxed like a sole proprietorship and a multi-member LLC like a partnership, unless it elects to be taxed as a corporation.

If you sell taxable goods or services, register for a Retail License with the Department of Revenue through MyDORWAY. Online-only sellers without a storefront still need one.

Before you hire, register for unemployment insurance with the Department of Employment and Workforce and for income tax withholding with the Department of Revenue through MyDORWAY. You also need an EIN from the IRS before you run payroll.

It depends on your industry and location: South Carolina regulates some professions and activities through state licenses, and many cities and counties require local business licenses. Start with the South Carolina Business One Stop (SCBOS).

South Carolina does not require an operating agreement, and you never file one with the state. It may be written or oral, though it cannot waive the statutory duties of loyalty, care and good faith. LLC Register includes an operating agreement with every South Carolina LLC it forms.

You need an EIN if your LLC has employees or more than one member, and most banks ask for one to open a business account. A single-member LLC without employees can use the owner's Social Security number for federal taxes, but an EIN keeps it off business paperwork.

Apply for free on the IRS website once the state has approved your LLC; online applicants receive the EIN immediately. Owners without a Social Security number can apply with Form SS-4 by fax or mail.

Yes. You do not have to live in South Carolina or be a U.S. citizen to form a South Carolina LLC. You do need a registered agent with a physical address in South Carolina. Non-U.S. owners without a Social Security number apply for an EIN with IRS Form SS-4.

Yes. South Carolina allows an LLC with a single owner. By default the IRS taxes a single-member LLC like a sole proprietorship, reported on the owner's personal return.

No. South Carolina's LLC Act does not provide for series LLCs.

No. South Carolina has no separate professional LLC entity type; a licensed professional can typically organize as a regular LLC subject to their licensing board's rules, or form a professional association or professional corporation instead.

No. South Carolina does not require newspaper publication to form an LLC.

Order a Certificate of Existence from the South Carolina Secretary of State for $10. Banks, lenders and other states often ask for one as proof your LLC is current with the state.

An LLC formed in another state registers to do business in South Carolina by filing the Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business, Foreign Limited Liability Company with the South Carolina Secretary of State. The fee is $110, and the LLC needs a South Carolina registered agent.

File the Articles of Amendment with the South Carolina Secretary of State for $110. Amend when you change your LLC's name or other information in the formation document.

File the Articles of Termination (Form F0045) with the South Carolina Secretary of State for $10. Before you file, wind up the business: pay debts, close tax accounts and distribute what is left to the members.

South Carolina has no statewide assumed-name filing for an LLC. Trade-name recording, if your county offers it, is handled and priced locally by the county Register of Deeds. A DBA lets your LLC trade under another name without forming a new company.

Yes. An eligible LLC can elect S corporation tax status by filing IRS Form 2553. The election can reduce self-employment tax once profits are high enough to pay yourself a reasonable salary. By default a South Carolina LLC's profits pass through to the members' individual income tax returns. As of January 1, 2026 the state taxes individual income at 1.99% up to $30,000 and 5.21% above that amount.

An LLC separates your personal assets from business debts and lawsuits, keeps pass-through taxation, and needs less paperwork than a corporation. In South Carolina it costs $110 to form, with no annual report to file.

A sole proprietorship costs nothing to start, but you are personally liable for the business's debts. A South Carolina LLC costs $110 to form and protects your personal assets, with the same pass-through taxes by default.

Usually not if your business operates in South Carolina. An out-of-state LLC doing business here must also register as a foreign LLC in South Carolina for $110 and keep a South Carolina registered agent, so you pay two states' fees.

No. Formation is included in the $99-a-year South Carolina registered agent service. The state still charges its $110 filing fee, which we pass through at cost.

For $99 a year plus the $110 state fee: South Carolina LLC formation in year one, a South Carolina registered agent, an operating agreement, and ongoing compliance reminders. Renewal is $99 a year. State fees are passed through at cost.

No. FinCEN has exempted companies created in the United States from beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting. Only foreign companies registered to do business in a U.S. state still have to report.

The South Carolina Secretary of State, Business Filings Division, handles LLC formations, amendments and annual filings. Its office is at 1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201.

Yes, you should. Mixing business and personal money can weaken the liability protection your LLC gives you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization, your EIN and your operating agreement.