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Founder Primer

LLC paperwork, boiled down for founders.

Primer 3 · South Carolina

Foreign LLC Registration in South Carolina (2026): 5 Moves and the 3 Best Services

Our order for registering an LLC from another state in South Carolina, 2026, is SC Registered Agent.org ($199), South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199). First, do you need to register? Then 5 moves and a $110 fee.
From the Founder Primer desk

At a glance

Registration fee
$110
Source page dor.sc.gov, October 2026
Certificate from home
30 days
How old it can be
Yearly report
None
No report
State cost, years 1 to 3
$110
Registration, reports, any minimum tax
Move count
5
In order

You will know

  • When registration is required
  • What to file and what it costs
  • Staying in good standing
  • Who we would hire to file

Our picks for South Carolina

Cost over three years first, then to-dos cleared, renewal, South Carolina fit and readable pricing (scoring page).

Our pick $199 plus state fee, then $99/yr

1. SC Registered Agent.org: best for a cheap South Carolina filing

SC Registered Agent.org leads the list, since $199 plus state fees to register; the agent is paid through year one.

Cost settles it: three years total less here than at Mainstay Filing.

Inside the price
  • We prepare and file the registration
  • One year of agent service
In its favor
  • Agent renews at $99
  • A $199 service fee
  • Agent covered in year one
Against it
  • Home state needs a separate agent
Visit SC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
One-state plan $199 plus state fee, then $99/yr

2. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for another South Carolina option

Second place is South Carolina Registered Agent.co, because $199 plus state fees to register; the agent is paid through year one.

On price it ties with SC Registered Agent.org.

Inside the price
  • We prepare and file the registration
  • One year of agent service
In its favor
  • Agent renews at $99
  • A $199 service fee
  • Agent covered in year one
Against it
  • Home state needs a separate agent
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Works everywhere $199 plus state fee, then $149/yr

3. Mainstay Filing: best for a second state and more

Mainstay Filing takes third; service fee $199, plus South Carolina's fee; the agent is $149 a year from year two.

SC Registered Agent.org is $100 lower over three years, which keeps this one out of first.

Once the free year ends, expect $149 a year for the agent whichever state it covers.

Inside the price
  • We prepare and file the registration
  • Any state, one price
In its favor
  • A $199 service fee
  • One price anywhere
Against it
  • Renewal $50 over SC Registered Agent.org's
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Marks and prices together

# Service First year From year two Three-year total
1 SC Registered Agent.org $199 $99/yr $397 Visit SC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 South Carolina Registered Agent.co $199 $99/yr $397 Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Mainstay Filing $199 $149/yr $497 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. Each row still needs South Carolina's $110 registration fee.

The primer, move by move

  1. Move 1

    Do you have to register?

    LLCs from other states file a foreign registration to transact business in South Carolina. Without registration: A claim from an unregistered LLC will not go forward there (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). The agreements are not voided (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).

    Where this comes from: Source page dor.sc.gov, October 2026

  2. Move 2

    Order the certificate from home

    The filing needs certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, issued no earlier than 30 days.

    Request it close to filing day.

  3. Move 3

    Line up a 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.

    The services above supply one.

    Where this comes from: Source page scstatehouse.gov, October 2026

  4. Move 4

    Send in the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company

    the South Carolina Secretary of State takes the form and the $110 fee together.

    Where this comes from: Source page dor.sc.gov, October 2026

  5. Move 5

    Stay registered

    South Carolina requires no recurring report from foreign LLCs.

What each move costs in South Carolina

Item Payee Figure
Foreign registration State office $110
A service, if you hire one Service $199 for year one
State fees, years one to three State office $110

State fees come from the official pages in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where one applies.

The logic behind the order

The deciding criterion: founder outlay over three years, at 27% of the mark.

SC Registered Agent.org takes the cost criterion: $397 over three years, against $100 more at Mainstay Filing.

What founders ask

How much is South Carolina's fee for an out-of-state LLC?

$110 as the official fee. Add $199 if you hire a service.

Which form do I file to register?

Fill in the form named in move 4 and send it 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?

A claim from an unregistered LLC will not go forward there (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). The agreements are not voided (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?

Pick SC Registered Agent.org: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year. Behind it: South Carolina Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing.

Related primers

Sources, so you can check us

  1. Proof for S.C: the claims lean on scstatehouse.gov, which we last read in August 2026. Open it and compare.
  2. Proof for South Carolina Business Entities Online: the claims lean on businessfilings.sc.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
  3. Proof for SC Secretary of State, business entity FAQs: the claims lean on sos.sc.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
  4. Proof for SC Department of Revenue, corporate FAQs: the claims lean on dor.sc.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
  5. Proof for S.C: the claims lean on scstatehouse.gov, which we last read in November 2026. Open it and compare.
  6. SC Registered Agent.org: pricing page, read on November 13, 2026
  7. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: pricing page, read on November 13, 2026
  8. Mainstay Filing: South Carolina service page, read on November 13, 2026