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State Filing Data LLC fees by state, read from the source.

Foreign LLC guide · South Carolina

South Carolina Foreign LLC Registration (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services

Short answer for South Carolina in 2026: SC Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and South Carolina Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. State fees for a foreign LLC: $110 to register. Rank: 9th of 50.
State Filing Data research desk

South Carolina at a glance

of 50 for registering a foreign LLC

Least expensive state = 1st. See all 50

Registration fee

$110

per dor.sc.gov, October 2026

Yearly report

None

None required

Home-state certificate

30 days

No older than this

Three-year state fees

$110

Registration and two years of upkeep

Who we'd use in South Carolina

Order from our methodology: three-year service fees 35%, state filings covered 30%, then renewal, state fit and transparency.

Top of our list

1. SC Registered Agent.org: best for a low yearly agent cost

$199 plus fees; $99 a year later

SC Registered Agent.org gets our first slot: the South Carolina registration for $199 with a year of agent service and $99 yearly after.

On service fees over three years it undercuts Mainstay Filing, and that criterion weighs 35%.

What you pay for

  • South Carolina registration prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

For

  • First agent year in the price
  • $199 + state fee
  • Then $99 a year

Against

  • Home state needs a separate agent
Visit SC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Widest coverage

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies in several states

$199 plus fees; $149 a year later

Mainstay Filing is our second choice: it files the South Carolina registration for $199 over the state fee and includes year one of agent service.

On three-year service fees it trails SC Registered Agent.org by $100.

The agent renews at $149 a year wherever the company registers.

What you pay for

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Any state, same fee

For

  • $199 plus South Carolina's fee
  • Covers all fifty states

Against

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above SC Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local option

3. South Carolina Registered Agent.co: best for a local filer

$199 plus fees; $99 a year later

Pick 3, South Carolina Registered Agent.co: the South Carolina registration for $199 with a year of agent service and $99 yearly after.

Same published prices as SC Registered Agent.org.

What you pay for

  • South Carolina registration prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

For

  • Then $99 a year
  • First agent year in the price
  • $199 + state fee

Against

  • Home state needs a separate agent
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The picks in numbers

#ServiceYear oneFrom year twoThree-year service fees
1 SC Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397
Visit SC Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 South Carolina Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397
Visit South Carolina Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Company prices read November 12, 2026. State fee ($110) not included above.

Foreign LLC calculator

Pick years and a service. The state side is the $110 registration.

3 years with SC Registered Agent.org: $110 state + $397 service = $507.

States ranked around South Carolina

RankStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
5th New Mexico$100
8th Missouri$105
9th South Carolina$110
10th Nebraska$125
11th Iowa$130

Five rows of fifty; the rest are in Foreign LLC fees by state.

South Carolina foreign registration: fee, form, office

$110 goes to the South Carolina Secretary of State with 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 within 30 days.

South Carolina sets no yearly report for foreign LLCs.

What to have ready

  • Certificate of existence from the home-state Secretary of State, issued within 30 days.
  • Legal name plus the date the LLC was formed.
  • A registered agent in the state (included with each pick).
  • Funds for the $110 filing fee.

The cost of not registering

The state's courts will not hear a suit it files before registering (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). Contracts it signed still hold (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).

What decided the order

Of our five criteria, service fees over three years (35%) settled first place in South Carolina.

Over three years SC Registered Agent.org charges $397 in service fees, $100 less than Mainstay Filing.

South Carolina questions answered

How much does it cost to register a foreign LLC in South Carolina?

$110 as the official fee. Our picks add $199.

Which form registers a foreign LLC in South Carolina?

File Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form F0008) 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.

What does a foreign LLC file after registering?

Nothing recurring: South Carolina has no yearly report for foreign LLCs.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

The state's courts will not hear a suit it files before registering (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(a)). Contracts it signed still hold (S.C. Code 33-44-1008(b)).

Is a registered agent needed there?

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

Who should file the registration?

Our order is SC Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and South Carolina Registered Agent.co. For SC Registered Agent.org: a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in South Carolina.

Other guides

Data sources

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