South Carolina Registered Agent.co takes the top spot because $199 above the state fee gets the company registered in South Carolina, and the agent renews at $99.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
It comes in below Mainstay Filing over three years.
In the price
- The registration filing
- One year of registered agent service to start
Good
- An agent price of $99 in year two
- Covers your first year of registered agent service
- $199 to register, plus state fees
Watch for
- South Carolina only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
SC Registered Agent.org makes the list at number two because $199 above the state fee gets the company registered in South Carolina, and the agent renews at $99.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
The published prices and features of South Carolina Registered Agent.co and SC Registered Agent.org are identical, so the order between them is a coin flip between solid options.
In the price
- The registration filing
- One year of registered agent service to start
Good
- First-year registered agent service is part of the deal
- $99 a year afterward for the agent
- $199 for the service, state fee extra
Watch for
- South Carolina only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
Mainstay Filing makes the list at number three because the fee is $199 plus the state's own, with a free first year as registered agent, and the price is identical in every state.
Past the free first year, agent service runs $149 a year, and that holds in every state.
South Carolina Registered Agent.co undercuts it by $100 across three years, which leaves Mainstay Filing second on cost.
In the price
- The registration filing prepared and submitted
- Service of process scanned and uploaded within the same business day, free
Good
- The same price in each of the fifty states
- Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day at no charge
- $199 service fee, with the state's fee added
Watch for
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 above South Carolina Registered Agent.co
The 3 picks side by side
Each number out of 10 is our own mark, drawn from the weighted criteria on How we rank, and not a customer rating.
South Carolina foreign registration service pricing in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total
Every price comes from the company's own pages as of November 12, 2026. The $110 South Carolina registration fee comes on top of each row and is left out of the totals.
Why South Carolina Registered Agent.co is first
Filing Shortlist puts 28% of the weight on three-year price and 28% on what the price covers. The remaining 44% goes to renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity, and for South Carolina the deciding factor was three-year price.
South Carolina Registered Agent.co adds up to $397 over three years, which is $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both services include year one, which left the renewal price to settle the order.
Every criterion and weight is set out on How we rank.
Registering a foreign LLC in South Carolina: fee, form and office
Registration goes to the South Carolina Secretary of State on the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008). The state fee is $110. Along with the form, South Carolina expects certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, no older than 30 days when you file.
South Carolina does not ask foreign LLCs for a yearly report.
What to have ready before you file
- Certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, dated within 30 days of filing.
- The company's exact legal name and its formation date in the home state.
- A registered agent at a street address in the state. Every company on this shortlist can be that agent.
- Payment of the $110 state fee with the filing.
The cost of skipping South Carolina registration
An unregistered out-of-state LLC cannot sue in South Carolina courts (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). Its contracts remain valid (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).
Common questions about South Carolina foreign registration services
Must an LLC from another state register in South Carolina?
It must, once it does business in the state. An unregistered company cannot sue in the state's courts until it does.
What is the full price of a foreign LLC registration in South Carolina?
The state fee is $110, and service fees run $199.
What is the South Carolina foreign registration form called?
It is the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008), submitted to the South Carolina Secretary of State.
Does South Carolina ask for proof of good standing from home?
It does. The state wants certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, dated no more than 30 days before the filing.
Does a registered foreign LLC still need a registered agent?
Yes. The company keeps a registered agent in the state, at a street address there, for as long as it stays registered.
Which service leads the South Carolina foreign registration shortlist?
South Carolina Registered Agent.co, because registering costs $199 plus the state fee, with the first registered agent year covered, then $99 a year for the agent.
Where the figures come from
- S.C. Code § 33-44-202 and § 33-44-203 (checked again August 2026)
- South Carolina Business Entities Online (checked again October 2026)
- SC Secretary of State, business entity FAQs (checked again October 2026)
- SC Department of Revenue, corporate FAQs (checked again October 2026)
- S.C. Code Title 33, Chapter 44, Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (checked again November 2026)
- Pulled from South Carolina Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from SC Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from Mainstay Filing: South Carolina service page, November 12, 2026