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How to start an LLC in South Carolina

Every step to form your LLC in South Carolina, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$110
Regular report
None
What you file
Articles of Organization
Where
The South Carolina Secretary of State

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in South Carolina

Filing Articles of Organization with the South Carolina Secretary of State$110
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the South Carolina Secretary of State's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    Every LLC in South Carolina needs a registered agent: a person who lives in South Carolina, or a company allowed to do business there, with a street address in the state, to receive legal papers and state notices. Your agent also signs your Articles of Organization.

  3. With the state

    File your Articles of Organization

    File them with the South Carolina Secretary of State on Business Entities Online. The state's fee is $110; filing online may add a small service fee. Once they're filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  5. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Articles of Organization are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  6. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    If you'll sell goods or taxable services, or hire employees, register with the South Carolina Department of Revenue on MyDORWAY. Selling at retail needs a Retail License: $50, one for each location. Employers also register with the Department of Employment and Workforce.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  7. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    South Carolina has no statewide business license, but each city and county may have its own: get yours from your city or town before you start. Local licenses run from May 1 to April 30 and are renewed each year.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  8. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization and your EIN.

Questions about an LLC in South Carolina

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

The state's fee to file Articles of Organization is $110. There's no regular report to file with the state. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does South Carolina require a yearly report for an LLC?

No. South Carolina doesn't ask an LLC for a regular report. Its other steps, below, still apply, and so do its taxes.

Can I form an LLC in South Carolina myself?

Yes. You file Articles of Organization with the South Carolina Secretary of State and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from South Carolina's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

South Carolina's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states