South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Florida Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

To do business in South Carolina, a corporation formed in Florida registers there on Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Florida's Certificate of Status ($8.75). We file it with the Secretary of State using your Florida records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Florida and South Carolina side by side

	Florida formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Florida Certificate of Status	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$8.75	$110 at order
How it is handled	Florida: online, emailed as a PDF once payment goes through	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	dos.fl.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	May 1	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Florida registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From Florida to South Carolina, step by step

Order the Florida certificate
The Certificate of Status ($8.75) is ordered from Florida separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Florida 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 Florida name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Florida delays the South Carolina filing. Once South Carolina approves it, the Florida company can do business there.

First-year cost, Florida to South Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Status, paid to Florida	$8.75
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Florida certificate included	$317.75

Will your Florida name work for South Carolina?

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

Your South Carolina agent and the Florida one

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

Staying in good standing in Florida and South Carolina

Florida wants the Annual 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, Florida to South Carolina

An LLC formed in Florida files Form F0008 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Status ($5)). See the LLC filing.

The other way: South Carolina into Florida

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Florida files Form CR2E007 with $70 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: Florida to South Carolina

Does my Florida company need to register in South Carolina?

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

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

$309 at checkout plus $8.75 to Florida for the Certificate of Status, $317.75 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Florida's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants Florida's Certificate of Status ($8.75), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Florida and South Carolina?

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

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Florida 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 Florida's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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