South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Connecticut Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

A corporation formed in Connecticut that wants to do business in South Carolina files Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Connecticut's Certificate of Legal Existence ($80). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Connecticut records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Connecticut and South Carolina side by side

	Connecticut formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Connecticut Certificate of Legal Existence	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$80	$110 at order
How it is handled	Connecticut: online, with an express version, or by mail	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	business.ct.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $150, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	Anniversary date of the filing of the first annual report	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Connecticut registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

How Connecticut companies register with South Carolina

Order the Connecticut certificate
The Certificate of Legal Existence ($80) is ordered from Connecticut separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. It comes as a short form ($80) or a long form ($120). South Carolina wants the Connecticut certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form F0002
It names us as your South Carolina agent for service of process, with your Connecticut name and formation date and the certificate attached. The Connecticut certificate comes first; then the South Carolina filing goes in. After approval, your Connecticut corporation is registered with South Carolina.

First-year cost, Connecticut to South Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Legal Existence, paid to Connecticut	$80
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Connecticut certificate included	$389

Will your Connecticut name work for South Carolina?

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

Your South Carolina agent and the Connecticut one

South Carolina calls it an agent for service of process; Connecticut says registered agent. South Carolina papers come to us; Connecticut's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: South Carolina and Connecticut

Connecticut wants the Annual Report every year ($150); 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, Connecticut to South Carolina

An LLC formed in Connecticut files Form F0008 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Legal Existence ($50)). See the LLC filing.

Registering a South Carolina company in Connecticut

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Connecticut files Connecticut's registration (no form number) with $385 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: Connecticut to South Carolina

Does my Connecticut company need to register in South Carolina?

Yes, once a Connecticut 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 Connecticut corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register a Connecticut corporation in South Carolina?

$309 at checkout plus $80 to Connecticut for the Certificate of Legal Existence, $389 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Connecticut's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants Connecticut's Certificate of Legal Existence ($80), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Connecticut and South Carolina?

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

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

A Connecticut 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 Connecticut registered agent stays, and ours covers South Carolina for year one.

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Connecticut 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 Connecticut's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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