No.1
Best here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 yearly, no change
Score9.2out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. One plan at $149 a year goes wherever the company goes, renewing at $149.
Its three-year total exceeds South Carolina Registered Agent.co's by $150; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- An in-state street address on the public record
- Service of process scanned and uploaded within the same business day, at no charge
- Free scans of the first three government mailings each year
- Compliance reminders
Why pick it
- $149 a year, unchanged at renewal
- Accepts LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
Weak spots
- The agent plan runs $50 a year above South Carolina Registered Agent.co
- Unless you buy the formation package, you file the annual report
No.2
Best yearly price
2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for the least expensive year among these agents
$99 yearly, no change
Score8.8out of 10
Second place: South Carolina Registered Agent.co. It concentrates on South Carolina at $99 a year and supplies an in-state street address for the registered office.
South Carolina Registered Agent.co lends the company a state street address for its registered office and scans served legal papers to you online.
In the price
- A registered office with a street address in the state
- Legal papers served on the company are scanned to your account
Why pick it
- A lower yearly charge than Mainstay Filing
- LLC formation offered, year-one agent service included
- $99 annually, flat across renewals
Weak spots
- Built for South Carolina; elsewhere you need another agent
No.3
South Carolina-focused
3. SC Registered Agent.org: best for South Carolina specialists
$99 yearly, no change
Score8.5out of 10
Third place: SC Registered Agent.org. It concentrates on South Carolina at $99 a year and supplies an in-state street address for the registered office.
The registered office is SC Registered Agent.org's in-state street address, and you read whatever is served on the company as a scan in your account.
No difference in price or features separates South Carolina Registered Agent.co from SC Registered Agent.org; choose whichever you prefer.
In the price
- A registered office with a street address in the state
- Served legal papers are delivered to you as scans online
Why pick it
- Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing
- Also forms LLCs and includes the first agent year
- $99 per year, renewing at the same price
Weak spots
- Built for South Carolina; elsewhere you need another agent
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Yearly charge | Renewal | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.2 | $149 | $149/yr | An agent usable in all fifty states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | South Carolina Registered Agent.co | 8.8 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | SC Registered Agent.org | 8.5 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
Every mark out of 10 reflects the editorial team's reading of the criteria on
How we rank, not any customer rating.
South Carolina registered agent charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Price unchanged at renewal |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $149 | $447 | Yes |
|---|
| South Carolina Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
|---|
| SC Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. South Carolina's own fees are the same whichever agent is chosen.
The basis for the order
Two criteria carry 31% each in this ranking, charge over three years and work taken off the founder. Renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight share 38%, and in South Carolina the decisive one was work taken off the founder.
Mainstay's plan reaches further: papers served on the company are scanned within the same business day at no cost, the price is identical across all fifty states, and three government letters a year are scanned free. South Carolina Registered Agent.co charges less, so the margin is narrow.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
What South Carolina requires of a registered agent (source: South Carolina Secretary of State)
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. Authority: S.C. Code § 33-44-108.
Recurring duties once an agent is appointed in South Carolina
South Carolina sets no yearly LLC report. The standing duty is to keep a registered agent on record, because the state directs its notices there.
Questions on South Carolina registered agents
Is a South Carolina LLC obliged to appoint a registered agent?
Yes. South Carolina law expects every LLC to appoint a registered agent with a physical address in the state, and that appointment is public.
What is the going yearly rate for a South Carolina registered agent?
Yearly charges fall between $99 to $149, and every provider holds its price at renewal.
Is the owner permitted to serve as the registered agent?
Yes, when the state's conditions are met. 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.
Which registered agents were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and SC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), ruled upon in that order.
What is expected of a registered agent?
The registered agent is the company's address of record for lawsuits, subpoenas and state notices. It accepts them and passes them on, and each plan here delivers them to your online account as scans.
Which South Carolina registered agent does the record favor?
Mainstay Filing, since the charge is $149 a year whether the company stays in one state or spreads out, and three government letters a year are scanned at no cost.
The record
- S.C. Code § 33-44-202 and § 33-44-203, on the record as of August 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, South Carolina service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: South Carolina Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: SC Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026