Place1
Best hereSouth Carolina Registered Agent.co
1. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a low yearly agent cost
$199 plus the state fee; agent $99 a year from year two
Our mark9.4out of 10
Top of our list: South Carolina Registered Agent.co, for South Carolina registration at $199 plus state fees, agent included for year one.
You get a South Carolina street address for the registered office, and served papers are scanned to your account.
Lower three-year cost is what puts it ahead of Mainstay Filing here.
What you get
- South Carolina registration filed for you
- A year of registered agent service
Why pick it
- Low $99 agent renewal
- $199 over the state fee
- A year of registered agent service included
Less good
- South Carolina only; home state needs its own agent
- $99 extra for the EIN application
Place2
Fifty-state coverageMainstay Filing
2. Mainstay Filing: best for multi-state companies
$199 plus the state fee ($309 due today); agent $149 a year from year two
Our mark9.0out of 10
In second place, Mainstay Filing: $199 over the state fee, the first registered agent year included, then $149 a year.
From year two the agent costs $149 a year, the same in every state.
The extra $100 over three years is the reason it trails South Carolina Registered Agent.co on our cost score.
What you get
- Registration prepared and filed
- Service of process scanned the same business day, no fee
Why pick it
- Any state, same fee
- $199 + the South Carolina fee
- Service of process scanned the same business day, no fee
Less good
- Agent renews at $149, $50 more than South Carolina Registered Agent.co
Place3
Lower renewal than MainstaySC Registered Agent.org
3. SC Registered Agent.org: best for registering only in South Carolina
$199 plus the state fee; agent $99 a year from year two
Our mark8.9out of 10
SC Registered Agent.org ranks third: South Carolina registration at $199 plus state fees, agent included for year one.
You get a South Carolina street address for the registered office, and served papers are scanned to your account.
With identical published prices, South Carolina Registered Agent.co and SC Registered Agent.org are separated only narrowly.
What you get
- South Carolina registration filed for you
- A year of registered agent service
Why pick it
- $199 over the state fee
- A year of registered agent service included
- Low $99 agent renewal
Less good
- South Carolina only; home state needs its own agent
- $99 extra for the EIN application
Our top 3 at a glance
| Rank | Service | Our score | Service fee | Year two | Best for | Link |
|---|
| 1 | South Carolina Registered Agent.co | 9.4 | $199 | $99/yr | Lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | Mainstay Filing | 9.0 | $199 | $149/yr | Companies registered in several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | SC Registered Agent.org | 8.9 | $199 | $99/yr | Lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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Scores are The Founders Review's own editorial scores out of 10, from the criteria on our How we rank page. They are not customer ratings.
South Carolina pricing for 2026: what each service costs
| Service | Year one | Year two | Year three | Three-year total | Agent in year one |
|---|
| South Carolina Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Not stated |
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| SC Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
We read these prices on the companies' own sites on November 12, 2026. The $110 state fee comes on top of each total.
What decided the ranking
The Founders Review weighs five things, led by three-year cost and what one price covers at 30% each. For South Carolina, three-year cost is what separated first place from second.
Three-year cost: $397 with South Carolina Registered Agent.co, saving $100 against Mainstay Filing. The renewal price after year one was the difference.
Read the full criteria on our How we rank page.
The filing, step by step
Registering costs $110 at the South Carolina Secretary of State, using the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008). South Carolina also wants certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, dated within 30 days.
South Carolina has no yearly report for foreign LLCs.
What to have ready
- Certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, issued no more than 30 days before you file.
- The company's home-state name and formation date.
- An in-state registered agent, which each ranked service provides.
- The $110 state fee, paid with the filing.
What happens if you skip it
Until it registers, the company cannot sue in South Carolina courts (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). Its contracts stay valid (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).
Common South Carolina questions
Do I need to register my out-of-state LLC in South Carolina?
Yes, if the company transacts business there. Until it registers it cannot bring a lawsuit in the state's courts.
How much does foreign registration cost in South Carolina?
The state fee is $110. The services we rank add $199 to prepare and file it.
Which form does the state use?
The Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008), filed with 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, dated within 30 days of filing.
Do I need a registered agent after registering?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Which foreign registration service is best in South Carolina?
South Carolina Registered Agent.co ranks first on our method: $199 plus the state fee with a year of registered agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.
Where the facts come from
- S.C. Code § 33-44-202 and § 33-44-203, confirmed August 2026: www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t33c044.php
- South Carolina Business Entities Online, confirmed October 2026: businessfilings.sc.gov/BusinessFiling
- SC Secretary of State, business entity FAQs, confirmed October 2026: sos.sc.gov/faqs-about-business-entities
- SC Department of Revenue, corporate FAQs, confirmed October 2026: dor.sc.gov/business-income-taxes/corporate/corporate-faqs
- S.C. Code Title 33, Chapter 44, Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, confirmed November 2026: www.scstatehouse.gov/code/statmast.php?title=33&chapter=44
- Pricing and service pages of South Carolina Registered Agent.co, read November 12, 2026
- South Carolina service page of Mainstay Filing, read November 12, 2026
- Pricing and service pages of SC Registered Agent.org, read November 12, 2026