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LLC UnpackedEvery filing, unpacked: the fee, the form, the catch.

What is inside · South Carolina

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in South Carolina (2026), Opened Up

In South Carolina for 2026, unpack foreign registration services in this order: Mainstay Filing ($199), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) and SC Registered Agent.org ($199). Two parts make up the bill: $110 to register and $397 to $497 to a service over three years.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Four things inside

Registration fee
$110
Certificate from home?
Yes (30 day age cap)
Afterward
No report
Top of the stack
Mainstay Filing, South Carolina Registered Agent.co then SC Registered Agent.org

Our South Carolina picks, opened up

Curious about the order? The method is here.
Top of the stack

1. Mainstay Filing: best for adding state after state

$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

Mainstay Filing is first, and the price is $199 in every state, and the first registered agent year is inside it.

South Carolina Registered Agent.co would save $100 across three years if the LLC stays in South Carolina.

After the free first year, the registered agent renews at $149.

Inside the price

  • The registration filing, included
  • The same fee in all fifty states

Inside, the good

  • Ready for the next state
  • $199 on top of South Carolina's fee

Inside, the catch

  • South Carolina Registered Agent.co renews its agent $50 lower
South Carolina only

2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for registering in a single place

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

What puts South Carolina Registered Agent.co second: $199 gets the registration filed, and the agent renews at $99.

Inside the price

  • South Carolina registration filing
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent renews at $99
  • A free agent year at the start

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing outside this state
South Carolina only

3. SC Registered Agent.org: best for one added state, no more

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

What puts SC Registered Agent.org third: $199 gets the registration filed, and the agent renews at $99.

Its prices match South Carolina Registered Agent.co exactly, so the order between them is close.

Inside the price

  • South Carolina registration filing
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • Agent renews at $99
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • A free agent year at the start

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing outside this state

Side by side

#CompanyOpening priceRenewalTotal, 3 yearsWhat is inside
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497the registration filing, included; the same fee in all fifty statesOpen Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2South Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397South Carolina registration filing; A first year of agent serviceOpen South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3SC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397South Carolina registration filing; A first year of agent serviceOpen SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from company prices read November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whichever pick you open.

Opened up, question by question

Does my LLC from another state have to register?

Any LLC formed elsewhere should file its registration with the South Carolina Secretary of State ahead of its first South Carolina transaction.

Inside the risk of skipping it: it loses the right to bring its own lawsuits in South Carolina (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)).

dor.sc.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026

What is inside the cost of registering?

The state charges $110, and a service adds $199.

Three years of state fees, registration included, stack up to $110. dor.sc.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026

What registers the LLC?

Your LLC is registered when the South Carolina Secretary of State accepts the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008).

Attach certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State dated no earlier than 30 days.

What is due after the LLC registers?

Nothing has to be filed on a schedule after registering.

Why is the stack in this order?

Mainstay Filing wins the what is inside the price layer, which counts 29%.

Two layers carry most of the weight, total across three years (34%) and what is inside the price (29%).

With two states in play, a provider for every state outranks South Carolina Registered Agent.co.

The five layers

What South Carolina requires to register

PartWhat is insideOfficial source
Registration fee$110dor.sc.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Good standing certificateYes, 30 daysdor.sc.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
State fees, years one to three$110Our total of the rows above
To check the total yourself, add the filing fee, the next two reports and any minimum tax. Costs without a set amount are left out.

More boxes to open

Does the home state need its own agent?

Yes. Think of two separate rule books, your home state's and this one's. Mainstay Filing works in both, so a single account can serve the pair.

How do the three-year totals compare?

Mainstay Filing stacks up to $497, South Carolina Registered Agent.co stacks up to $397, SC Registered Agent.org stacks up to $397, with state fees on top.

What do these numbers rest on?

The state-side figures were taken from South Carolina's own publications, and the service prices from the price page each company posts. Dates for both appear on this page.

Do I have to use a service?

No. Owners can file with the state directly. A service saves time and can act as agent, but nothing makes you hire one.

Will a service file the registration for me?

Yes. You hand over the details and the company files; the state's charge does not change with the company.

Who tops the stack in South Carolina?

Mainstay Filing is on top: the fee is $199 on top of South Carolina's own, the registered agent is waived at first, and it settles at $149 a year. Under it sit South Carolina Registered Agent.co and SC Registered Agent.org.

What the page rests on

  1. Unpacking S.C led us to scstatehouse.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  2. Unpacking South Carolina Business Entities Online led us to businessfilings.sc.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  3. Unpacking SC Secretary of State, business led us to sos.sc.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  4. Unpacking SC Department of Revenue, corporate led us to dor.sc.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  5. Unpacking S.C led us to scstatehouse.gov, confirmed November 2026, which you can open yourself
  6. Mainstay Filing South Carolina service page, read November 13, 2026
  7. South Carolina Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  8. SC Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026