South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Illinois Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

To do business in South Carolina, a corporation formed in Illinois registers there on Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Illinois's Certificate of Good Standing ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Illinois records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Illinois vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	Illinois formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Illinois 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	Illinois: online as an instant PDF, printed from the receipt page or sent by email link	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	ilsos.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05), $75, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	Before the first day of the entity's anniversary month each year	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Illinois registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From Illinois to South Carolina, step by step

Order the Illinois certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Illinois separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Illinois 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 Illinois name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Illinois issues the certificate instantly, so the South Carolina filing can go in the same day. Once South Carolina approves it, the Illinois company can do business there.

First-year cost, Illinois to South Carolina

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

Your Illinois name and South Carolina's rules

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

Your South Carolina agent and the Illinois one

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

Staying in good standing in Illinois and South Carolina

Illinois wants the Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05) every year ($75); 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, Illinois to South Carolina

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

Common questions: Illinois to South Carolina

Does my Illinois company need to register in South Carolina?

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

How much does the South Carolina registration cost?

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

Do I need Illinois's certificate of good standing?

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

What are the yearly costs for Illinois and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Illinois's report ($75) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Illinois 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 Illinois's Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05).

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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