South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Delaware Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

South Carolina registers a corporation from Delaware as a foreign corporation on Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Delaware's Certificate of Good Standing ($50). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Delaware records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Delaware vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	Delaware formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Delaware Certificate of Good Standing	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$50	$110 at order
How it is handled	Delaware: through the Division of Corporations request service, sent by first-class mail unless a FedEx or UPS account is supplied	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	corp.delaware.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Franchise Tax Report, $50, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	March 1	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Delaware registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

How Delaware companies register with South Carolina

Order the Delaware certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($50) is ordered from Delaware separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. It comes as a short form ($50) or a long form ($175). South Carolina wants the Delaware 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 Delaware name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Allow for the days Delaware takes to send the certificate before the South Carolina filing goes in. After approval, your Delaware corporation is registered with South Carolina.

First-year cost, Delaware to South Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Delaware	$50
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Delaware certificate included	$359

Your Delaware name and South Carolina's rules

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

Your South Carolina agent and the Delaware one

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

Yearly filings: South Carolina and Delaware

Delaware wants the Annual Franchise Tax Report every year ($50); 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, Delaware to South Carolina

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

The other way: South Carolina into Delaware

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Delaware files Delaware's registration (no form number) with $245 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: Delaware to South Carolina

Does my Delaware company need to register in South Carolina?

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

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

$309 at checkout plus $50 to Delaware for the Certificate of Good Standing, $359 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Delaware's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants it ($50), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Delaware and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Delaware's report ($50) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Delaware 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 Delaware's Annual Franchise Tax Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

People also search

Corporation into South Carolina, by home state (48)

Delaware into other states (41)

The same move for an LLC