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Lesson 3 · South Carolina

How to Register a Foreign LLC in South Carolina (2026): 5 Steps and the 3 Best Services

The short answer for registering a foreign LLC in South Carolina this year (2026): Mainstay Filing ($199), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) and SC Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Then 5 steps, from the first check to the yearly upkeep (state fee $110).

The Founder Classroom teaching team ·

Lesson at a glance

Registration fee
$110Per dor.sc.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Home certificate
30 daysHow recent it must be
Report fee
NoneNothing recurring
Three years of state fees
$110Before service fees
Steps in this lesson
5From start to finish

Lesson goals

  • Who has to register
  • The form and the fee
  • What it costs to stay registered
  • The services we recommend

Teacher's pick

Our picks for South Carolina

Ranked by our grading rubric, which puts steps handled and three-year cost first.
Our pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies adding a state

$199 plus state fee, then $149/year

Our pick for South Carolina is Mainstay Filing: a $199 service fee plus South Carolina's own fee, then $149 yearly for the agent.

Over three years it costs $100 more than South Carolina Registered Agent.co, and our grading puts the extra steps it handles ahead of that.

The agent renews at $149 a year in every state.

What you get

  • Your filing, done
  • Any state at one price

What we like

  • $199 + state fee
  • Covers all fifty states

Watch out for

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 over South Carolina Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
One-state plan

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

$199 plus state fee, then $99/year

South Carolina Registered Agent.co is a solid second choice: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

What you get

  • Your filing, done
  • A year of agent service

What we like

  • First agent year in the price
  • $199 + state fee
  • $99 yearly from year two

Watch out for

  • No help in other states
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
One-state plan

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

$199 plus state fee, then $99/year

SC Registered Agent.org is a solid third choice: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

On price it ties with South Carolina Registered Agent.co.

What you get

  • Your filing, done
  • A year of agent service

What we like

  • $199 + state fee
  • First agent year in the price
  • $99 yearly from year two

Watch out for

  • No help in other states
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our South Carolina picks compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2South Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3SC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices from each company's own site, read November 12, 2026. Every row excludes the $110 state fee.

The South Carolina registration, in order

  1. Step 1: Check that registration applies

    Formed somewhere else but doing business in South Carolina? Then the LLC registers there as a foreign LLC. Skipping it has consequences: No lawsuits as plaintiff before registering (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). The company's contracts remain enforceable (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).

    Official source: Per dor.sc.gov, last confirmed October 2026

  2. Step 2: Request proof of good standing at home

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

    TipDo this step just before filing.

  3. Step 3: Name your South Carolina registered agent

    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.

    TipAny of our picks covers it.

    Official source: Per scstatehouse.gov, last confirmed October 2026

  4. Step 4: File the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company

    The South Carolina Secretary of State takes the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008) and the $110 fee.

    Official source: Per dor.sc.gov, last confirmed October 2026

  5. Step 5: Plan for the yearly filing

    No yearly report is due from foreign LLCs in South Carolina.

The cost of this lesson

StepPaid toAmount
Registering the LLCPaid to the state$110
Help from a serviceThe service$199 up front
Three years of state feesPaid to the state$110
Every state figure links to its source under References; service prices come from each company's site.

How we ranked the South Carolina picks

Lesson note: first place in South Carolina came down to lesson steps handled, worth 35% of the grade.

Covering several states beat South Carolina Registered Agent.co's lower renewal.

Quick answers

What does it cost to register a foreign LLC in South Carolina?

$110 as the official fee. Service fees: $199.

Which form do I file 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.

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?

No lawsuits as plaintiff before registering (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). The company's contracts remain enforceable (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 first, then South Carolina Registered Agent.co and SC Registered Agent.org; Mainstay Filing leads on lesson steps handled.

Next up

Reading list: official sources

  1. Confirmed August 2026: S.C, scstatehouse.gov
  2. Confirmed October 2026: South Carolina Business Entities Online, businessfilings.sc.gov
  3. Confirmed October 2026: SC Secretary of State, business entity FAQs, sos.sc.gov
  4. Confirmed October 2026: SC Department of Revenue, corporate FAQs, dor.sc.gov
  5. Confirmed November 2026: S.C, scstatehouse.gov
  6. South Carolina service page of Mainstay Filing, read November 12, 2026
  7. Pricing page of South Carolina Registered Agent.co, read November 12, 2026
  8. Pricing page of SC Registered Agent.org, read November 12, 2026