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Your question, answered · South Carolina

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in South Carolina (2026): Your Questions Answered

For foreign registration services in South Carolina, we would ask Mainstay Filing ($199), SC Registered Agent.org ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) in 2026, in that order. Registering costs $110 at South Carolina for every filer, and services add $397 to $497 over three years.

Answered by the Ask About LLC editorial team ·

The short answers

What does the state charge to register?
$110
Do you bring a certificate from home?
Yes, attach it (30 days old at most)
Once registered
Nothing to file
Our pick
Mainstay Filing, SC Registered Agent.org then South Carolina Registered Agent.co

Who should you ask in South Carolina?

The order follows our five questions: three-year cost first, then how much the price covers.

1Our first answer

1. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in many states

Registering costs $199, then $149 a year for the agent

Mainstay Filing is the one to ask first in South Carolina because the fee is $199 in every state, and the first registered agent year is included.

Going with SC Registered Agent.org would save $100 across three years, as long as you stay in South Carolina.

After the free year, the registered agent renews at $149.

What the price covers

  • Out-of-state registration handled
  • One service fee for all fifty states

Good news

  • Adds $199 to the state fee
  • Identical fee in every state

The catch

  • SC Registered Agent.org renews its agent $50 lower
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2The South Carolina option

2. SC Registered Agent.org: best for registering in one place

Registering costs $199, then $99 a year for the agent

SC Registered Agent.org is the second answer because $199 gets the registration filed, and the agent renews at $99.

What the price covers

  • Foreign filing submitted
  • A year of agent service to start

Good news

  • Service fee of $199
  • Agent renews at $99 afterward
  • First-year agent service is covered

The catch

  • The home state means a second provider
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3The South Carolina option

3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for another local choice

Registering costs $199, then $99 a year for the agent

South Carolina Registered Agent.co is the third answer because $199 gets the registration filed, and the agent renews at $99.

It charges the same as SC Registered Agent.org, which makes the order between them a close call.

What the price covers

  • Foreign filing submitted
  • A year of agent service to start

Good news

  • Agent renews at $99 afterward
  • Service fee of $199
  • First-year agent service is covered

The catch

  • The home state means a second provider
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

How do they compare?

#WhoYear oneAt renewalThree years in allIncluded
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Out-of-state registration handled; one service fee for all fifty statesVisit Mainstay Filing
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2SC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397foreign filing submitted; A year of agent service to startVisit SC Registered Agent.org
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3South Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397foreign filing submitted; A year of agent service to startVisit South Carolina Registered Agent.co
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whichever you pick.

Questions owners ask

When must an out-of-state LLC register here?

Register with the South Carolina Secretary of State before your LLC starts doing business in South Carolina.

An unregistered LLC risks it cannot sue in South Carolina courts until it registers (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)).

dor.sc.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

What will I pay to register?

Registering costs $110 at the state, plus $199 if you hire help.

By year three the state will have collected $110. dor.sc.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

Which form do I file, and with whom?

Send the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008) to the South Carolina Secretary of State; the registration is complete when it accepts the filing.

Enclose certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State issued within the last 30 days.

What do I owe once the LLC is registered?

Foreign LLCs file no recurring report here.

What put number one on top?

Mainstay Filing does best on chores the price takes care of, which carries 29% of our score.

62% of the score comes from what you pay over three years and chores the price takes care of.

With two states in play, a provider for every state ranks above SC Registered Agent.org.

See the five questions

What does South Carolina require to register?

ItemAmount or ruleLook it up
Registration fee$110dor.sc.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
Certificate from homeYes, attach it, 30 daysdor.sc.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
State fees, years one to three$110The rows above, added up
How was the bottom line figured? Add the filing fee, the next two reports and the minimum tax if the state has one. Anything with no fixed price, a newspaper notice for instance, is described above and kept out of the sum.

Still wondering?

Do I still need an agent in my home state?

Probably. Your home state still wants an agent of its own. A company that operates in every state, Mainstay Filing for example, can hold both roles, whereas a local firm covers a single state.

What do the picks cost over three years?

For three years you would pay $497 at Mainstay Filing, $397 at SC Registered Agent.org, $397 at South Carolina Registered Agent.co, with state fees on top.

Are the fees official?

Official South Carolina sources back the state side, and posted company prices back the service side.

Do I have to use a service?

No. What the law asks for is a filing, and it does not say who has to send it.

Can I hire someone to register the LLC?

They do. All the picks prepare and send the registration, so the only thing that changes with your choice is the service fee.

Which one do you recommend in South Carolina?

Ask Mainstay Filing first, then compare SC Registered Agent.org and South Carolina Registered Agent.co.

Where did we look this up?

  1. Our answer on S.C rests on scstatehouse.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
  2. Our answer on South Carolina Business Entities Online rests on businessfilings.sc.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  3. Our answer on SC Secretary of State, business rests on sos.sc.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  4. Our answer on SC Department of Revenue, corporate rests on dor.sc.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  5. Our answer on S.C rests on scstatehouse.gov, a page we confirmed November 2026 and still point you to
  6. Mainstay Filing South Carolina service page, read November 13, 2026
  7. SC Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  8. South Carolina Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026