SC registered agent
Registered agent service in South Carolina. $24 a year. Yes.
Every South Carolina company must appoint a registered agent at a street address in the state. What follows is the statute, quoted where it matters, and our position on it, which is brief.
The statutory requirement in South Carolina
Requirement
The South Carolina code provides:
... 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; ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: S.C. Code Ann. § 33-5-101
Service of process in our absence
Substituted service
... or maintain an agent for service of process in this State or the agent for service of process cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the agent's address, the Secretary of ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: S.C. Code Ann. § 33-44-111(b)
Enforcement in South Carolina
The state's remedies against a company whose agent does not perform. Quoted without paraphrase.
Administrative dissolution by the state
... (3) the corporation is without a registered agent or registered office in this State; ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: S.C. Code Ann. § 33-14-200(a)(3)-(4)
Further
... corporate existence but may not carry on any business except that necessary to wind up and liquidate its business and affairs under ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: S.C. Code Ann. § 33-14-210(b), (d)
Revocation of foreign authority
... to transact business in this State if: ... (3) the foreign corporation is without a registered agent or registered office in this State; (4) the foreign corporation does not inform the ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: S.C. Code Ann. § 33-15-300(a)(3)-(4)
Loss of standing to sue
... transacting business in this State without a certificate of authority may not maintain a proceeding in any court in this State until it obtains a certificate of authority.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: S.C. Code Ann. § 33-15-102(a)
Pecuniary penalty
... ten dollars for each day but not to exceed a total of one thousand dollars for each year it transacts business in ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: S.C. Code Ann. § 33-15-102(d)
Restoration
Fee upon restoration
... (4) contain a certificate from the South Carolina Department of Revenue reciting that all taxes, penalties, and interest owed by the corporation, whether assessed or not, have been paid.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: S.C. Code Ann. § 33-1-220(a)(16); § 33-14-220(a)(4)
The South Carolina annual report, which you may also decline
Annual report, limited liability company
South Carolina levies no annual report fee, per the guidance quoted below. There is nothing to decline.
... companies, and associations are not subject to the annual report or ...
Source: official state fee schedule, via incFACTS: SCDOR Corporate FAQs (annual report / License Fee exemptions)
Annual report, corporation
South Carolina levies no annual report fee, per the guidance quoted below. There is nothing to decline.
... corporations must submit the names of directors on Annual Reports filed with the Department ...
Source: official state fee schedule, via incFACTS: SC SOS FAQs About Business Entities #14
Our position
We decline. At this price you may have expected otherwise.
Statutory text captured by incFACTS on 2026-08-01, verified against the code on 2026-08-10. Statutes are amended. This page is not.