South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Iowa Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

To do business in South Carolina, a corporation formed in Iowa registers there on Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State using your Iowa records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Iowa vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	Iowa formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$5	$110 at order
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $60, every two years	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	April 1 of even-numbered years	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Iowa registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From Iowa to South Carolina, step by step

Order the Iowa certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($5) is ordered from Iowa separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Iowa 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 Iowa name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Iowa delays the South Carolina filing. After approval, your Iowa corporation is registered with South Carolina.

First-year cost, Iowa to South Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Existence, paid to Iowa	$5
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Iowa certificate included	$314

Will your Iowa name work for South Carolina?

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

Agents: South Carolina and Iowa

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

Yearly filings: South Carolina and Iowa

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($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, Iowa to South Carolina

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

The other way: South Carolina into Iowa

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0110A with $100 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Iowa owners ask about South Carolina

Does my Iowa company need to register in South Carolina?

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

How much does it cost to register an Iowa corporation in South Carolina?

$309 at checkout plus $5 to Iowa for the Certificate of Existence, $314 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Iowa's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and South Carolina?

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

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Iowa 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 Iowa's Biennial Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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