No.1
Top pick on this page
1. SC Registered Agent.org: best for companies that only add South Carolina
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score9.3out of 10
First place: SC Registered Agent.org. The South Carolina registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
It comes in under Mainstay Filing across three years.
In the price
- The registration filing
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
- Covers the first year of registered agent service
- Registration at $199, with the state fee extra
Weak spots
- Serves South Carolina only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.2
Fifty-state coverage
2. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
Service charge $199, with the state fee separate ($309 due at checkout in all); the agent costs $149 a year from the second year
Score9.1out of 10
Second place: Mainstay Filing. Its fee is $199 beyond the state's, year-one registered agent service costs nothing, and the charge is the same in every state.
After the free first year, the agent is $149 annually, whichever state the company chooses.
SC Registered Agent.org costs $100 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.
In the price
- The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
- Free same-business-day scans of anything served on the company
Why pick it
- One price in each of the fifty states
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than SC Registered Agent.org
No.3
Best local option
3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for South Carolina registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score9.0out of 10
Third place: South Carolina Registered Agent.co. The South Carolina registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The published prices and features of SC Registered Agent.org and South Carolina Registered Agent.co are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- The registration filing
- The first year of registered agent service
Why pick it
- Second-year agent charge: $99
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
- $199 for the registration, before state fees
Weak spots
- Serves South Carolina only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | SC Registered Agent.org | 9.3 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | 9.1 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | South Carolina Registered Agent.co | 9.0 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
South Carolina foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| SC Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Not stated |
|---|
| South Carolina Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. South Carolina's $110 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The basis for the order
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In South Carolina, charge over three years was the criterion that tipped it.
Over three years SC Registered Agent.org totals $397, $100 less than Mainstay Filing. Both providers include the first year, so the renewal charge carried the ruling.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in South Carolina: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the South Carolina Secretary of State using the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008). The state fee is $110. South Carolina also requires certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, issued no more than 30 days before the filing.
South Carolina imposes no yearly report on foreign LLCs.
Items to gather before filing
- Certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, no older than 30 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $110 state fee, remitted with the application.
Consequences of operating in South Carolina unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in South Carolina courts (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).
Questions on South Carolina foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in South Carolina?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in South Carolina run in total?
The state fee is $110; service charges run $199.
What does South Carolina call its foreign registration form?
The Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008), lodged with the South Carolina Secretary of State.
Must the home state vouch for the company before South Carolina accepts it?
It must. Certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, issued no more than 30 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in South Carolina?
SC Registered Agent.org, since $199 over the state fee registers the company in South Carolina, and the agent renews at $99.
The record
- S.C. Code § 33-44-202 and § 33-44-203, on the record as of August 2026
- South Carolina Business Entities Online, on the record as of October 2026
- SC Secretary of State, business entity FAQs, on the record as of October 2026
- SC Department of Revenue, corporate FAQs, on the record as of October 2026
- S.C. Code Title 33, Chapter 44, Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, on the record as of November 2026
- Exhibit: SC Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, South Carolina service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: South Carolina Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026