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South Carolina

South Carolina Business Search

Written byRegistryWise Editorial TeamFact-checked against the South Carolina Secretary of State · How we research

The short answer

South Carolina businesses are searched for free on the Secretary of State's Business Entities Online by business name, using a "Begins With", "Contains" or "Exact Match" search, and a separate Registered Agent Search lists every entity an agent serves. Each profile shows the Entity Id, status, registered agent, key dates and the official documents on file.

On this page
  1. LLC lookup, step by step
  2. What the status means
  3. Agent, filings, owners
  4. Your Entity Id
  5. Is the name available?
  6. DBA and UCC search
  7. Fees and deadlines
  8. Questions
  9. Sources

South Carolina at a glance

Who runs it
South Carolina Secretary of State
Business Entities Online
Cost to search
Free
Searching is free. A Certificate of Existence (good standing) is $10, and certified copies are ordered through the "Request Documents" option.
Account needed
No
Search without signing up
Search by
Business name ("Begins With", "Contains" or "Exact Match"), Registered agent name (separate Registered Agent Search)

State fees

  • Form an LLC$110Articles of OrganizationOfficial source
  • None with the Secretary of StateNoneThe CL-1 fee is $25 when it applies.The Secretary of State has no annual report form for LLCs. An LLC that elects to be taxed as a corporation files the CL-1, Initial Annual Report of Corporations, with the Department of Revenue within 60 days of starting business in South Carolina.Official source
  • Certificate of Existence$10Proof the business is currentOfficial source
  • Change registered agent$10Notice of Change of Designated Office, Agent or Address of Registered Agent.Every LLC must have oneOfficial source

An LLC lookup in South Carolina is the same search as a business search. The Business Entities Online, kept by the South Carolina Secretary of State, lists LLCs alongside corporations and other registered businesses. You can search by business name or registered agent name. It's free, and you don't need an account.

  1. Open Business Entities Online and go to the Business Name Search.
  2. Type the business name and choose "Begins With", "Contains" or "Exact Match", then click "Search". Complete the captcha if asked and search again.
  3. Click the business in the results to open its official business profile.
  4. Read the Entity Id, Status, registered agent and Important Dates, then check the "Official Documents On File" list.
  5. To order a Certificate of Existence or certified copies, start from "Request Documents" on the home page and search for the entity.

Good to know in South Carolina: South Carolina's "Good Standing" status only means the entity hasn't been dissolved on the Secretary of State's records. The state says it does not mean the business is operating. The search also runs behind a captcha, and the Secretary of State keeps no officer or director names at all; it sends people to the Department of Revenue for those.

What the search shows you

  • Entity Id and Entity Type
  • Status (for example "Good Standing")
  • Domestic/Foreign and Incorporated State
  • Registered agent name and address
  • Effective Date, Expiration Date, Term End Date and Dissolved Date
  • Official Documents On File, listed by filing type and filing date

What the status words mean

South Carolina uses its own words for a company's status, and they don't always mean the same thing as in other states. Here's what you'll see on the Business Entities Online, in the state's own wording.

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, only that its legal existence hasn't ended. For a nonprofit, it doesn't mean the group may solicit charitable contributions.
Administratively dissolvedThe Secretary of State dissolved the entity by administrative action. An LLC has two years from the dissolution date to reinstate. If the cause was an unfiled Department of Revenue tax return, the reinstatement needs a Certificate of Tax Compliance from DOR. The help pages don't list the exact status label the profile shows.
Dissolved DateA date field on every profile. "N/A" means no dissolution is on record.

For how these compare across states, see what business entity status means.

Finding the registered agent, filing history and owners

Registered Agent

The profile shows the registered agent's name and address. The Registered Agent Search finds every entity a given agent serves.

Filing history

The "Official Documents On File" list shows each filing type and date. Certified copies are ordered through "Request Documents".

Owners, managers and officers

The Secretary of State does not have the names or addresses of a company's officers or directors. It refers people to the Department of Revenue at (844) 898-8542. If the state record doesn't name anyone, our guide on how to find the owner of an LLC covers where else to look.

Finding a South Carolina Entity Id

South Carolina gives every business on its register an Entity Id. It's the quickest way to pin down the right company when names are alike.

What it looks like
Eight digits with leading zeros, for example 00088154 on a printed entity profile.
Where to find yours
At the top of the entity profile on Business Entities Online, under Corporate Information.
Search by it
No. The Business Entities Online searches by name, not by this number.

Your federal EIN is a different number again. See which business number a form is asking for.

Checking whether a business name is available in South Carolina

  1. Search the name with "Contains" to catch close matches. The Secretary of State won't accept a name identical to one already in its database.
  2. You don't need to reserve a name if you're ready to file Articles of Organization.
  3. An LLC name can be reserved for a nonrenewable 120-day period for $25.
  4. Filing with the Secretary of State doesn't give an exclusive right to a name. The office suggests a state trademark if you need more protection.

A clear result on the state search isn't a trademark clearance. If the name matters to you, also search the USPTO trademark database and check the domain. More in our business name search guide.

DBA and UCC search in South Carolina

DBAs and assumed names

What it's called
DBA or trade name
Where they're filed
The Secretary of State does not register DBA or trade names, and there is no statewide DBA search. Business licenses are issued by counties and cities.
Search
No statewide online search.

The "Adopting a Fictitious Name" form is only for an out-of-state LLC whose legal name is unavailable in South Carolina. Limited partnerships are the only entities whose assumed names the Secretary of State registers.

UCC liens

Lenders file UCC financing statements with the South Carolina Secretary of State, Uniform Commercial Code Division. The online search is paid. Our South Carolina UCC search guide has the steps and fees.

South Carolina fees and deadlines

These are the state's own fees, before any service charges. Each row links to the official page we took it from.

Form an LLC

$110
  • Articles of Organization.
  • Online filing gives instant filing confirmation and faster processing than paper.
File online Fee source

None with the Secretary of State

None
  • Due: The Secretary of State has no annual report form for LLCs. An LLC that elects to be taxed as a corporation files the CL-1, Initial Annual Report of Corporations, with the Department of Revenue within 60 days of starting business in South Carolina.
  • If you're late: Not applicable to LLCs taxed as partnerships or disregarded entities.
  • An LLC can still be administratively dissolved, for example when the Department of Revenue reports an unfiled tax return.
File the report Fee source

Change your registered agent

$10
  • Every South Carolina LLC must have one.
  • Notice of Change of Designated Office, Agent or Address of Registered Agent.
Fee source

Certificate of Existence

$10
  • Proof the company exists and is current, from the South Carolina Secretary of State.
Order one Fee source

81,831 new business applications were filed in South Carolina from January to September 2026, up 13.2% on last year, according to the Census Bureau. See every state.

Starting a business in South Carolina?

A lot of people search the Business Entities Online to see if a name is taken before they file. If that's you, here's the order to do things in.

  1. 1Check the name is free in South CarolinaTakes two minutes, steps on this page
  2. 2File your LLC with the stateArticles of Organization, $110 state fee
  3. 3Or let a service file it for youCompared on what you pay in year two

Step 3 goes to our comparison page, which has sponsored links. We earn a commission if you buy, and it doesn't change our rankings. How that works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I look up an LLC in South Carolina?

Search the Business Entities Online, the official database kept by the South Carolina Secretary of State. You can search by business name or registered agent name. It's free, and you don't need an account. Open the matching record to see the LLC's status, registered agent and filing history.

Is the South Carolina business search free?

Yes. Searching Business Entities Online is free. A Certificate of Existence costs $10, and the Secretary of State warns that mailers charging hundreds of dollars for one are scams.

Can I find out who owns a South Carolina LLC?

Not from the Secretary of State. It does not have officer or director names or addresses and refers people to the Department of Revenue at (844) 898-8542.

What does "Good Standing" mean on a South Carolina business profile?

Only that the entity hasn't been dissolved on the Secretary of State's records. It does not mean the business is still operating.

Does a South Carolina LLC file an annual report?

Not with the Secretary of State. Only an LLC taxed as a corporation files the CL-1 Initial Annual Report with the Department of Revenue.

Sources

We take every fee, deadline and rule on this page from these pages and nowhere else. Rules change, so open the source before you pay anything.

  1. 1.Business Entities Online: Business Name SearchChecked November 8, 2026
  2. 2.Business Entities Online home page ("Good Standing" disclaimer)Checked November 8, 2026
  3. 3.Business Entities Online: Registered Agent SearchChecked November 8, 2026
  4. 4.Secretary of State: Business Entities (officer information, Certificate of Existence fee)Checked November 8, 2026
  5. 5.Secretary of State: File and Search OnlineChecked November 8, 2026
  6. 6.Secretary of State: FAQs About Business EntitiesChecked November 8, 2026
  7. 7.Forms: Starting a Business (Articles of Organization fee)Checked November 8, 2026
  8. 8.Forms: Registered agent changesChecked November 8, 2026
  9. 9.Forms: Reserve a business nameChecked November 8, 2026
  10. 10.Forms: Fictitious and assumed namesChecked November 8, 2026
  11. 11.Secretary of State: Uniform Commercial Code (fee schedule)Checked November 8, 2026
  12. 12.Secretary of State: FAQs About Uniform Commercial CodeChecked November 8, 2026
  13. 13.UCC Electronic Filing, Search & Retrieval SystemChecked November 8, 2026
  14. 14.SC Department of Revenue: Corporate FAQs (LLC filing requirements)Checked November 8, 2026

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