3 Best Foreign Registration Services in South Carolina (2026)
LLC Review Desk's 2026 picks for foreign registration services in South Carolina, favorite first, are Mainstay Filing ($199), SC Registered Agent.org ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199). Mainstay Filing is our favorite, because $199 gets the South Carolina registration filed, year one as registered agent costs nothing, and after that it's $149 a year.
By the LLC Review Desk editorial team
Position 1
Number one here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners working in more than one state
$199 for the service, $309 due at checkout with the state fee; the agent is $149 a year from year two
Our score
9.6out of 10
9.6 out of 10
Our favorite is Mainstay Filing, because it's $199 beyond the state fee in any state, and the first registered agent year is included.
Once year one is over, you pay $149 a year for the agent, whichever state you picked.
Over three years it costs $100 more than SC Registered Agent.org, and for us the extra things it handles are worth that.
In the price
Registration paperwork prepared and sent in
No-charge scans of served papers on the day they arrive
What we like
$199 for the service, plus the state's fee
The same price in all fifty states
Same-business-day scans of papers served on the company, no charge
Trade-offs
After year one the agent is $149 a year, $50 more than SC Registered Agent.org
2. SC Registered Agent.org: best for companies adding only South Carolina
You pay $199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year for the agent
Our score
9.3out of 10
9.3 out of 10
Coming in second is SC Registered Agent.org, because it's $199 plus the state fee, with your first registered agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.
You get a street address in the state for your registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
The registration filing
The first year of registered agent service
What we like
Then $99 a year to keep the agent
Registers the company for $199, with the state fee on top
The first registered agent year costs you nothing
Trade-offs
South Carolina only; your home state needs its own agent
3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for South Carolina registrations only
You pay $199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year for the agent
Our score
9.0out of 10
9.0 out of 10
In third place is South Carolina Registered Agent.co, because it's $199 plus the state fee, with your first registered agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.
You get a street address in the state for your registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
Between SC Registered Agent.org and South Carolina Registered Agent.co, prices and features match, so it's nearly a tie.
In the price
The registration filing
A year of registered agent service at the outset
What we like
Second-year agent price: $99
Covers your first year of registered agent service
$199 covers the registration work; fees are extra
Trade-offs
South Carolina only; your home state needs its own agent
LLC Review Desk gives each score out of 10 itself, based on the criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings are involved.
What South Carolina foreign registration services cost in 2026: year one, renewals and three years
Service
First year
Second year
Third year
Three-year total
Agent covered in year one
Mainstay Filing
$199
$149
$149
$497
Not stated
SC Registered Agent.org
$199
$99
$99
$397
Included
South Carolina Registered Agent.co
$199
$99
$99
$397
Included
We took each price from the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. On top of every row, South Carolina charges a $110 registration fee, which isn't in these totals.
How the order came together
Here's how we scored it: three-year cost and filings in the price are worth 29% each, and renewal price, state fit and up-front totals split the other 42%. In South Carolina, filings in the price made the difference.
Registering in a second state means working with two states, so one company at one price for both won the coverage score over SC Registered Agent.org.
You can read every criterion and weight on How we rank.
Registering a foreign LLC in South Carolina: fee, form and who to send it to
You register through the South Carolina Secretary of State, using the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008). The state charges $110. South Carolina also wants certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State that is no more than 30 days old.
South Carolina doesn't ask foreign LLCs for a yearly report.
Get these ready first
Certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, issued within 30 days of when you file.
Your company's full legal name, exactly as registered at home, and the date it was formed there.
A registered agent with a street address in the state. Any service on this page can do it.
The $110 state fee to pay with the filing.
What happens if you skip South Carolina registration
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC can't sue in South Carolina courts (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). Its contracts still stand (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).
Your questions about South Carolina foreign registration services
Do I have to register my out-of-state LLC in South Carolina?
If it does business there, yes. Until it registers, it can't sue in the state's courts.
What does registering a foreign LLC in South Carolina come to?
The state charges $110, and services charge $199.
What form does South Carolina use for foreign LLCs?
The state's form is the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008), and it goes to the South Carolina Secretary of State.
Does South Carolina want paperwork from my home state?
It does: certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, no more than 30 days old.
Do I still need a registered agent after I register?
Yes. You keep a registered agent with a street address in the state as long as the company stays registered.
Who's the best choice for foreign registration in South Carolina?
Mainstay Filing, because you pay $199 on top of the state's fee, your first year as registered agent is free, and the price is the same in every state.