S.C. Code Ann. tit. 33, ch. 42 (§§ 33-42-10 through 33-42-2140) - no annual report provision; the chapter fee statute § 33-42-2040 lists no annual report · source↗ (opens the official source)
Provenance - South Carolina fee schedule○Pending review
48 of 51 fee datums on this page are verified against the agency's own published schedule or statute (2026-09-04); the rest are marked pending review in the Status column - portal-surcharge components no official page states, values the official source contradicts (held for a correction package), or sources that could not be reached.
Values were first corroborated across independent internal records; verified cells now also carry the agency's own published schedule or statute as their authority, which is what promotion to verified requires.
Cost position
Ranked 15 of 54 on first-year state
filing cost, at $125.00 against a national median
of $185.00.
Recurring annual cost $0.
See the full ranking.
Where South Carolina sits among its neighbours in the first-year cost ranking (USD)Show all 54 jurisdictionsThe full ranking with South Carolina highlighted (USD)
Registered-agent statutes, quoted verbatim
The one section on this page that clears the publication gate in full. 11 citations, verified, quoted from the official code with every elision marked.
S.C. Code Ann. § 33-5-101
◎Verified
South Carolina Business Corporation Act of 1988 · applies to
corporations
Registered office and registered agent.Each corporation must continuously maintain in this State: (1) a registered office that may be the same as any of its places of business; and (2) a registered agent, who may be: (i) an individual who resides in this State and whose business office is identical with the registered office; (ii) a domestic corporation or not-for-profit domestic corporation whose business office is identical with the registered office; or (iii) a foreign corporation or not-for-profit foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state whose business office is identical with the registered office.
South Carolina Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 1996 · applies to
LLCs
Designated office and agent for service of process.(a) A limited liability company and a foreign limited liability company authorized to do business in this State shall designate and continuously maintain in this State: (1) an office, which need not be a place of business in this State; and (2) an agent and street address of the agent for service of process on the company. (b) An agent must be an individual resident of this State, a domestic corporation, another limited liability company, or a foreign corporation or foreign company authorized to do business in this State.
South Carolina Business Corporation Act of 1988 · applies to
corporations
Filing requirements.(a) A document must satisfy the requirements of this section, and of any other section that adds to or varies from these requirements, to be entitled to filing by the Secretary of State. [...] (d) The document must be in a medium and form as permitted by the Secretary of State.
South Carolina Business Corporation Act of 1988 · applies to
corporations
Articles of incorporation.(a) The articles of incorporation must set forth: (1) a corporate name for the corporation that satisfies the requirements of Section 33-4-101; (2) the number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue, itemized by classes; (3) the street address of the corporation's initial registered office and the name of its initial registered agent at that office; (4) the name and address of each incorporator; (5) the signature of each incorporator; and (6) a certificate, signed by an attorney licensed to practice in this State, that all of the requirements of this section have been complied with. [...]
South Carolina Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 1996 · applies to
LLCs
Organization.(a) One or more persons may organize a limited liability company, consisting of one or more members, by delivering articles of organization to the office of the Secretary of State for filing. (b) Unless a delayed effective date is specified, the existence of a limited liability company begins when the articles of organization are filed. (c) The filing of the articles of organization by the Secretary of State is conclusive proof that the organizers satisfied all conditions precedent to the creation of a limited liability company.
South Carolina Business Corporation Act of 1988 · applies to
corporations
Annual report.Every corporation organized under the laws of this State and every corporation qualified to do business in this State shall file an annual report as provided in Title 12.
South Carolina Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 1996 · applies to
LLCs
Grounds for administrative dissolution.The Secretary of State may commence a proceeding to dissolve a limited liability company administratively if the company does not pay a fee, tax, or penalty imposed by this chapter or other law within sixty days after it is due.
South Carolina Business Corporation Act of 1988 · applies to
corporations
Grounds for administrative dissolution.(a) The Secretary of State shall commence a proceeding under Section 33-14-210(a) to dissolve a corporation administratively if: (1) the corporation does not pay when they are due any franchise taxes, taxes payable under Chapter 7 of Title 12, or penalties imposed by law; (2) the corporation does not deliver its annual report to the Department of Revenue when it is due; (3) the corporation is without a registered agent or registered office in this State; [...]
South Carolina Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 1996 · applies to
LLCs
Grounds for administrative dissolution.The Secretary of State may commence a proceeding to dissolve a limited liability company administratively if the company does not pay a fee, tax, or penalty imposed by this chapter or other law within sixty days after it is due.
South Carolina Business Corporation Act of 1988 · applies to
corporations
Corporate name.(a) Except as otherwise authorized by either subsection (f) or (g), a corporate name: (1) must contain the word "corporation", "incorporated", "company", or "limited", the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", "co.", or "ltd.", or words or abbreviations of like import in another language; and (2) may not contain language stating or implying that the corporation is organized for a purpose other than that permitted by Section 33-3-101 and its articles of incorporation. (b) Except as authorized by subsections (c) and (d), a corporate name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from: (1) the corporate name of a corporation incorporated or authorized to transact business in this State; [...]
South Carolina Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 1996 · applies to
LLCs
Name.(a) The name of a limited liability company must contain "limited liability company" or "limited company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C.", "LLC", "L.C.", or "LC". "Limited" may be abbreviated as "Ltd.", and "company" may be abbreviated as "Co.". (b) Except as authorized by subsections (c) and (d), the name of a limited liability company must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from: (1) the name of any corporation, limited partnership, or company incorporated, organized or authorized to transact business, in this State; [...]
Administrative Dissolution. The Secretary of State must commence administrative dissolution of a domestic corporation that is without a registered agent or registered office, or that fails to notify the SOS of agent/office changes or resignation.
Other. Effect of administrative dissolution: the corporation continues to exist but may only wind up and liquidate; it gets 60 days after SOS notice to cure before dissolution.
No Court Access. A foreign corporation transacting business in SC without a certificate of authority (e.g., after revocation) may not maintain a proceeding in any SC court until it obtains one.
Civil Penalty. Civil penalty of $10 per day (capped at $1,000 per year) for a foreign corporation transacting business in SC without a certificate of authority.
Reinstatement Fee. Reinstatement after administrative dissolution costs $25 (corporation fee schedule; same $25 for LLCs under § 33-44-1204(a)(11)) and requires a Department of Revenue tax-clearance certificate.
Dollar amounts named in the registered-agent statutes
What
Amount
Status
Fee for corporation's statement of change of registered agent or registered office or both
$10.00
○Pending review
Fee for agent's statement of change of registered office, per affected corporation
$2.00
○Pending review
Fee for agent's statement of resignation (corporation)
$3.00
○Pending review
Application for reinstatement following administrative dissolution (corporation)
$25.00
○Pending review
SOS fee each time process is served on the Secretary of State (corporations); recoverable as costs by prevailing party
$10
○Pending review
LLC statement of change of designated office or agent for service of process
$10
○Pending review
LLC application for reinstatement after administrative dissolution
$25
○Pending review
SOS fee each time process is served on the Secretary of State under the LLC act; recoverable as costs by prevailing party
$10
○Pending review
Civil penalty for a foreign corporation transacting business without a certificate of authority
$10 per day, max $1,000 per year
○Pending review
18 statutory citations and their supporting verbatim quotations sit behind this section in the record and are withheld from public display until the review pass lands, because a citation presented as authority is a verification claimed. Statutory references appearing inside the summaries above are part of the recorded text rather than an authority claim, and they are not rendered as citations, linked, or emitted in this page's structured data. How the gate works.
Governance rules
7 governance rules are recorded for South Carolina - the organizational and annual meetings, action by written consent, and whether bylaws or an operating agreement are mandatory. Each verified rule links to the statutory text it was verified against, quoted verbatim below.
Organizational meeting required · applies to
corporations ·
yes
the initial directors shall hold an organizational meeting, at the call of a majority of the directors, to complete the organization of the corporation by appointing officers, adopting bylaws
Annual meeting required · applies to
corporations ·
yes
A corporation shall hold a meeting of shareholders annually... or, in the alternative, may take such action as would be taken at an annual meeting by taking action by unanimous written consent under Section 33-7-104.
Action by written consent allowed · applies to
corporations ·
yes
may be taken without a meeting if the action is taken by all the shareholders entitled to vote on the action... evidenced by one or more written consents... signed by all the shareholders
Operating agreement required · applies to
LLCs ·
no
all members of a limited liability company may enter into an operating agreement, which need not be in writing... To the extent the operating agreement does not otherwise provide, this chapter governs
S.C. Code Ann. § 33-44-404(a)(2), (c), (d)
◎Verified
Action by written consent allowed · applies to
LLCs ·
yes
any matter relating to the business of the company may be decided by a majority of the members... action requiring the consent of members or managers under this chapter may be taken without a meeting.
None at state level - SC Secretary of State explicitly does not register DBAs/trade names; no statewide assumed-name statute
State fee
n/a
Term
n/a
Renewal
n/a
Publication
Not required. n/a
Online filing
Not available
The regime
South Carolina has no current general assumed-name / DBA registration statute for sole proprietors or general partnerships. The former general provision - Title 39, Chapter 13 ('Names of Business Establishments'), which required mercantile and industrial establishments to file owner names with the clerk of court and exhibit them on a sign - has been repealed: the current official Title 39 chapter index lists chapters 1 through 79 with no Chapter 13. The only surviving assumed-name filing is for limited partnerships, which file an assumed nameDBA / fictitious nameA name a business operates under that is not its legal name - 'doing business as.' Also: assumed name, trade name, fictitious business name.Read the full entry → certificate with the Secretary of State under § 33-42-45.
Where it is filed
There is no current general DBA filing office in South Carolina - the repealed chapter's clerk-of-court filing no longer exists (no Chapter 13 appears in the current Title 39 index). The one surviving assumed-name filing, for limited partnerships, is made with the Secretary of State.
Term and renewal
Limited-partnership assumed name certificates only: the filing is effective for a period expiring on December 31 of the fifth full calendar year following the year in which it is filed, unless sooner terminated.
Entity-side mechanisms survive: (1) limited partnerships file an assumed name certificate with the Secretary of State under § 33-42-45; (2) a foreign corporation whose real name is unavailable may adopt a fictitious name for use in South Carolina by filing a certified board resolution with the Secretary of State (§ 33-15-106(a)(2)); (3) a foreign LLC whose real name is unavailable must likewise use a fictitious name by filing a certified resolution of its managers or members (§ 33-44-1005). The business corporation chapters expressly do not control the use of fictitious names generally (§ 33-4-101(e)).
Penalties
For the one surviving filing (limited partnerships), the statute expressly provides that failure to file does not impair contracts, does not prevent the LP from maintaining or defending suit, and does not make a limited partner liable as a general partner.
repealing-act-cite: the manifest/corpus MANIFEST note attributes the repeal to 2004 Act No. 221, § 43 (eff. April 29, 2004), confirmed by the retriever via web search - the repealing act's text itself is not in the corpus; corpus evidence is the archived 2001 chapter text plus the current Title 39 index showing no ch. 13
county-or-municipal-requirements: corpus covers state statutes only; any local business-license name rules not covered
lp-fee: § 33-42-45 prints no filing fee for the LP assumed name certificate
Common questions
Does South Carolina require sole proprietors or general partnerships to register a DBA?
No general state registration exists. South Carolina's former 'Names of Business Establishments' chapter (S.C. Code §§ 39-13-10 to 39-13-40), which required filing owner names with the county clerk of court, has been repealed - the current official Title 39 chapter index contains no Chapter 13.
Which businesses still file an assumed name in South Carolina?
Limited partnerships. Under S.C. Code § 33-42-45, a domestic or foreign limited partnership doing business under a name other than the name in its certificate must file an assumed name certificate with the Secretary of State, effective through December 31 of the fifth full calendar year after filing and renewable in five-year periods.
What happens if a South Carolina limited partnership does not file its assumed name certificate?
By the statute's own terms, the failure does not impair its contracts, does not prevent it from maintaining or defending a lawsuit, and does not make a limited partner liable as a general partner (S.C. Code § 33-42-45(e)).
What if an out-of-state company's name is already taken in South Carolina?
SC Code ch. 12-20 (annual report filed 'with the department'); SCDOR corporate tax page (CL-1 filed with SCDOR) · source↗ (opens the official source)
Basis of the tax
other - capital stock plus paid-in or capital surplus
SC Code sec. 12-20-50(A): '$15 plus $1 for each $1,000, or fraction of $1,000, of capital stock and paid-in or capital surplus' · source↗ (opens the official source)
Minimum
$25
SC Code sec. 12-20-50(A): 'In no case may the license fee provided by this section be less than twenty-five dollars.' · source↗ (opens the official source)
Due date
On or before the original due date of the annual report (filed with the SC1120 corporate return) - 15th day of the 4th month following the close of the taxable year; initial CL-1 with $25 fee due within 60 days of first doing business in SC
SC Code sec. 12-20-50(A) ('license fee must be paid on or before the original due date for filing the annual report'); sec. 12-20-20; sec. 12-20-40(B); SCDOR corporate page · source↗ (opens the official source)
Corporations
True
LLCs
false - only if taxed as a corporation for federal income tax purposes
The tax does not reach LLCs - a positive finding in the record.
Stored as a delta against the federal baseline:
4 days this state closes that the
federal government does not, and 2 federal
holidays its filing office works through.
South Carolina 2026 closure delta
Date
Day
Filing office
2026-05-11
Confederate Memorial Day
Filing office closed
2026-06-19
Juneteenth
OPEN - federal holiday not observed
2026-10-12
Columbus Day
OPEN - federal holiday not observed
2026-11-27
Day after Thanksgiving
Filing office closed
2026-12-24
Christmas Eve
Filing office closed
2026-12-28
Day after Christmas
Filing office closed
Provenance - South Carolina 2026 closures◎Verified
Citation withheld: this record did not clear the publication gate.
South Carolina observed status strings and their verdict
Observed status
Verdict
Confidence
(BLANK)
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
ACTIVE
In good standing
high
CURRENTLY SUSPENDED
Not in good standing
high
DEL
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
DISSOLVED
Not in good standing
high
ENTITYPP
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
EXPIRED
Not in good standing
medium
FILED
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
FILED IN <YEAR>
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
FILED WITH CHARITIES DIVISION
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
FORFEITED
Not in good standing
high
FORFEITURE
Not in good standing
high
FORTEITED
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
GENERAL PARTNERSHIP CONVERSION
Not in good standing
medium
GOOD
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
GOOD STANDING
In good standing
high
INT
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
INTENT
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
MER
Not in good standing
medium
MERGED
Not in good standing
medium
MERGED OUT OF EXISTENCE
Not in good standing
medium
NO AGENT
Not in good standing
medium
NON-SOS ENTITY
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
NOT FILED
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
NOT YET FILED
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
PAYMENT PENDING
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
PUBLIC CHARITY
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
REG
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
REGISTERED
In good standing
medium
REINSTATED
In good standing
medium
REINSTATEMENT
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
RES
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
RESERVATION
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
RESERVED
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
WITHDRAWN
Not in good standing
high
Restricted entity-name words
5 restricted entity-name word entries
are recorded for South Carolina - 1 prohibited outright,
the rest requiring an agency's consent or licensure before the word may appear in a name.
Governing law: S.C. Code Ann. § 33-4-101.
South Carolina restricted entity-name words
Treatment
Word or phrase
Authority
Citation
Status
License required
Bank
S.C. Code Ann. § 34-3-10: "A person in this State, other than a legalized incorporated banking institution, may not use the word 'bank' or 'banking' in connection with a business, calling, or pursuit"; fine $1,000-$10,000 and/or 1-10 years imprisonment
◎Verified
License required
Banking
S.C. Code Ann. § 34-3-10
◎Verified
License required
credit union (or any derivation)
S.C. Code Ann. § 34-26-340 (Name requirements of credit unions): no other person "may use a name or title containing the phrase 'credit union' or any derivation thereof"; the board may seek an injunction
◎Verified
Prohibited
electric + cooperative (both words together)
S.C. Code Ann. § 33-49-240 (Name of cooperative): "the words 'electric' and 'cooperative' shall not both be used in the name of any corporation organized under the laws of or authorized to transact business in this State" except a ch. 49 cooperative
◎Verified
Restricted
Cooperative
S.C. Code Ann. § 33-45-20: "No corporation or association organized or doing business for profit in this State... is entitled to use the term 'cooperative' as part of its corporate or other business name or title unless it has complied with the provisions of this chapter..."
● accepted · ○ not accepted · ? unknown or conditional (hover for the recorded condition). Channel data covers 54 jurisdictions (2026-08-15 wave). Source links render on verified rows only.
Contact the filing office
Verified against the agency's own contact page
2026-08-13.
Source links render on verified rows only.
Reaching the filing office
◎Verified
Phone
803-734-2158
Mailing address
Secretary of State, 1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201
Courier / walk-in
1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201 (Edgar Brown Building - street address, same for courier)
Where to search South Carolina's UCC (Article 9) financing statements, on what terms, and what the office charges to file one. Verified against the filing office's own pages 2026-09-11. UCC division contacts are listed with the other filing-office contacts above.
UCC records - South Carolina◎Verified
Filing office
South Carolina Secretary of State's Office - Uniform Commercial Code Filings (UCC division)
Filing-office statute
S.C. Code Ann. 36-9-501(a)(2): 'the office of the Secretary of State or any office duly authorized by the Secretary of State, in all other cases' (read at https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t36c009.php)
UCC Online 'Search and Retrieval UCC-11 Search Fees (Per Document)': 'Search Fee $ 5.00', 'Document Request Each Page $ 1.00', 'Certification Fee (Per Document) $ 2.00'; plus 'Service Fee* SC.GOV Each Filing $ 8.00 Electronic Records Access Each Search $10.00 Transactions over $100, increasing by $2.25 for each additional $100.' The SOS fee schedule likewise lists UCC-11 'Search Fee $5.00', 'Docum
Filing images online
Yes - filed document images are retrievable online at $1.00 per page ('Document Request Each Page $ 1.00'); certified copies/certified search results available online ('Certification Fee (Per Document) $ 2.00'). FAQ 5: 'If you use the online search option, your search results are immediately availab
$8 for pages 1 and 2 together, $2 for page 3, $1 for each page from page 4 on, plus $2 for the third debtor and each debtor after that; online filings add an $8 SC.GOV service fee per filing
Filing channels
online or paper; Online through the 'UCC Electronic Filing, Search & Retrieval System' (ucconline.sc.gov; public users pay by credit or debit card, subscribers via South Carolina Interactive accounts); paper on the SO
No expedited-filing service is printed. The office states that electronic filings return the filed copy immediately and non-electronic filings are processed within three business days after receipt.
UCC-3 amendments, as the office states the fees
UCC-3 amendments, continuations, terminations and assignments use the same schedule as the UCC-1: $8 for pages 1 and 2, $2 for page 3, $1 per page after, $2 per debtor from the third; online filings add the $8 SC.GOV service fee
Effective for
5 years from filing - S.C. Code Ann. 36-9-515(a)
Bulk data
published bulk-data program - $12,000/yr 'UCC Bulk Data' (annual fee, state fiscal year Jul 1 - Jun 30, no proration, no refunds) + $125/yr SC.gov subscriber fee. UCC+Corporation combo: $20,000/yr.
Whether South Carolina requires a general state-level business license, and on what terms. A "None" is a verified finding cited to the agency's own pages, not a gap. Which of the state's filings ask for an industry code is in the next section.
State business license - South Carolina◎Verified
General state license
None - the state issues no general business license; licensing is occupation-specific and local
Which of South Carolina's business filings ask the filer for an industry classification, and in what form. "No industry information" is a positive finding cited to the form. Where the state uses its own category list and the list was captured, it is expandable below. The NAICS and SIC reference lists are on their own page.
Industry code on South Carolina filings, 9 of 9 rows verified
Filing
Entity scope
Asks for
Required
Where on the form
Source
Formation
domestic for-profit corporation
no industry information
not asked
Form F0001 Articles of Incorporation (Form Revised August 2016), items 1-6
Form F0002 Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in the State of South Carolina (Section 33-15-103), revised
South Carolina has 46 county-equivalents: 46 countyies. Names and codes are the U.S. Census Bureau's (2020 national county codes); county seats and official sites are not yet published here.
All 46 county-equivalents
South Carolina county-equivalents
Name
Type
FIPS
Note
Abbeville County
county
45001
Aiken County
county
45003
Allendale County
county
45005
Anderson County
county
45007
Bamberg County
county
45009
Barnwell County
county
45011
Beaufort County
county
45013
Berkeley County
county
45015
Calhoun County
county
45017
Charleston County
county
45019
Cherokee County
county
45021
Chester County
county
45023
Chesterfield County
county
45025
Clarendon County
county
45027
Colleton County
county
45029
Darlington County
county
45031
Dillon County
county
45033
Dorchester County
county
45035
Edgefield County
county
45037
Fairfield County
county
45039
Florence County
county
45041
Georgetown County
county
45043
Greenville County
county
45045
Greenwood County
county
45047
Hampton County
county
45049
Horry County
county
45051
Jasper County
county
45053
Kershaw County
county
45055
Lancaster County
county
45057
Laurens County
county
45059
Lee County
county
45061
Lexington County
county
45063
McCormick County
county
45065
Marion County
county
45067
Marlboro County
county
45069
Newberry County
county
45071
Oconee County
county
45073
Orangeburg County
county
45075
Pickens County
county
45077
Richland County
county
45079
Saluda County
county
45081
Spartanburg County
county
45083
Sumter County
county
45085
Union County
county
45087
Williamsburg County
county
45089
York County
county
45091
Other records held
Other records held for South Carolina
Record
Value
Status
State trademark registration
$15 per class, 5 year term, $5 renewal
○Pending review
Change of registered agent
$10
○Pending review
Who must be named in public filings
LLC articles of organization (33-44-203(a), verified in corpus t33c044.html) force onto the public record: name/address of each ORGANIZER, designated office, agent for service, and - only if manager-managed - name/address of each initial manager. MEMBERS are never disclosed to the SOS. Corp articles (33-2-102(a), verif
○Pending review
These come from a research pass its own author graded CANDIDATES. They are shown because they are useful and withheld from every ranking on this site because they are not ratified.