Arkansas

South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Arkansas Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

A corporation formed in Arkansas that wants to do business in South Carolina files Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Arkansas's Certificate of Good Standing ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State using your Arkansas records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Arkansas vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	Arkansas formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Arkansas Certificate of Good Standing	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	Arkansas: online, ready to print right after purchase	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	sos.arkansas.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Corporation Franchise Tax Report, $150, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	May 1	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Arkansas registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

How Arkansas companies register with South Carolina

Order the Arkansas certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Arkansas separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Arkansas 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 Arkansas name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Arkansas delays the South Carolina filing. Once South Carolina approves it, the Arkansas company can do business there.

South Carolina costs for Arkansas companies

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

Will your Arkansas name work for South Carolina?

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

Agents: South Carolina and Arkansas

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

Staying in good standing in Arkansas and South Carolina

Arkansas wants the Annual Corporation Franchise Tax Report every year ($150); South Carolina wants the Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR every year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Arkansas to South Carolina

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

Questions Arkansas owners ask about South Carolina

Does my Arkansas company need to register in South Carolina?

Yes, once an Arkansas 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 Arkansas corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register an Arkansas corporation in South Carolina?

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

Do I need Arkansas's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants it ($25), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Arkansas and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Arkansas's report ($150) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

An Arkansas 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 Arkansas registered agent stays, and ours covers South Carolina for year one.

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Arkansas 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 Arkansas's Annual Corporation Franchise Tax Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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