Answered simply · South Carolina

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in South Carolina (2026), Plainly Answered

Our 2026 answer for South Carolina: Mainstay Filing ($199), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) and SC Registered Agent.org ($199), best first. Count on $110 for the state and $397 to $497 in service fees by year three.

By the Plain Charter editorial team · Reviewed and updated November 12, 2026

Plainly put

What the state charges: $110
Certificate required?: Needed (30 days maximum age)
After registering: No report to file
Who we'd use: Mainstay Filing, South Carolina Registered Agent.co then SC Registered Agent.org

The South Carolina picks

Prices come from each company's own pricing. How we choose.

1Our first pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a second state and a third

Service $199, agent renewal $149

Start with Mainstay Filing: the registration costs $199 plus state fees, with the registered agent free for year one.

It costs $100 more than South Carolina Registered Agent.co over three years; the difference buys one provider in every state.

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

The price covers

Application prepared and sent
Fifty-state coverage

Upsides

$199 to register
One price anywhere

What to weigh

South Carolina Registered Agent.co renews the agent for $50 less

Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2One-state plan

2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for adding just this state

Service $199, agent renewal $99

Our number 2 is South Carolina Registered Agent.co, since three years of service fees come to $397.

The price covers

Your foreign filing
Year-one agent

Upsides

First agent year in the price
$199 over the state fee
Agent renews at $99

What to weigh

Home state needs a separate agent

Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3One-state plan

3. SC Registered Agent.org: best for another local option

Service $199, agent renewal $99

Our number 3 is SC Registered Agent.org, since three years of service fees come to $397.

South Carolina Registered Agent.co charges the same, so this one is a close second.

The price covers

Your foreign filing
Year-one agent

Upsides

$199 over the state fee
Agent renews at $99
First agent year in the price

What to weigh

Home state needs a separate agent

Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices together

#	Company	To start	Each year after	Three-year total	In the price
1	Mainstay Filing	$199	$149/yr	$497	application prepared and sent; Fifty-state coverage	Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2	South Carolina Registered Agent.co	$199	$99/yr	$397	your foreign filing; Year-one agent	Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3	SC Registered Agent.org	$199	$99/yr	$397	your foreign filing; Year-one agent	Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Read from company pricing on November 12, 2026; three years means the first year plus two renewals.

The plain answers

When does an out-of-state LLC have to register here?

Doing business in South Carolina with an LLC from elsewhere means registering first.

The cost of not registering: it loses access to the state's courts as a plaintiff (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)).

October 2026 · dor.sc.gov

What will it cost to register?

$110 to the state, plus $199 with a service.

State fees for three years come to $110. October 2026 · dor.sc.gov

Which document registers the LLC?

Your LLC is registered once the South Carolina Secretary of State accepts the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008).

It needs certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State no older than 30 days.

Is there a yearly filing?

Nothing recurring is filed.

Why these three?

Because of what the price takes off your plate: Mainstay Filing does best there, and it counts for 30%.

The two biggest criteria are three-year cost and what the price takes off your plate, at 35% and 30%.

Your home state needs an agent too; one account that covers both is simpler.

Our full method

Requirements, cited

Rule	What it is	Source
Application fee	$110	October 2026 · dor.sc.gov
Home-state document	Needed, 30 days	October 2026 · dor.sc.gov
State fees, first three years	$110	Our sum of the fees above

Every amount links to its official source. The three-year line is our own sum of filing, reports and any minimum tax.

A few more questions

Does the home state still need an agent?

Usually, yes. One national provider can serve both; a local one cannot.

Over three years, what does each charge?

Mainstay Filing $497, South Carolina Registered Agent.co $397 and SC Registered Agent.org $397, before state fees.

Where do these figures come from?

Official South Carolina sources for state fees, company price pages for service fees.

Is a service required by law?

No law requires one. A service is a convenience.

Who files the registration?

Yes. Each pick here files it for you; the state fee is the same either way.

Who is your first choice in South Carolina?

We rank Mainstay Filing first on what the price takes off your plate, with South Carolina Registered Agent.co and SC Registered Agent.org behind it.

Sources for this page

scstatehouse.gov · S.C · August 2026
businessfilings.sc.gov · South Carolina Business Entities Online · October 2026
sos.sc.gov · SC Secretary of State, business · October 2026
dor.sc.gov · SC Department of Revenue, corporate · October 2026
scstatehouse.gov · S.C · November 2026
Mainstay Filing South Carolina service page, prices as of November 12, 2026
South Carolina Registered Agent.co pricing page, prices as of November 12, 2026
SC Registered Agent.org pricing page, prices as of November 12, 2026