South Carolina Secretary of State office — contact, fees, and licensing

The South Carolina Secretary of State's Business Filings division handles entity formations, registered agent designations, amendments, and certificates of existence. Annual reports for for-profit corporations are a separate matter, filed with the South Carolina Department of Revenue — not this office. Online filing is available through businessfilings.sc.gov.

Office contact

Address	1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201
Phone	(803) 734-2158
Office hours	Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Online filing portal	businessfilings.sc.gov

Entity formation and filing fees

For-profit corporation formation requires both Articles of Incorporation ($110) and a CL-1 Initial Annual Report ($25) filed simultaneously — total $135. LLCs pay a flat $110 formation fee. Nonprofit formation is $25. Name reservations are cheaper online than by paper; verify current amounts at businessfilings.sc.gov before filing.

Filing	Fee
Domestic LLC — Articles of Organization	$110
Domestic For-Profit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation	$110
CL-1 Initial Annual Report (required with Corp formation)	$25
For-Profit Corporation formation total (Articles + CL-1)	$135
Domestic Nonprofit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation	$25
Limited Partnership — Certificate of Limited Partnership	$10
LLP — Statement of Registration	$100
Name Reservation (online)	$10
Name Reservation (paper)	$25
Certificate of Existence	$10

Key South Carolina state licensing agencies

Agency	What it covers	Website
South Carolina Department of Revenue (SC DOR)	Annual reports for for-profit corporations, sales tax registration, income tax withholding	dor.sc.gov
South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW)	Unemployment insurance registration, employer accounts, wage reporting	dew.sc.gov
South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR)	Contractor licensing, professional and occupational licenses — healthcare, real estate, cosmetology	llr.sc.gov

This guide is informational only and is not affiliated with the South Carolina Secretary of State's office or any state agency listed above. Contact information and fees verified against official South Carolina Secretary of State sources, May 2026. Annual reports for for-profit corporations must be filed separately with SC DOR — not through this office.