Best Registered Agent by State › South Carolina
Registered agent in South Carolina: requirements, real cost and our pick
Our pick for South Carolina is Mainstay Filing: $149 a year, the same at renewal. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What South Carolina requires
Checked October 20, 2026.
Our pick and the field
| Provider | Year 1 | Renewal | What the page lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | Registered agent all year; service of process scanned and uploaded the same business day |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | $199 | Document receipt, scanning and upload to a dashboard; email notifications |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 | $159 | Documents delivered to a client portal; annual report reminders |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125 | $125 | Its address on public filings; scans of state and legal mail; up to 5 pieces of other business mail scanned free a year; domain, website, email and phone line |
| ResidentAgents.com | $129 | $129 | Service of process received and scanned the same business day |
| InCorp Services | $129 | $129 | Same-day electronic service of process; compliance calendar; entity monitoring |
| Bizee | $149 | $149 | Compliance notifications; its address on the public record |
| Standard Filings | $199 | $199 | Its page says $199/yr in any state. |
| LegalZoom | $249 | $249 | Alerts when mail arrives; documents scanned and uploaded; annual report reminders |
What an agent does and doesn’t do here
It takes service of process and official state mail. It is not a business mailing address, and cannot stand in for one, for example for bank verification. See the full list.
Why prices differ so much in South Carolina
Published year-one prices here run $99 to $249, a $150 spread. ZenBusiness is lowest in year one and Northwest Registered Agent lowest at renewal. Three things drive the spread: a first-year price that renews higher, a free year that needs a formation order, and what is bundled, from scanning to annual-report reminders. Compare the renewal column, not the first one.
What is the best registered agent in South Carolina?
Mainstay Filing: $149 a year, the same at renewal. 8 other providers have a published South Carolina price, from $99 to $249 in year one.
Can I be my own registered agent in South Carolina?
The company cannot be its own agent here, so someone else, or a commercial agent, has to be named. 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.
How do I change my registered agent in South Carolina?
File the state’s change form with South Carolina Secretary of State; the fee is $10 (S.C. Code § 33-44-108).