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Formation Scorecard

Registered agent scorecard · South Carolina

3 Best Registered Agents in South Carolina (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for registered agents in South Carolina the order reads Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), SC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: $149 yearly for an agent that fits a company in one state or in fifty, with the first three government mailings each year scanned free.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick in South Carolina

1. Mainstay Filing: best for every state

9.1 Editor score out of 10
$149 a year, no change on renewal

Mainstay Filing leads the card: $149 a year with no bump at renewal, and papers served on the company are scanned the same business day for free.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $150 above SC Registered Agent.org's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • A registered office address in whichever state you need
  • Served papers scanned and uploaded the day they arrive, free
  • Free scans for three government mailings a year
  • Compliance reminders

Strengths

  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • First three government mailings each year scanned free
  • $149 a year with no renewal step-up
  • Fits LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

Watch for

  • Agent service alone costs $50 a year more than SC Registered Agent.org
  • You file your own annual report on the agent-only plan
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Best for a South Carolina-only company

2. SC Registered Agent.org: best for the lowest yearly rate on this list

8.8 Editor score out of 10
$99 a year, no change on renewal

SC Registered Agent.org takes second spot: $99 a year, steady at renewal, and the lowest yearly price on this list.

Under SC Registered Agent.org, the registered office sits at an in-state street address, and served legal papers are scanned for you online.

What you get

  • The in-state street address the state expects on file
  • Legal papers served on the company are scanned and sent to your online account

Strengths

  • Yearly price below Mainstay Filing's
  • $99 annually, same when it renews
  • Offers formation with a free first agent year

Watch for

  • Limited to South Carolina; other states need another agent
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. SC Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #3 South Carolina only

3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for South Carolina-based companies

8.7 Editor score out of 10
$99 a year, no change on renewal

South Carolina Registered Agent.co takes third spot: $99 a year, steady at renewal, and the lowest yearly price on this list.

South Carolina Registered Agent.co stands in as the company's registered office, receives served papers and posts scans of them to your online account.

The published prices and features do not separate SC Registered Agent.org from South Carolina Registered Agent.co; choose whichever you like.

What you get

  • A state street address serving as the registered office
  • Online scans of each legal paper served on the company

Strengths

  • Undercuts Mainstay Filing on yearly price
  • $99 a year and no renewal bump
  • Forms LLCs too, with year-one agent service free

Watch for

  • Limited to South Carolina; other states need another agent
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Yearly cost Renews at Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.1 $149 $149/yr An agent for every state Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 SC Registered Agent.org 8.8 $99 $99/yr The lowest yearly price we rank here Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 South Carolina Registered Agent.co 8.7 $99 $99/yr The lowest yearly price we rank here Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The marks out of 10 come from our editors and follow the weights on How we rank; none of them is a customer rating.

South Carolina registered agent cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Holds its price at renewal
Mainstay Filing $149 $149 $149 $447 Yes
SC Registered Agent.org $99 $99 $99 $297 Yes
South Carolina Registered Agent.co $99 $99 $99 $297 Yes

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. South Carolina charges its own fees the same way whichever agent you name.

What broke the tie

Points here: 25% for cost across three years, 25% for coverage of the price and 50% across renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity. South Carolina came down to coverage of the price.

The Mainstay agent plan earns more coverage points: papers served on the company are scanned the same business day for free, one price holds in all fifty states and three government mailings a year are scanned at no charge. SC Registered Agent.org wins on cost, so the two finish close.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

What South Carolina Secretary of State requires of a South Carolina registered agent (official)

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. Statute: S.C. Code § 33-44-108.

South Carolina and the yearly report question

South Carolina has no yearly LLC report to file. The ongoing task is keeping a registered agent on record, and state notices go to that agent's address.

South Carolina registered agent: quick questions

Is a South Carolina LLC obliged to keep a registered agent?

It is. South Carolina wants every LLC to have a registered agent on file, and that agent must hold a street address inside the state.

What is the going yearly rate for a registered agent in South Carolina?

Yearly prices span $99 to $149, and each service holds its price when it renews.

Is it allowed to serve as my own registered agent?

Yes, if you satisfy the state's conditions. 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 sit on this card?

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), SC Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), top to bottom.

What does a registered agent actually do?

The registered agent is where lawsuits, subpoenas and state notices are officially delivered. It accepts them for the company and forwards them, and each plan on this card scans them to your online account.

Which South Carolina registered agent scores best on value?

Mainstay Filing, since a $149 agent plan that travels to any state, renewing at $149.

Related pages

Where the figures come from

  1. S.C. Code § 33-44-202 and § 33-44-203, as of August 2026
  2. Read on November 12, 2026: South Carolina service page for Mainstay Filing
  3. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for SC Registered Agent.org
  4. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for South Carolina Registered Agent.co