What is different about forming an LLC in South Carolina.
Every state runs its own filing office, its own fee schedule and its own ongoing obligations. These are the ones that apply in South Carolina.
| Item | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| LLC filing fee | $110 | Paid to the state, at cost. File.Business charges $0 to prepare and file it. |
| Corporation, for comparison | $135 | |
| Nonprofit | $25 | |
| Professional LLC (PLLC) | $110 | |
| Series LLC | Not offered | South Carolina has no Series LLC filing. |
| Ongoing state report for an LLC | None | South Carolina LLCs file no annual report. |
| Registering an out-of-state LLC here | $110 | A certificate of good standing from your home state is required. Filed on the Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in the State of South Carolina (F0002), and the equivalent LLC application (F0008). |
What the South Carolina fee schedule actually says
South Carolina LLCs file nothing with the Secretary of State. Corporations file the annual report as Schedule D of the corporate income tax return with the Department of Revenue, and there is no separate report fee, but a corporate License Fee of one tenth of one percent of capital stock and paid in surplus plus 15 dollars applies with a 25 dollar minimum. A 25 dollar CL-1 initial report goes to the Secretary of State with the Articles of Incorporation or the foreign Certificate of Authority, and that 25 dollars is already inside the 135 dollar corporate filing fee.
Verified 2026-08-17 · against the South Carolina Secretary of State downloadable forms fee list, forms F0001 and F0002, the SOS business entity FAQ and the SCDOR corporate FAQ
What forming an LLC in South Carolina actually involves.
Articles of Organization
The Articles of Organization is the founding South Carolina document. We prepare and file with the SOS using your entity name, organizer info, RA, and member structure.
~5 day South Carolina processing
South Carolina SOS typically processes standard LLC filings in 5 business days. Expedited options available for an extra state fee (varies $25-$200).
Registered Agent included
South Carolina requires every LLC to maintain a Registered Agent. RA service is included year one in every formation bundle.
EIN from the IRS
Your South Carolina LLC needs a federal EIN for banking, taxes, and payroll. We file Form SS-4 with the IRS, typically 1-2 business days, faster than DIY filings.
Operating Agreement
South Carolina doesn't require filing an Operating Agreement with the SOS, but every South Carolina LLC needs one to define member rights, voting, profit splits, and dissolution rules. Included in Domestic Complete.
Year-one compliance
Forming the LLC is step one. South Carolina requires ongoing compliance: No annual report (LLC) (No filing required), state tax registrations, license renewals. Domestic Complete includes year-one AR AutoFile.
A clean handoff, in 6 steps.
Pick your South Carolina LLC name
We check South Carolina SOS name availability live. Your chosen name must include "LLC" or variant and not conflict with existing South Carolina registrations.
Designate Registered Agent
Every South Carolina LLC needs a RA with a physical South Carolina address. We provide one (included year one) or you can designate your own.
Prepare Articles of Organization
Member info, RA, principal office, management structure (member-managed vs manager-managed), effective date. We draft and review with you.
File with South Carolina SOS
Submitted electronically with $110 state fee. 5-day standard processing. State-stamped Articles return to your BOS vault.
EIN + Operating Agreement
After SOS acceptance: IRS EIN application (1-2 days), Operating Agreement drafted, S-Corp election if requested (Form 2553).
Year-one compliance setup
South Carolina No annual report (LLC) added to your calendar (due No filing required). RA active. Compliance Score baseline established.
Formation is free. Everything else is optional.
We do not charge a service fee to form your LLC or Corporation. State filing fees still apply and pass through at cost. Add the Compliance Bundle to handle the year-one filings everyone needs.
- LLC or Corporation formation (any state)
- EIN application with the IRS
- Articles of Organization or Incorporation drafted and filed
- Free BOS dashboard for ongoing visibility
- Filing receipts to your document vault
- Everything in Free Formation (no add-on fee)
- Registered Agent service in your state (1 entity)
- Annual Report AutoFile, filed every year on time
- Certificate of Good Standing (1 included per year)
- 1 Amendment included per year (address, member, name)
- Operating Agreement (LLC) or Bylaws (Corp)
- Deadline monitoring across all your filings
Common questions.
Do I need to live in South Carolina to form an LLC there?
No. You do not need to live in South Carolina or be a resident to form an LLC there. What South Carolina requires is a registered agent with a physical in-state address to receive legal mail, which we provide, or you can act as your own if you have a South Carolina address and are available in business hours. Where you live does not limit where you can form.
What is the difference between an LLC and a corporation in South Carolina?
An LLC is simpler and pass-through: profit lands on your personal return and there is little required formality, which suits most owners in South Carolina. A corporation is built to raise venture capital and issue stock, but it adds bylaws, a board, and annual meetings. If you plan to raise money, look at forming a corporation; otherwise the LLC-versus-corporation comparison lays out the tradeoffs.
Does South Carolina require an Operating Agreement?
South Carolina may not require you to file one, but you should have one. The Operating Agreement sets who owns what, who can sign, and what happens if an owner leaves, and it is the document that shows the LLC is a genuine separate entity, which protects your liability shield. Banks and lenders also ask for it. Generate one that fits your ownership with our Operating Agreement tool.
What about the EIN for my South Carolina LLC?
The EIN is your business's federal tax ID, and you need it to open a bank account, hire, or file taxes. It is free from the IRS, and we obtain it for you the same day, including for founders without a Social Security Number. Keeping the EIN separate from your SSN also keeps your personal number off vendor and client paperwork. Start with our EIN guide.
Can a foreign person form a South Carolina LLC?
Yes. You do not need to be a US citizen or resident to own or form a South Carolina LLC, and you never have to set foot in the state. The one extra step is the EIN, which we obtain from the IRS for you when you have no Social Security Number, and that unlocks US banking and payment processing. Our EIN guide is the right starting point for international founders.
What ongoing compliance does a South Carolina LLC require?
Forming is the start, not the finish. A South Carolina LLC generally files a periodic annual report, keeps a registered agent on record, and pays any state franchise tax. Miss the report and South Carolina can administratively dissolve the LLC, ending the protection you formed it for. A compliance calendar keeps every date in view, and our subscription can file them for you.
Can I change my South Carolina LLC name later?
Yes. If you outgrow the name or rebrand, you change it by filing Articles of Amendment with South Carolina, which updates the official record; your EIN and entity stay the same. If you would rather keep the legal name and operate under a different public name, a DBA does that without a full amendment. We handle either the amendment or the DBA for you.
Where to next?
Every filing connects into your File.Business operating system. Pick where to go from here: we keep the rest tracked. Or start by looking up any South Carolina company on the state record.
Up a level, or across to the neighbors.
Form an LLC by state
The national explainer above this page: what changes between jurisdictions, and why.
Open the hub → SectionForm a business
Every formation route, each with a page per state.
Open the section → StateSouth Carolina business filings
Every filing a business makes in South Carolina, gathered on one page.
Open South Carolina → In South CarolinaFamily LLC in South Carolina
The family LLC, state by state
Read the guide → In South CarolinaHow to form a corporation in South Carolina
How to form a corporation, state by state
Read the guide → In South CarolinaPLLC in South Carolina
The PLLC, state by state
Read the guide → In South CarolinaSeries LLC in South Carolina
Series LLC, state by state
Read the guide →