Price Your LLCBudget for your LLC before you pay for it.
What foreign registration costs by state / South Carolina
3 Best Foreign Registration Services in South Carolina (2026): What You Pay
If you are budgeting for foreign registration services in South Carolina this 2026, start with Mainstay Filing ($199), SC Registered Agent.org ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. The state's $110 is the same whoever you hire. Service fees add $397 to $497 by year three.
Written by the Price Your LLC editorial team
↓ Ranked for you by:Ranking = 38% what you spend + 31% work covered + three smaller factors (details)
The short version
Fee you pay at registration$110dor.sc.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)
What year one costs you$199Before government fees
What three years cost you$397 to $497Year one plus two renewals
Government charges, 3 years$110Does not depend on the service
Break-evenNot within ten yearsOrder holds for ten years
Your South Carolina options
Service prices only. Every option comes with the same $110 state fee.
#Ranked for you byYou pay in year 1You pay at renewalYou pay over 3 years
1
Start here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for adding states over time
Starts at $199; later years $149
You pay in year 1$199
You pay after year 1$149/yr
You pay over 3 years$497
Mainstay Filing comes first because a $199 service fee that does not change by state, with first-year agent service included.
Three years cost you $100 more than SC Registered Agent.org, but the extra work it covers counts for more in the ranking.
Your agent price from year two: $149 a year, in any state.
Your price covers
Registration paperwork, filed
Good in all fifty states
What you get
Service charge of $199
The fee does not change by state
What to watch
SC Registered Agent.org bills $50 less for the agent
2
Local option
2. SC Registered Agent.org: best for the smallest agent bill
Starts at $199; later years $99
You pay in year 1$199
You pay after year 1$99/yr
You pay over 3 years$397
Option 2 is SC Registered Agent.org. Three years of service fees come to $397.
Your price covers
Registration completed for you
Agent service for your first year
What you get
No agent charge in year one
$99 a year for the agent after that
$199 on top of the state fee
What to watch
Limited to one state
3
Local option
3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a nearby provider
Starts at $199; later years $99
You pay in year 1$199
You pay after year 1$99/yr
You pay over 3 years$397
Option 3 is South Carolina Registered Agent.co. Three years of service fees come to $397.
Its prices match SC Registered Agent.org's exactly.
Prices as published November 13, 2026; you pay year one first, then each renewal is added. No break-even shows up inside ten years.
Cost calculator
Change the years and see what you would pay.
The government side of your South Carolina budget
What you pay for
Amount
Source
Foreign registration filing
$110
dor.sc.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)
State side, 3 years
$110
Our sum
Your three-year bill from the state is made of the filing fee, the reports due in years two and three, and a yearly minimum tax in states that levy one. Anything the state does not put a fixed price on, a newspaper notice for example, is described but never added.
Why this order for South Carolina
Upkeep the price covers put Mainstay Filing first. That factor is 31% of the ranking, and your three-year spend, year-two surprise, where the bills cross and price you can see make up the remainder.
A foreign LLC already lives in two states, so a provider covering both came first.
What South Carolina charges you to register a foreign LLC and what it requires
If your LLC was formed elsewhere, you register it in South Carolina before doing business there. You hand the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008) to the South Carolina Secretary of State and pay $110. It also asks for certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State from within the last 30 days.
An unregistered LLC can face South Carolina courts dismissing your own claims (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)).
Official text: dor.sc.gov (we looked on October 2026, so you can too)
Doing it alone
If you file everything yourself, all you pay is the state: $110 over three years. A service piles $397 to $497 on top for the paperwork.
South Carolina money questions
How much will it cost me to register my LLC in South Carolina?
$110 to the state, and a service would add $199 in year one.
What will these services cost me over three years?
After three years you will have paid $397 to $497 in service fees.
Which form do I file to register?
You file Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008) with the South Carolina Secretary of State.
Do I need a document from my home state to register in South Carolina?
Yes, and it can be at most 30 days old: certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State.
What do I file after I register?
Nothing. Foreign LLCs do not file a recurring report here.
When does one service end up costing more than another?
No break-even inside ten years.
Which foreign registration service is the best value for me in South Carolina?
Mainstay Filing is first for you, with SC Registered Agent.org and South Carolina Registered Agent.co after it.