Alabama

South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Alabama Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

South Carolina registers a corporation from Alabama as a foreign corporation on Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Alabama records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Alabama vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	Alabama formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$25	$110 at order
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT), fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due		15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

How Alabama companies register with South Carolina

Order the Alabama certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($25) is ordered from Alabama separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Alabama certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form F0002
It lists us as your South Carolina agent for service of process, next to your Alabama name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Alabama delays the South Carolina filing. After approval, your Alabama corporation is registered with South Carolina.

South Carolina costs for Alabama companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Existence, paid to Alabama	$25
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Alabama certificate included	$334

Your Alabama name and South Carolina's rules

South Carolina can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Agents: South Carolina and Alabama

South Carolina calls it an agent for service of process; Alabama says registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Alabama; ours takes South Carolina's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: South Carolina and Alabama

Alabama wants the Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) every year; South Carolina wants the Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR every year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to South Carolina

An LLC formed in Alabama files Form F0008 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($25)). See the LLC filing.

Registering a South Carolina company in Alabama

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: Alabama to South Carolina

Does my Alabama company need to register in South Carolina?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; South Carolina law lists 13 activities that do not count on their own.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: South Carolina issues one to Alabama corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the South Carolina registration cost?

$309 at checkout plus $25 to Alabama for the Certificate of Existence, $334 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Alabama's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Alabama's report (fee set by the state) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

An Alabama company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and South Carolina can add a penalty of $10 a day and a civil penalty of up to $1,000.

Does South Carolina require a registered agent?

Yes: the Alabama registered agent stays, and ours covers South Carolina for year one.

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files South Carolina's Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S), and the original keeps Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT).

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

Alabama companies leave by filing an Application for Surrender of Authority to Do Business; until then, South Carolina's report stays due alongside Alabama's filings.

Official sources

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