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South Carolina Business Entity Search

Find a South Carolina LLC or corporation in the South Carolina Secretary of State's records, and read what its status means.

South Carolina only answers searches on its own site. Search opens the official South Carolina search in a new tab and copies your search term, so you can paste it into the business name field there.

South Carolina at a glance

  • LLC filing fee $110 Source, checked 2026-10-26
  • Corporation filing fee $135 Source, checked 2026-10-26
  • Corporate Annual Report, filed with the SC Department of Revenue (not the Secretary of State) every year Source, checked 2026-10-26
  • Name reservation $25, held 120 days, not renewable Source, checked 2026-10-26
  • Certificate of Existence (Certificate of Good Standing) $10 Source, checked 2026-10-26

How South Carolina keeps its business records

Articles of Incorporation for a business corporation must be signed by an attorney licensed in South Carolina. The Secretary of State holds no officer or director names; corporations report directors to the Department of Revenue. Name reservation costs $25 for an LLC and $10 for a corporation.

The South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings keeps these records.

Statuses you may see in South Carolina

StatusWhat it means
Good StandingThe entity has not been dissolved on the Secretary of State's records; it does not mean the business is currently operating.

Source, checked 2026-10-26. Words other states use are in the business entity status guide.

Questions

Is this the official South Carolina business search?
No. This is an independent site, not run by or affiliated with the South Carolina Secretary of State. The search itself runs on the state's own site (Business Entities Online), which this page links to.
How do I check if a business name is available in South Carolina?
Start a new filing in Business Entities Online, which first checks that the name is available, or search existing entities there. The office will not accept a name identical to one already in its database, and an unavailable name is the most common reason filings are rejected.
Does South Carolina charge a franchise tax or a similar yearly tax?
Every corporation that files an annual report pays an annual license fee to the SC Department of Revenue of $15 plus $1 per $1,000 of capital stock and paid-in surplus, with a $25 minimum; the initial $25 is paid with the CL-1 at formation.

More about a South Carolina business

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