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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 3 · South Carolina

Foreign LLC Registration in South Carolina (2026): 5 Tasks and the 3 Best Services

Mainstay Filing ($199), SC Registered Agent.org ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199): that is the order of the services we would hire in South Carolina in 2026 for registering an out-of-state LLC. South Carolina charges $110 for foreign registration, and the 5 tasks below explain how it works.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Read this first

Registration fee
$110
Taken from dor.sc.gov in October 2026
Home-state certificate
30 days
No older than
Recurring report
None
Not required
Three-year state cost
$110
Registration and reports
How many tasks
5
Each one explained

What this unit teaches

  • Whether South Carolina registration applies to your LLC
  • The filing, its price and its office
  • What comes after registration
  • Our recommendations, with reasons

Services we recommend in South Carolina

What counts most: three-year cost and how many assignments the price finishes. How we grade lists all five criteria.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for several registrations

Top of the class$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

In South Carolina, Mainstay Filing leads the class: a $199 service fee plus South Carolina's fee, then $149 a year for the agent.

Against SC Registered Agent.org the three-year premium is $100, outweighed by the 31% weight on assignments completed.

After the free first year, the agent costs $149 a year in any state.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • Any state, one price

What works

  • The same fee in every state
  • $199 above the state fee

What to weigh

  • A pricier agent renewal ($149)
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. SC Registered Agent.org: best for one extra state

One-state plan$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

SC Registered Agent.org takes second place: $199 over the state fee to register, then $99 yearly.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • $99 a year for the agent after that
  • A year of agent service is included

What to weigh

  • Serves South Carolina alone
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

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

One-state plan$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

South Carolina Registered Agent.co takes third place: $199 over the state fee to register, then $99 yearly.

On price, it is level with SC Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • A year of agent service is included
  • $99 a year for the agent after that

What to weigh

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

A comparison of the services

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2SC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3South Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Add the $110 state fee to every row.

How registration works in South Carolina

  1. Task 1

    See if your LLC must register in South Carolina

    LLCs formed outside South Carolina file a foreign registration to transact business here. The cost of not registering: An LLC that has not registered cannot be a plaintiff in South Carolina (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). Contracts it has already signed still hold (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).

    Source: Taken from dor.sc.gov in October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Get a certificate from your home state

    South Carolina asks for certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, dated within 30 days.

    Time the request so the certificate is recent on filing day.

  3. Task 3

    Name a registered agent for South Carolina

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a street address in South Carolina for the agent, stated in the articles. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    Each of the recommended services serves as the registered agent.

    Source: Taken from scstatehouse.gov in October 2026

  4. Task 4

    Put together the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company

    To register, send the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008) to the South Carolina Secretary of State with $110.

    Source: Taken from dor.sc.gov in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    What comes after

    Nothing repeats for a foreign LLC here.

The bill

EntryWho gets paidSum
Filing to registerThe state$110
A filing service (optional)The provider$199 to start
State fees for the first three yearsThe state$110
To get the three-year state number we add up the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax, and we keep service fees separate.

Why Mainstay Filing is first

On assignments the price completes (31% of the grade) won out, with right behind.

Registering involves two states, and one provider for both moved ahead of SC Registered Agent.org.

South Carolina questions

How much does South Carolina charge an out-of-state LLC to register?

$110 as the official fee. The services here charge $199 on top.

Which form do I file to register?

Fill in the form named in task 4 and send it to the South Carolina Secretary of State.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

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

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

An LLC that has not registered cannot be a plaintiff in South Carolina (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). Contracts it has already signed still hold (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).

What is due after registering?

No recurring report for foreign LLCs in South Carolina.

Which service should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing, because registering costs $199 plus state fees, and the first year of the registered agent is free. After it come SC Registered Agent.org and South Carolina Registered Agent.co.

Reading list and sources

  1. Reading list entry for S.C: scstatehouse.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  2. Reading list entry for South Carolina Business Entities Online: businessfilings.sc.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  3. Reading list entry for SC Secretary of State, business entity FAQs: sos.sc.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  4. Reading list entry for SC Department of Revenue, corporate FAQs: dor.sc.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  5. Reading list entry for S.C: scstatehouse.gov, reread November 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  6. Mainstay Filing: South Carolina service page, as seen on November 13, 2026
  7. SC Registered Agent.org: pricing page, as seen on November 13, 2026
  8. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: pricing page, as seen on November 13, 2026