How much does it cost to start an LLC in South Carolina?

The South Carolina LLC filing fee is $110, paid to the South Carolina Secretary of State when submitting your Articles of Organization. Because South Carolina has no annual report requirement, that $110 is the only mandatory state fee your LLC will ever owe, for example, a Charleston-based LLC formed in 2026 will still have paid just $110 total in state fees by 2031, with no recurring filing costs in between. Additional costs may include registered agent services, operating agreement preparation, and any local business license fees required by your city or county. Exception: South Carolina municipalities often impose local business license fees that are charged annually and are separate from any state-level filing costs, so check with your local government. Members pay 1.99% below $30,000 of taxable income and 5.21% above it. File online through the Secretary of State's portal to begin your formation today.

How long does it take to form an LLC in South Carolina?

South Carolina publishes no standard processing time for Articles of Organization, so nobody can honestly quote you one. South Carolina publishes no standard processing time; the Secretary of State says only that "online filing provides faster processing time" than paper and lets you save and correct a filing until it is accepted. The South Carolina Secretary of State also publishes no paid expedite option, so there is no way to buy a guaranteed date either. File online where the state offers it. Every state that discusses the difference says online is faster than mail, and treat any specific day count you see quoted for South Carolina as unsourced.

Should a South Carolina LLC have an operating agreement?

This page has not confirmed whether South Carolina law requires an LLC to have an operating agreement, so it does not answer yes or no. A written agreement signed by every member is worth having either way. An operating agreement establishes each member's ownership percentage, voting rights, profit distribution method, and procedures for resolving disputes, adding members, or dissolving the LLC. For example, a two-member South Carolina LLC without an operating agreement that disagrees on a profit distribution may have no agreed framework for resolution and may have to rely on South Carolina's default statutory rules, which may not match what the founders intended. Exception: single-member LLCs also benefit from operating agreements because banks, lenders, and courts frequently request one to confirm the legal separation between the owner and the business, a critical factor in preserving LLC liability protection. Draft yours before or immediately after your Articles of Organization are approved.

Does South Carolina require annual reports for LLCs?

No, South Carolina doesn't require annual reports or any recurring state filings for LLCs. Once your Articles of Organization are filed with the South Carolina Secretary of State and approved, your LLC remains in good standing indefinitely with no mandatory annual paperwork or state fees, for example, a Columbia-based LLC formed in 2026 won't owe any state annual report filings in 2027, 2028, or future years under current law. This places South Carolina among only seven states in the country that impose no ongoing annual state filing requirements on LLCs, making it one of the most administratively friendly states for long-term business ownership. Exception: while there are no annual reports, you must keep your registered agent information current with the Secretary of State; if your agent changes, update the state promptly to avoid missing critical legal notices that could result in a default judgment.

Can I be my own registered agent in South Carolina?

Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in South Carolina if you've a physical South Carolina street address, not a P.O. box, and are reliably available during normal business hours to receive legal documents and official state correspondence on behalf of your LLC. When filing Articles of Organization with the South Carolina Secretary of State, you simply list your own name and South Carolina address as the registered agent. For example, a Greenville-based LLC owner with a fixed office location can serve as their own agent at no additional cost. Exception: if you operate from a home office and prefer not to have your personal residential address publicly listed on South Carolina business records, or if your schedule prevents consistent weekday daytime availability, a professional registered agent service is the better option. Professional services charge a yearly fee and provide mail forwarding, compliance reminders, and reliable availability year-round.

What business licenses do I need for my South Carolina LLC?

Business license requirements for a South Carolina LLC vary by industry, business activity, and location. There's no single statewide general business license. Common licensing needs include a local business license issued by your city or county, professional licenses for regulated industries such as contracting, healthcare, or financial services, and a sales tax permit from the South Carolina Department of Revenue if your LLC sells taxable goods or services. For example, an LLC operating a retail shop in Columbia must obtain both a Richland County business license and a South Carolina retail license from the Department of Revenue before opening. Articles of Organization are filed with the South Carolina Secretary of State, but professional licenses are issued by separate state boards. Exception: some South Carolina municipalities charge annual business license fees based on gross revenue rather than flat fees, which can add meaningful ongoing costs beyond the state filing fee. Always check with your specific city or county for local requirements.

How to Start an LLC in South Carolina: Complete 2026 Guide

Form your South Carolina LLC with our step-by-step process. South Carolina requires no annual report, so there's nothing recurring to file.

By Edmond Hui · Last updated: October 2026

Filing an LLC in South Carolina costs $110 upfront and has no annual report fee. South Carolina publishes no standard processing time. See breakdown below.

South Carolina is one of only 7 states in the U.S. with no annual report requirement for LLCs

This means significant long-term savings and less administrative burden compared to most other states. Once your LLC is formed, you've no mandatory state filings to maintain good standing.

Source: MyStateLLC 50-state analysis 2026

Read this guide for another state:

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Form your LLC with Northwest ($39 + state fee)Includes a year of registered agent service. After year one, registered agent service is $125/yr. That also enrolls you by default in Northwest's renewal service, which charges your saved payment method $100, plus any state fee or tax it pays for you, each time it handles a state filing for you, cancellable any time.

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Quick Facts

State filing fee	$110
Processing time	Not published by the state
Annual report due	None required
Annual report fee	$0
State income tax	Members pay 1.99% below $30,000 of taxable income and 5.21% above it

Source: South Carolina Secretary of State (verified June 2026)

Step diagram for forming an LLC in South Carolina, showing the 7 required steps, $110 state filing fee, $0 annual report. — The 7 steps to form an LLC in South Carolina, with the state's own filing fee and annual report cost. Source: South Carolina Secretary of State, verified June 2026.

How to Form an LLC: Step-by-Step

1
Choose Your LLC Name
Select a unique name that includes 'LLC' or 'Limited Liability Company' and isn't already taken in South Carolina. Search the South Carolina Secretary of State's business entity database to verify availability.
How to search South Carolina's business entity records →
Pro tip: Reserve your name for 120 days by filing a Name Reservation Application with a $10 fee if you're not ready to file immediately.
2
Choose a Registered Agent
Appoint a registered agent with a South Carolina street address who can receive legal documents during business hours. This can be yourself, another person, or a professional service.
South Carolina registered agent rules, costs and options →
Pro tip: A professional registered agent service puts its address, not yours, on the registered agent line of the public filing, and accepts legal papers during business hours.
3
File Articles of Organization
Submit your Articles of Organization to the South Carolina Secretary of State online or by mail with the $110 filing fee.
What You File in South Carolina
In South Carolina, the formation document is the Articles of Organization (Form F0006), filed with the South Carolina Secretary of State. The state filing fee is $110. South Carolina lets you fill in and file the Articles of Organization online. The form itself requires the LLC's name, the registered agent's name, the registered office address, the organizer's name and the registered agent's consent. Every line of the Articles of Organization, field by field →
Processing Times
- Online: Not published, South Carolina Secretary of State states no standard turnaround for online filings
- Mail: Not published, South Carolina Secretary of State states no standard turnaround for mailed filings, and every state that comments says mail is slower than online
- Expedited: No paid expedite option is published for LLC filings
4
Create an Operating Agreement
Draft an operating agreement outlining ownership percentages, management structure, and operational procedures. This page has not confirmed whether South Carolina law requires an LLC to have an operating agreement. A written agreement signed by every member is worth having either way: it records who owns what share, who makes decisions and how profits are divided.
South Carolina LLC operating agreement: what to include →
5
Get an EIN from the IRS
Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) directly through the IRS website at no cost. Most banks ask for this federal tax ID to open a business bank account, and the IRS requires one if the LLC hires employees, owes certain employment or excise taxes, or is taxed as a partnership or corporation.
How to get your LLC's EIN from the IRS, free →
6
Open a Business Bank Account
Open a dedicated business bank account using your EIN and Articles of Organization. This separates your personal and business finances, which matters for maintaining your LLC's liability protection.
Business bank accounts for South Carolina LLCs →
7
Obtain Required Licenses and Permits
Research and obtain any business licenses or permits required for your specific industry. Check with both South Carolina state agencies and your local city or county for applicable requirements.
Does your South Carolina LLC need a business license? →

Watch: How to Start an LLC in South Carolina (2026): Step-by-Step Guide

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each Secretary of State publishes for forming an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

: The South Carolina LLC filing fee is $110, paid to the South Carolina Secretary of State when submitting your Articles of Organization. Because South Carolina has no annual report requirement, that $110 is the only mandatory state fee your LLC will ever owe, for example, a Charleston-based LLC formed in 2026 will still have paid just $110 total in state fees by 2031, with no recurring filing costs in between. Additional costs may include registered agent services, operating agreement preparation, and any local business license fees required by your city or county. Exception: South Carolina municipalities often impose local business license fees that are charged annually and are separate from any state-level filing costs, so check with your local government. Members pay 1.99% below $30,000 of taxable income and 5.21% above it. File online through the Secretary of State's portal to begin your formation today.
: South Carolina publishes no standard processing time for Articles of Organization, so nobody can honestly quote you one. South Carolina publishes no standard processing time; the Secretary of State says only that "online filing provides faster processing time" than paper and lets you save and correct a filing until it is accepted. The South Carolina Secretary of State also publishes no paid expedite option, so there is no way to buy a guaranteed date either. File online where the state offers it. Every state that discusses the difference says online is faster than mail, and treat any specific day count you see quoted for South Carolina as unsourced.
: This page has not confirmed whether South Carolina law requires an LLC to have an operating agreement, so it does not answer yes or no. A written agreement signed by every member is worth having either way. An operating agreement establishes each member's ownership percentage, voting rights, profit distribution method, and procedures for resolving disputes, adding members, or dissolving the LLC. For example, a two-member South Carolina LLC without an operating agreement that disagrees on a profit distribution may have no agreed framework for resolution and may have to rely on South Carolina's default statutory rules, which may not match what the founders intended. Exception: single-member LLCs also benefit from operating agreements because banks, lenders, and courts frequently request one to confirm the legal separation between the owner and the business, a critical factor in preserving LLC liability protection. Draft yours before or immediately after your Articles of Organization are approved.
: No, South Carolina doesn't require annual reports or any recurring state filings for LLCs. Once your Articles of Organization are filed with the South Carolina Secretary of State and approved, your LLC remains in good standing indefinitely with no mandatory annual paperwork or state fees, for example, a Columbia-based LLC formed in 2026 won't owe any state annual report filings in 2027, 2028, or future years under current law. This places South Carolina among only seven states in the country that impose no ongoing annual state filing requirements on LLCs, making it one of the most administratively friendly states for long-term business ownership. Exception: while there are no annual reports, you must keep your registered agent information current with the Secretary of State; if your agent changes, update the state promptly to avoid missing critical legal notices that could result in a default judgment.
: Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in South Carolina if you've a physical South Carolina street address, not a P.O. box, and are reliably available during normal business hours to receive legal documents and official state correspondence on behalf of your LLC. When filing Articles of Organization with the South Carolina Secretary of State, you simply list your own name and South Carolina address as the registered agent. For example, a Greenville-based LLC owner with a fixed office location can serve as their own agent at no additional cost. Exception: if you operate from a home office and prefer not to have your personal residential address publicly listed on South Carolina business records, or if your schedule prevents consistent weekday daytime availability, a professional registered agent service is the better option. Professional services charge a yearly fee and provide mail forwarding, compliance reminders, and reliable availability year-round.
: Business license requirements for a South Carolina LLC vary by industry, business activity, and location. There's no single statewide general business license. Common licensing needs include a local business license issued by your city or county, professional licenses for regulated industries such as contracting, healthcare, or financial services, and a sales tax permit from the South Carolina Department of Revenue if your LLC sells taxable goods or services. For example, an LLC operating a retail shop in Columbia must obtain both a Richland County business license and a South Carolina retail license from the Department of Revenue before opening. Articles of Organization are filed with the South Carolina Secretary of State, but professional licenses are issued by separate state boards. Exception: some South Carolina municipalities charge annual business license fees based on gross revenue rather than flat fees, which can add meaningful ongoing costs beyond the state filing fee. Always check with your specific city or county for local requirements.

Sources

4 documents

Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified South Carolina sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.

sos.sc.gov/online-filings/business-entitiesSouth Carolina Secretary of State: business entity filings
scstatehouse.gov/code/t33c044.phpSouth Carolina LLC filing fees
scstatehouse.gov/code/t12c020.phpSouth Carolina statute: Annual Report and License Fee
dor.sc.gov/business-income-taxes/corporateSouth Carolina Department of Revenue: file the Annual Report and License Fee

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Prefer to file directly? File yourself at the Secretary of State → ($110 state fee, no service fee)

Not sure which service is right? Compare formation services →

Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.

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Quick Facts

How to Form an LLC: Step-by-Step

Choose Your LLC Name

Choose a Registered Agent

File Articles of Organization

What You File in South Carolina

Processing Times

Create an Operating Agreement

Get an EIN from the IRS

Open a Business Bank Account

Obtain Required Licenses and Permits