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Filing Verdict

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Foreign registration verdict · South Carolina

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in South Carolina (2026)

Filing Verdict's 2026 verdict on foreign registration services in South Carolina: Mainstay Filing ($199), SC Registered Agent.org ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. Mainstay Filing takes first place: $199 plus the state's own fee, with the registered agent free for the first year and one price in every state.
The Filing Verdict editorial team
Our top pick in South Carolina
Spot 1

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states

$199 on top of the state fee ($309 due at checkout); the agent is $149 a year from year two

9.5Editorial score
out of 10

Mainstay Filing wins here: it prepares the South Carolina registration for $199 and serves as your registered agent, free in year one, then $149 a year.

The agent renews at $149 a year after the free first year, in this state or any other.

The three-year bill is $100 higher than SC Registered Agent.org's, and the wider coverage is worth that to us.

What you get

  • Foreign registration paperwork prepared and filed
  • Free same-business-day scans of service of process

What we like

  • One price in all fifty states
  • Service fee of $199, plus the state's fee
  • Same-business-day scans of served papers, free

Cons

  • After year one its agent runs $149 a year, $50 above SC Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Mainstay Filing verdict
Best value here
Spot 2

2. SC Registered Agent.org: best for companies adding only South Carolina

Service fee $199, state fee extra; agent $99 yearly after year one

9.0Editorial score
out of 10

Second place goes to SC Registered Agent.org: the South Carolina registration for $199 with the first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

What you get

  • South Carolina registration filed for you
  • A year of registered agent service up front

What we like

  • Service fee $199, state fee extra
  • First-year registered agent service comes with it
  • Then $99 a year for agent service

Cons

  • Covers South Carolina only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full SC Registered Agent.org verdict
Best for a South Carolina-only company
Spot 3

3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for South Carolina registrations only

Service fee $199, state fee extra; agent $99 yearly after year one

8.7Editorial score
out of 10

Third place goes to South Carolina Registered Agent.co: the South Carolina registration for $199 with the first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

On price and features SC Registered Agent.org and South Carolina Registered Agent.co match line for line, which makes this a close call between safe choices.

What you get

  • South Carolina registration filed for you
  • Year-one registered agent service

What we like

  • Includes the first year as your registered agent
  • Year-two agent cost of $99
  • Files the registration for $199 plus fees

Cons

  • Covers South Carolina only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full South Carolina Registered Agent.co verdict

The 3 verdicts at a glance

No.ServiceVerdict scoreService feeYear twoBest forVisit
1Mainstay Filing9.5$199$149/yrCompanies registered in several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2SC Registered Agent.org9.0$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3South Carolina Registered Agent.co8.7$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
The marks out of 10 are editorial: Filing Verdict sets them from the criteria on How we rank, and customers do not rate anything here.

South Carolina foreign registration service prices for 2026: year one, renewals and three years

ServiceYear 1Year 2Year 3Total, 3 yearsAgent covered in year one
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Not stated
SC Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
South Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included
Prices were read from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. South Carolina's $110 registration fee goes on top of every row and is not counted in these totals.

The reasoning behind the order

Filing Verdict gives total over three years and paperwork the price handles 35% each, and renewal behavior, match to the state and up-front pricing split the rest. In South Carolina the order was settled by paperwork the price handles.

Registering in a second state involves two states, so one provider with one price in both scored best on coverage, ahead of SC Registered Agent.org.

The full list of criteria and weights is on How we rank.

South Carolina foreign LLC registration: the fee, the form and the filing office

The company registers with the South Carolina Secretary of State by filing the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008). The state fee is $110. South Carolina also asks for certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, issued within 30 days of filing.

South Carolina has no yearly report for foreign LLCs.

Before you file: a checklist

  • Certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, issued within 30 days before you file.
  • The exact legal name from the home state, and the date the company was formed there.
  • A registered agent with a street address in the state; each service on this page can act in that role.
  • The $110 state fee, paid with the filing.

What skipping South Carolina registration can cost

Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC cannot bring suit in South Carolina courts (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). Contracts it signs stay valid (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).

South Carolina foreign registration service: questions answered

Does South Carolina require an out-of-state LLC to register?

Yes, once it transacts business there. Until it registers, it cannot bring suit in the state's courts.

What does foreign registration cost in South Carolina?

The state fee is $110, and the service fee is $199.

Which form does South Carolina use for foreign registration?

Use the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008), filed with the South Carolina Secretary of State.

Does South Carolina want a certificate from my home state?

Yes. It asks for certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, issued within 30 days of filing.

Is a registered agent required once I have registered?

Yes. The company still needs a registered agent here, with a street address in the state.

Which foreign registration service is the best pick in South Carolina?

Mainstay Filing, because $199 on top of the state fee, the same in any state, with the first year of registered agent service included.

More from us

Sources and dates

  1. S.C. Code § 33-44-202 and § 33-44-203, confirmed August 2026
  2. South Carolina Business Entities Online, confirmed October 2026
  3. SC Secretary of State, business entity FAQs, confirmed October 2026
  4. SC Department of Revenue, corporate FAQs, confirmed October 2026
  5. S.C. Code Title 33, Chapter 44, Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, confirmed November 2026
  6. Checked November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, South Carolina service page
  7. Checked November 12, 2026: SC Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages
  8. Checked November 12, 2026: South Carolina Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages