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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · South Carolina

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in South Carolina (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in South Carolina the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) and SC Registered Agent.org ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: it files the South Carolina registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.2 Editor score out of 10
$199 on top of the state fee ($309 due at checkout), then the agent at $149 a year from year two

Mainstay Filing leads the card: $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one registered agent service included.

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

Mainstay's three-year total sits $100 above South Carolina Registered Agent.co's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • The foreign registration, handled for you
  • No-cost scan and upload of served papers within the same business day

Strengths

  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Same price across all fifty states
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than South Carolina Registered Agent.co charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Lower renewal than Mainstay

2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for companies that add just South Carolina

9.0 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

South Carolina Registered Agent.co takes second spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in South Carolina, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

What you get

  • South Carolina registration filed for you
  • One year of registered agent service

Strengths

  • Registered agent service for year one is in the price
  • Second-year agent cost: $99
  • $199 service fee plus the registration fee

Watch for

  • Limited to South Carolina; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: the full write-up
Rank #3 Low renewal

3. SC Registered Agent.org: best for registrations in South Carolina only

8.9 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

SC Registered Agent.org takes third spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in South Carolina, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Price for price and feature for feature, South Carolina Registered Agent.co and SC Registered Agent.org match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

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

Strengths

  • $199 to register, state fee extra
  • $99 per year for the agent after the first
  • A year of registered agent service is built in

Watch for

  • Limited to South Carolina; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. SC Registered Agent.org: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.2 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 South Carolina Registered Agent.co 9.0 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 SC Registered Agent.org 8.9 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every number out of 10 is an editorial mark from Formation Scorecard, produced with the criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.

South Carolina foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Not stated
South Carolina Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
SC Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add South Carolina's $110 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

How the card was marked

Formation Scorecard scores cost across three years and coverage of the price at 25% each. Renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity account for the other 50%. In South Carolina the tie was broken by coverage of the price.

A foreign registration touches two states, so a single provider at one price in both earned the most coverage points, ahead of South Carolina Registered Agent.co.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in South Carolina: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008) to the South Carolina Secretary of State, with a $110 state fee. South Carolina additionally requires certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, dated no more than 30 days before filing.

South Carolina asks nothing yearly from foreign LLCs.

Gather these before filing

  • Certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, issued no earlier than 30 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $110, sent in with the filing.

The price of ignoring South Carolina registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in South Carolina courts until it registers (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). Its contracts remain valid (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).

South Carolina foreign registration service: quick questions

Does South Carolina make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in South Carolina?

Expect $110 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in South Carolina?

The form goes to the South Carolina Secretary of State; its exact name is in the facts above.

Is a home-state certificate part of the South Carolina filing?

Yes, the state wants certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, no older than 30 days.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for South Carolina?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your registered agent and the same price in every state.

More from us

Where the figures come from

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