South Carolina · Start a business
How to start a business in South Carolina
South Carolina has no statewide business license and does not register DBAs, so both start at the county or municipality.
See the checklistShort answer
To start a business in South Carolina, pick a structure and file with the Secretary of State: $125 for an LLC, $135 for a corporation's articles. Then name a registered agent, get an EIN and register for state taxes. South Carolina has no general state business license.
Last checked .What do you file before you open in South Carolina?
Pick a structure
Most owners choose an LLC or a corporation; the S corp or C corp tax choice comes later. See South Carolina LLC guide, South Carolina corporation guide, S corp or C corp in South Carolina. By trade: cleaning business, handyman.
Check and register the name
Search the Secretary of State records before you pick a name: state name search. The state of South Carolina does not register DBAs, so a business starts with its municipality or county, and the South Carolina Business One Stop says a DBA can typically be recorded on the local business license. 1 See South Carolina name search guide.
File with the state
South Carolina charges the state filing fee once: an LLC costs $125 2 and a corporation's articles of incorporation cost $135 3. See LLC cost.
Name a registered agent
A South Carolina corporation must keep a registered office and a registered agent, who can be an SC-resident individual or an entity, whose business office is the same as the registered office. 4 Our registered agent service runs through our partner Registered Agents Inc (RAI), the registered agent of record. See South Carolina registered agent rules.
Which accounts do you open after you file in South Carolina?
Get an EIN
An EIN is the business's federal tax ID. The IRS issues it online, for free, and warns about websites that charge for one. 5
Open your state tax accounts
The South Carolina Department of Revenue takes applications for a retail license and business tax accounts through its online MyDORWAY Business Tax Application. 6 See Sales tax permit.
Register as an employer
Under South Carolina law, an employing unit becomes an unemployment insurance employer by paying wages of fifteen hundred dollars in a calendar quarter or by having at least one individual in employment in twenty different calendar weeks. 7 South Carolina employers report each new hire to the state directory of new hires within twenty calendar days of the hiring, and the Department of Social Services or its designee runs that directory. 8 The South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission says businesses that regularly employ four or more employees in the state generally must carry workers' compensation coverage, with exemptions including casual and agricultural employees. 9
What keeps your South Carolina business in good standing?
Check licenses and permits
South Carolina has no statewide business license; the South Carolina Business One Stop says counties or municipalities where a business operates typically issue business licenses. 10
Calendar the yearly filings
South Carolina has no annual report for LLCs. See South Carolina annual report.
Use free local help
Small business advising in South Carolina runs through the South Carolina Small Business Development Centers. 11 South Carolina Business One Stop is the state's portal for new business owners, with guides to licenses, registrations and taxes. 12
What it costs to start a business in South Carolina
Do you need a business license in South Carolina?
Not from the state. South Carolina has no general state business license. 10 Where to look up licenses: South Carolina Business One Stop.
- Standardized local license application. A business operating in several South Carolina cities or towns can use the Standardized Business License Application, and the South Carolina Business One Stop says local licenses are renewed annually. 14
How to register a business name in South Carolina
| Question | South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Where it is filed | With the local government 1 |
| Office | municipality or county |
| What it is called | DBA |
Check that the name is free first: state name search.
Also in South Carolina
- Business personal property tax return. The South Carolina Department of Revenue requires all businesses to file a Business Personal Property Tax return on furniture, fixtures and equipment, due four months after the business's accounting closing period. 15
- Quarterly unemployment wage report. The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce requires employers to file a quarterly contribution and wage report, which can be filed online through its State Unemployment Insurance Tax System. 16
More for South Carolina
Start your South Carolina business
We file it, and the state fee shows before you pay.
Start my LLCCommon questions
What are the steps to start a business in South Carolina?
Pick a structure, file with the Secretary of State, name a registered agent, get an EIN, register for state taxes with the South Carolina Department of Revenue, then handle hiring, licenses, yearly filings and local help.
What does it cost to register a business in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, an LLC filing is $125 and a corporation's articles of incorporation are $135.
Can I start a business in South Carolina with no money?
South Carolina charges $125 to file an LLC. An EIN is the business's federal tax ID. The IRS issues it online, for free, and warns about websites that charge for one. The South Carolina Small Business Development Center program runs under a cooperative agreement with the US Small Business Administration and is open to any present or prospective small business owner, generally fee-free.
Are there small business grants in South Carolina?
SC Commerce runs a competitive grant program, the Relentless Challenge, that funds organizations developing initiatives for small businesses, and a program called 3PhaseSC that helps eligible small businesses pursue federal SBIR and STTR funding.
What is the South Carolina SBDC?
The South Carolina Small Business Development Center program runs under a cooperative agreement with the US Small Business Administration and is open to any present or prospective small business owner, generally fee-free.
Sources 17 links, checked Nov 13, 2026
- DBA or trade name registration scbos.sc.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- Official state fee schedule for LLC filings scstatehouse.gov, checked Oct 17, 2026
- Corporation filing businessfilings.sc.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Registered agent rule scstatehouse.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- IRS: employer identification number irs.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- State tax registration dor.sc.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- Unemployment insurance registration scstatehouse.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- New hire reporting scstatehouse.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- Workers' compensation coverage wcc.sc.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- General business license scbos.sc.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- Small Business Development Center scbos.sc.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- State business portal scbos.sc.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- US Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly file, 2025 added up) census.gov, checked Nov 12, 2026
- Standardized local license application scbos.sc.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- Business personal property tax return dor.sc.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- Quarterly unemployment wage report scbos.sc.gov, checked Nov 13, 2026
- State small business funding sccommerce.com, checked Nov 13, 2026
Last verified Nov 13, 2026.
This page explains the rules; it is not legal or tax advice.