South Carolina Articles of Organization: File for $110 (2026)
The Articles of Organization is the filing that creates your South Carolina LLC — $110 by mail, or $125 online, with online being the fastest option South Carolina offers since there's no separate expedited tier to pay extra for.
File Articles of Organization with the South Carolina Secretary of State to create your LLC. The fee is $110 by mail or $125 online (the state adds a $15 electronic records access fee for online filings). File through Business Entities Online at businessfilings.sc.gov, or by mail. Online processing typically runs 1–2 business days; mail takes 5–7 business days plus delivery time. South Carolina does not offer a separate expedited processing option — online filing is already the fastest route available.
- Filing fee (mail)
- $110
- Filing fee (online)
- $125 (+$15 electronic fee)
- Processing (online)
- ~1–2 business days
- Processing (mail)
- ~5–7 business days
- Expedited option?
- None — online is already fastest
- Agency
- Secretary of State
What the Articles of Organization Do
The Articles of Organization are your LLC's birth certificate. When the Secretary of State accepts your filing, your LLC exists: liability protection attaches, the name is claimed, and you can bank and contract as the company.
The Filing Walkthrough
Create an account with Business Entities Online
The Secretary of State's online portal at businessfilings.sc.gov handles formation and any future filings.
Start a new domestic LLC filing
The portal walks the Articles field by field and checks your name against state records.
Enter your details and pay $125
Name, registered agent and South Carolina address, organizer information; pay by card at submission.
Download your confirmed Articles
Typically approved within 1–2 business days. Save the approved filing the moment it issues — your bank requires it.
Every Line of the Articles
LLC name
With "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company," distinguishable on state records — verified in Step 1.
Registered agent & address
Name of your registered agent and their South Carolina street address.
Organizer signature
The person filing the Articles — doesn't have to be a member or manager.
Effective date (optional)
Usually immediate upon filing, though you can specify a delayed effective date if desired.
Payment
$110 by check/money order for mail filings, or $125 by card online (includes the $15 electronic records access fee).
Online vs. Mail: No Separate Expedite Fee Needed
South Carolina Filing Method Decision Tool
Since online is already the fast option, this is mostly a convenience decision
Online: $125, ~1–2 business days. Mail: $110, ~5–7 business days plus delivery time. No separate expedite tier exists — online is already the fastest South Carolina offers.
After Approval: Your Immediate Next Moves
- Save your confirmed Articles — banks require them alongside your EIN letter.
- Create your operating agreement — the document that overrides South Carolina's default rules.
- Get your free EIN at IRS.gov, then register with the South Carolina Department of Revenue as applicable.
- Check your local business license requirement — most cities and counties require one, separate from anything at the state level.
Ahmad Adil's Take: South Carolina's filing decision is genuinely simple — file online unless there's a specific reason not to, since it's both faster and the state doesn't offer a separate expedited tier to weigh against it. The $15 electronic records fee is a small, worthwhile trade for cutting your wait from about a week to 1–2 business days. Once you're approved, don't let the lack of a state annual report lull you into thinking you're fully done — your very next move should genuinely be checking your specific city and county's business license requirement, not assuming South Carolina's simplicity extends all the way down to the local level.
- ✓Forms your South Carolina LLC for $39 + the $110 state fee
- ✓Files online with the Secretary of State
- ✓Free South Carolina registered agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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South Carolina LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $110 Articles of Organization, the fact that most South Carolina LLCs never file an annual report, and the new 2026 two-rate income tax — reflect current South Carolina Secretary of State and Department of Revenue guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
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