South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Georgia Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

A corporation formed in Georgia that wants to do business in South Carolina files Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Georgia's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Georgia records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Georgia vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	Georgia formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Georgia Certificate of Existence	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$10	$110 at order
How it is handled	Georgia: online as a PDF, processed immediately with no expedite fee	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	ecorp.sos.ga.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Registration, $60, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	April 1	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Georgia registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

How Georgia companies register with South Carolina

Order the Georgia certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from Georgia separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Georgia 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 Georgia name and formation date and the certificate attached. Georgia issues the certificate instantly, so the South Carolina filing can go in the same day. Once South Carolina approves it, the Georgia company can do business there.

First-year cost, Georgia to South Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Existence, paid to Georgia	$10
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Georgia certificate included	$319

Will your Georgia name work for South Carolina?

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

Agents: South Carolina and Georgia

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

Staying in good standing in Georgia and South Carolina

Georgia wants the Annual Registration every year ($60); 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, Georgia to South Carolina

An LLC formed in Georgia files Form F0008 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). See the LLC filing.

Common questions: Georgia to South Carolina

Does my Georgia company need to register in South Carolina?

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

How much does the South Carolina registration cost?

$309 at checkout plus $10 to Georgia for the Certificate of Existence, $319 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Georgia's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants Georgia's Certificate of Existence ($10), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Georgia and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Georgia's report ($60) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Georgia 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 Georgia's Annual Registration.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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