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Foreign LLC guide · South Carolina

South Carolina Foreign LLC Fees (2026): Data on File and the 3 Best Services

South Carolina 2026, a foreign LLC registration: the desk ranks South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), SC Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. Rank 9th of 50 for foreign LLCs: $110 to register, then nothing.

Desk note by LLC Data Desk ·

South Carolina fee sheet

9thof fifty, foreign LLC state costSmallest total ranks first. Full 50-state sheet
Fee to register
$110Pulled October 2026 from dor.sc.gov
Report
NoneNot required
Home-state certificate
30 daysMaximum certificate age
Total owed to the state, 3 yrs
$110First filing, then two upkeep years

South Carolina: desk picks

Five criteria set the order; three-year fees and filings covered weigh most (method has the rest).

1. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a light South Carolina registration

First choiceYr 1 $199; each later year $99

First, South Carolina Registered Agent.co, because $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.

Three-year service fees come in under Mainstay Filing's, and cost carries 31%, our heaviest weight.

What the fee covers

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service

Pros

  • Agent renews at $99
  • $199 above the state fee
  • Agent covered in year one

Cons

  • No help beyond this state
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. SC Registered Agent.org: best for a local filer

One stateYr 1 $199; each later year $99

We rank SC Registered Agent.org second. Reason: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.

Same prices as South Carolina Registered Agent.co.

What the fee covers

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service

Pros

  • $199 above the state fee
  • Agent renews at $99
  • Agent covered in year one

Cons

  • No help beyond this state
Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Mainstay Filing: best for one fee in any added state

Works anywhereYr 1 $199; each later year $149

#3 is Mainstay Filing: $199 service fee in any state; year-one agent service costs nothing.

Its three-year total runs $100 above South Carolina Registered Agent.co's, and cost is the heaviest weight.

Year two on, the agent costs $149 a year in every state.

What the fee covers

  • Registration filed on your behalf
  • Same fee in every state

Pros

  • All fifty states covered
  • $199 over the state fee

Cons

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above South Carolina Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The ranking as numbers

#ServiceYr 1Yr 2+Service fees, 3 yrs
1South Carolina Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2SC Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit SC Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Posted fees, November 12, 2026. The state's $110 is not counted above.

Foreign LLC calculator

Registration fee $110; service fees are added.
With South Carolina Registered Agent.co, 3 years cost $507 in all, split $110 and $397.

South Carolina next to nearby ranks

RkStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
5thNew Mexico$100
8thMissouri$105
9thSouth Carolina$110
10thNebraska$125
11thIowa$130
The full ranking uses one method for all fifty states.

How South Carolina registers foreign LLCs (2026)

Foreign LLCs: file the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008) with the South Carolina Secretary of State; fee $110. Include certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, issued no more than 30 days.

No yearly report is asked of foreign LLCs.

Gather these

  • Certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, at most 30 days.
  • Exact legal name and formation date, home state.
  • A named registered agent at a local street address.
  • A budget for the $110 filing fee.

If you never register

Register first if the LLC may need to sue there (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). Contracts are not voided (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).

How the South Carolina order was set

Service bill over three years settled first place in South Carolina. It carries 31% of the score; the other criteria are scope of the price, renewal step, state rule match, fee transparency.

South Carolina Registered Agent.co's three-year service fees: $397, which is $100 under Mainstay Filing.

South Carolina: questions

Fee for a foreign LLC to register in South Carolina?

$110 in state fees. Service fees: $199.

Foreign registration form for South Carolina?

Use the Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008); it goes to the South Carolina Secretary of State.

Home-state certificate required?

Yes: certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, dated within 30 days of filing.

Anything due yearly from a foreign LLC?

No. South Carolina has no yearly report for foreign LLCs.

What if the LLC works there unregistered?

Register first if the LLC may need to sue there (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). Contracts are not voided (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).

South Carolina: a registered agent for a foreign LLC?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Which service do you pick for foreign registration?

South Carolina Registered Agent.co: South Carolina registration for $199 with a year of agent service; $99 a year afterward. Then SC Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.

Other files

Basis for this page

  1. Desk file (S.C): scstatehouse.gov, pulled August 2026.
  2. Desk file (South Carolina Business Entities Online): businessfilings.sc.gov, pulled October 2026.
  3. Desk file (SC Secretary of State, business entity FAQs): sos.sc.gov, pulled October 2026.
  4. Desk file (SC Department of Revenue, corporate FAQs): dor.sc.gov, pulled October 2026.
  5. Desk file (S.C): scstatehouse.gov, pulled November 2026.
  6. Desk file (New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services): sos.nm.gov, pulled October 2026.
  7. Desk file (SOS Enterprise online filing portal): enterprise.sos.nm.gov, pulled October 2026.
  8. Desk file (Business Online Filing Help): api.realfile.rtsclients.com, pulled October 2026.
  9. Desk file (NMSA 1978, Chapter 53): nmonesource.com, pulled October 2026.
  10. Desk file (Taxation and Revenue Department, who must register): tax.newmexico.gov, pulled October 2026.
  11. Desk file (Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations): sos.mo.gov, pulled October 2026.
  12. Desk file (Form LLC 4, foreign LLC registration): sos.mo.gov, pulled October 2026.
  13. Desk file (Business filing fee schedule): sos.mo.gov, pulled October 2026.
  14. Desk file (RSMo 347.153, registration of foreign LLCs): revisor.mo.gov, pulled October 2026.
  15. Desk file (RSMo 347.163, transacting business and penalties): revisor.mo.gov, pulled October 2026.
  16. Desk file (Missouri Department of Revenue, business registration): dor.mo.gov, pulled October 2026.
  17. Desk file (Nebraska Secretary of State, forms and fee information): sos.nebraska.gov, pulled October 2026.
  18. Desk file (Application for Certificate of Authority, foreign LLC): sos.nebraska.gov, pulled October 2026.
  19. Desk file (Neb): nebraskalegislature.gov, pulled October 2026.
  20. Desk file (Neb): nebraskalegislature.gov, pulled October 2026.
  21. Desk file (Nebraska Secretary of State, annual and biennial reporting): sos.nebraska.gov, pulled October 2026.
  22. Desk file (Iowa Secretary of State, business entity forms and): sos.iowa.gov, pulled October 2026.
  23. Desk file (LLC Foreign Registration Statement, Form 635_0010): sos.iowa.gov, pulled October 2026.
  24. Desk file (Iowa Code 489.902, registration requirement): legis.iowa.gov, pulled October 2026.
  25. Desk file (Iowa Code 489.905, activities that do not count): legis.iowa.gov, pulled October 2026.
  26. Desk file (Iowa Code 489.212, biennial report): legis.iowa.gov, pulled October 2026.
  27. Desk file (Iowa Secretary of State, certificate of existence): sos.iowa.gov, pulled October 2026.
  28. Company site pulled November 12, 2026: South Carolina Registered Agent.co pricing page
  29. Company site pulled November 12, 2026: SC Registered Agent.org pricing page
  30. Company site pulled November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing South Carolina service page